There are many other changes we can embrace in our daily lives, that will help make a difference. Consider switching your cleaning products to ones that don’t harm the environment. I’ve recently started using products from a company called Smol. All their products are eco friendly and not harmful for our waterways and haven’t been tested on animals. You buy a bottle for life and buy refills when you need them - in a tablet form. As most cleaning products are around 90% water, you really don’t need a bottle of water with the cleaning elements added. You simply grab the refill tablet, put it in your bottle and add water from your own tap. It’s that simple.
Has COP26 got you thinking?
5 November 2021
The small changes make a big difference.
What’s your thoughts on COP2? I wish I could be optimistic. The ‘words’ coming out of the mouths of politicians from across the world, lead us to believe that we should be. I am however, rather sceptical. In the words of that amazing young woman, Greta Thunberg, it’s all just a bit "...blah, blah, blah". Will we ever see any action? Time will tell.
In the meantime, I’m going to continue to do my bit by endeavouring to make my little business and my existence on our planet as green as I can. I’ve recently made the very big decision to stop using the yarn suppliers that I’ve loved for the past few years, simply because they are not located in the UK. It’s not because their products aren’t beautiful, sustainable or eco-friendly, I simply want to cut down on the air miles that my materials are travelling before they get to me. From now on I’ll be sourcing my wool from British producers only - keeping it local. Cotton might be a bit trickier, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for solutions for that one.
There are many things that small businesses can do to reduce our carbon footprint. These are a couple of ways that I am ensuring that Colour My Dreams is a greener, more environmentally conscious business:
- Packaging: I only use paper and never any plastic bubble wrap or plastic bags. I am slowly changing my tape and stickers over to plastic free, biodegradable options. I already have a lot of conventional tape and stickers and don’t want to waste them so I’ll be using what I have already before I replace my tape and stickers with a compostable/biodegradable options.
- Materials: All my materials have been sourced from businesses who share my ethos about the environment and animal husbandry. I will only buy from a business that provides statements and evidence about where they source their raw materials. I need to trust that they have the safety and welfare of the workforce and animals as their main priority. Caring for the people who help produce these beautiful materials means they receive fair payment and the respect they deserve for their hard work; and so do their animals.
I’ve been using Smol dishwasher tablets for around 6 months now and they are just as good if not better then the expensive, big brands you’ll get in the supermarkets.
I definitely suggest giving them a try (I’m not being paid to tell you about Smol, I just want to share this great idea and help out another business trying to do the right thing by our planet).
I’d love to hear of any tips you have for saving our planet. Sharing our ideas is a great way to make a difference. Please feel free to email me or add a comment in the Facebook comments box below.
Be part of the solution, not part of the problem!
Colourful Ramblings
Life has been somewhat topsy turvy for the past few years. With Covid affecting the whole world and then my own little world being challenged with the tedium that comes with trying to sell my house and move to somewhere new; I've been feeling somewhat overwhelmed. The one constant in my life has been my yarns, hooks and needles. I honestly think they are to thank for getting me through the past four years with a semblance of sanity in tact.
If I was to rank 2022 on a scale of 1 - 10, it's a solid 5. Neither wonderful nor disastrous, in school report terms, "could do better".
A new life and a new start is in reaching distance, I just have to be patient. I’ll keep doing the right things to make it happen and hopefully, before long I’ll be sharing with you my new adventure.
This day was always going to come, the day I say au revoir to all of you who signed up to my newsletters, visited my website, bought my products and offered kind words of support. Many of you did that regularly and I’m really grateful.
It took a pandemic to make me realise that I am enough. Yes, the me that I am today is more than enough, I don’t need to be anything more. I discovered that I don’t need to wear make-up and wash my hair every day (yes, I used to wash it every day - how ridiculous was that) and my pared back wardrobe was more than enough too.
