About 3 years ago, a friend of mine commented how expensive being ‘eco-friendly' is. That was the catalyst for me starting my business ‘ECO for ALL'. Having 2 young children and being very aware of the damage we're causing to our planet, I felt compelled to help as many people as possible live more sustainably.
Over a number of months, I used friends and family as guinea pigs so I could figure out how best to offer my services. I now offer a series of online sessions that walk people through small steps, easy swaps and recommendations around the home – and have made it as affordable as possible. Each session is themed – we focus on topics such as:
- Cleaning and laundry
- Energy saving
- Recycling
- Technology
- Reducing food waste
The sessions are a month apart to allow each client to really focus on what changes they can make – and I support them further via a dedicated WhatsApp chat.
Through the chat, I make regular contact to follow up on the sessions, share discounts and referral codes from trusted brands and I encourage clients to use me as their personal eco-shopper so I can teach them the thought process when looking for specific household items. I have 1 client who has halved the amount of clothes washing she does for her family of 4, another client is saving £15 a week on her food shopping – and every client has changed their habits and mindset.
These tips have all been brought together from years of living as sustainably as possible at home and at the end of the sessions I provide each client with my Toolkit, which is a consolidation of all the sessions, plus suggestions to help them going forward.
As a family, we've focused on various changes over the years – at the start of 2018, I aimed to go a year without buying new clothes for my 2 children – and haven't looked back since. I no longer buy new for myself or my husband. In 2020 I started focusing on waste – and am now very proud to say we only put our general waste bin out 3 times a year.
And last Christmas, around 75% of the gifts I bought for my family were preloved. I also litter pick each week round my village – and involve the children when they're not at school. We're still on our journey, but have come along way so I'm keen to share – and show how easy and affordable being eco-friendly really is.
