Rachael Lindsay - House Of Coco Magazine

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

Three of the Best Vegan Milks

More and more of us are going vegan or ditching dairy. And that usually means switching to a vegan milk made from soya, nuts or oats.

Having been vegan for two years now, I get a lot of questions about vegan milk. Including the sustainability and taste credentials of the various options.

So I have put together my top three milks to try – with two oat milks on the list because oats are demonstrably better for the planet than almonds or soya.

1. Minor Figures Oat M*LK

Minor Figures is a cold brew coffee start-up that launched its oat milk last year.

It tops the list because it is perfect in coffee. It never curdles, foths and foams exactly like dairy milk and enhances the flavour of any coffee roast. All ingredients in the milk are certified organic and it is Soil Association accredited too.

Oats are one the best choices for sustainability. They need far less water than almonds to grow and they tread far more lightly on local ecosystems than soybeans.

For more information, visit www.minorfigures.com.

2. Good Hemp Seed Milk

Compared to most other vegan milk sources, hemp is awesome for the planet. It is naturally pest and weed resistant, it uses little water and nutrients and is practically waste-free. Hemp plants breathe in four times more carbon dioxide than trees – Good Hemp describes them as little vacuum cleaners for the air.

Good Hemp source their hemp seeds in France and make them into milk on their farm in Devon. This is a company who is passionate about doing better for the planet.

While it doesn’t have as much protein as other vegan milk sources, hemp is naturally rich in Omega 3 & 6. And the taste test? I found it delicious in porridge and tea.

For more information, visit www.goodhemp.com.

3. Oatly Oat Drink Semi

Oatly are renowned for their bold advertising campaigns and are an industry leader in vegan milk.

My favourite of the wide range of oat products they produce is Oat Drink Semi which is a delicious replacement for dairy semi-skimmed. Great on oatmeal, on corn flakes, in smoothies and, in my humble opinion, coffee too.

You can find an in-depth sustainability report on Oatly’s website which gets into the nitty-gritty of their waste management, land use, water use etc. Basically these guys care a lot about making the world a more sustainable place – whilst recognising that this is a complex process.

For more information, visit www.oatly.com.

Cover photo credit: Good Hemp.

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

Harvesting Honey From London’s Designer Beehives

Bees represent the femininity of our brand; they’re beautiful, soft and delicate, but they’re determined hard workers. If you get in their way they carry a powerful sting.

So says jewellery designer, Alex Monroe, of the humble honeybee which hangs in precious metal form from many of his necklace creations. Alex admits that he owes a great deal to the bees, which is why he has collaborated with Hilton Bankside to design and paint four of their beehives.

Our interest piqued by this meeting of honey and design on an urban rooftop, House of Coco’s Rachael Lindsay went along for the hives’ very first honey harvest to find out more.

For me, a honey harvest conjures up images of bucolic countryside life, of children nibbling secretly on fresh honeycomb in the garden whilst their parents call them in for dinner. It also reminds me of luxurious hotel breakfasts in tropical locations, where freshly harvested and deeply flavoursome honey seems to abound. So I was slightly surprised to be invited to a honey harvest in London.

But I quickly learn that urban beekeeping has become very much in vogue in the capital over recent years, with many rooftops becoming home to colonies of the important and endangered honeybee. Even Kew Gardens has created an exhibition in honour of the secret life of bees in their multi-sensory installation, The Hive.

With the number of honeybees in the UK rapidly declining, Hilton Bankside is only one of a number of iconic locations in London which has installed hives on their rooftop. The Bankside hives are gorgeously designed by big bee fan, Alex Monroe, in their rooftop meadow.

Each hive has been painted by Monroe to represent the British seasons, in calming pastels that are complimented by the wildflowers that have now sprung up around them, framed by the backdrop of the Shard and St Pauls.

Donning my beesuit nervously like an astronaut readying for lift-off, I am led to the hives by stockbroker-cum-beekeeper, Dale Gibson. The man behind artisan honey producer, Bermondsey Street Bees, Dale is a champion of responsible beekeeping and cares for many a London bee colony.

I learn about the fascinating life inside the hives which, I conclude, is a woman’s world. Female worker bees bite their good-for-nothing brothers’ wings off, the healthy queen proudly emits pheromones to reassure her 30,000 strong family that all is well and even the male drone who mates with the queen dies in the mating process once his use is over.

But, as Alex Monroe says, these bees also work incredibly hard with the queen laying 2,000 eggs every day and the workers producing honey, feeding the larvae and guarding the hive from dawn til dusk.

It makes every drop of honey seem precious when you realise that each worker bee makes just a twelfth of a teaspoon of honeymoon in her lifetime. So Dale, who extracts the very first harvest of honey from the Bankside hives since their installation, is incredibly careful to ensure that he does not waste a single drop.But for other beekeepers, they prefer to use one of these Best Honey Extractors in 2020 to increase their honey yield.

After meeting the bees in their pretty hives and learning a little about their feminine-oriented way of life, I go down into the kitchens to watch the age-old process of raw honey extraction. Dale simply spins, cold filters and jars his honey, meaning that it tastes seriously good.

Tasting the freshly extracted honey is a dream. It is bursting with fruity and floral flavours, a world away from the shop-bought honey that I am used to.

With honey so delicious being produced right on our doorstep, it is exciting to think that beekeeping is becoming so popular. But Dale warns that London’s open spaces are diminishing and that the increase in the number of hives in the capital is putting pressure on the bees as they all compete for the same bee-friendly plants. Many of London’s beekeepers, like Dale, are campaigning to increase the number of bee-friendly plants around London and to promote the safe and careful keeping of bees in the right conditions.

Impressed by the fun design of the hives and of course the heavenly taste of that honey, I leave dreaming of creating my own rooftop bee garden and of a future where London’s green spaces continue to provide for our feminist friends, the bees.

The hives can be found at Hilton Bankside in London and you can try the honey at the hotel’s restaurant, the OXBO Bankside.

Beauty November 9, 2023

Is There A Natural Deodorant That You Can Take On Holiday?

Taking our body out of its comfort zone into a sweaty, humid, sandy or dry atmosphere can mean we don’t feel our best on holiday. So a good deodorant is VITAL when travelling somewhere lovely and hot.

While there is a fantastic movement to consider the environmental impact of what we eat, wear and do…until recently, I wasn’t too bothered about changing my deodorant from a bog-standard one to a natural version.

Here is why I changed my mind:

Traditional antiperspirant deodorants contain aluminium! It is the main active ingredient that stops sweat. Studies are still being carried out but there is some evidence to suggest that aluminium is linked to breast cancer, and that we shouldn’t be stopping our body from the natural detox process of sweating!
Lots of deos, and just beauty products in general, contain parabens. Again, more research is needed but these guys enter our bodies and stay there, potentially causing cancers. They also have been found in the bodies of marine animals who probably ingest them through waste in the ocean L
I want to avoid palm oil! Most of us have heard about how bad palm oil is for the environment, causing ‘green deserts’ of palm plantations where native animals and plants can’t survive and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions through the clearing of forests.
Lots of regular deodorants are not vegan. That’s because lots of the ingredients have been tested on animals. Buying a deodorant which has no ingredients tested on animals means it is guaranteed to be cruelty-free.

The solution is natural deodorants, those that avoid the products mentioned above and are vegan-certified. However, I have tried a few of these and often they are not good at preventing body odour – a disaster when on holiday somewhere hot.

Luckily the Natural Deodorant Co. has brought out some cute little travel-size deodorants that actually work. They have the perfect sizes for a weekend trip or a two-week journey and will be allowed in hand luggage in case you need to freshen up mid-flight.

I tried out their active range since these are specially designed for high-sweat situations. They come in four flavours and use sodium bicarbonate to destroy bacteria. You will probably find you love some of the smells and aren’t so keen on others. For example, my fave is the mint and eucalyptus for its refreshing scent whilst I am not a massive fan of coriander so find the coriander and lime a little too herb-y.

Having tested these natural active deodorants out in some seriously hot countries and on some long, sweaty runs, I can guarantee that they will keep you smelling fresh – quite amazing considering the pure, natural ingredients involved.

Prices start from £2.50 and stockists include: naturaldeoco.com, glasshouseshop.co.uk & Planet Organic.

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

Discover Your Taste Profile This Weekend With A Grey Goose Vodka Brunch

If there’s one thing that really gets #TeamCoco in the summer mood, it is a delicious cocktail to match a lazy brunch. So you can only imagine how excited we are to hear that Grey Goose is holding Le Grand Fizz Brunch Club this weekend. And we were lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the new concept so you can rest assured that Le Grand Fizz has the #TeamCoco seal of approval.

Expect a unique dining and cocktail experience completely personalised to your own taste profile. Bringing together the expertise of well-known foodie Anna Barnett and Head of Bars at The Ned, Dan Berger; you will be taken on a journey of exploration inspired by the five key taste profiles: sweet, sour, salty, umami and bitter.

Taking place on Saturday 12 August at Carousel, Marylebone – you can enjoy bespoke Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz cocktails created by Dan Berger, which can be customised to individual taste profiles and paired with a menu of extraordinary brunch dishes curated by Anna Barnett.

Upon arrival, you will enjoy a brunch style canape reception, where you will be invited to explore and identify your preferred taste profile. You can then personalise your own dish with Anna Barnett on hand to share her expertise. The ingredients behind each dish have been carefully crafted to pair with Grey Goose’s refreshing summer serve, Le Grand Fizz.

Bringing to life the finest seasonal ingredients in both dishes and cocktails, the two-course brunch will be complimented by a ‘living wall,’ offering you a variety of herbs, spices, and botanicals, to personalise and season your dishes and cocktails.

We would recommend being adventurous with your creations – I went for an umami cocktail with sweet and salty dishes – and my only regret was that I felt a little too full for a third helping…

Where: Carousel, 71 Blandford St, Marylebone, London W1U 8AB

When: Saturday 12th August 12pm – 2pm

To buy tickets follow the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grey-goose-le-grand-fizz-brunch-club-tickets-36351281662

Australia November 9, 2023

Top 3 Hotels To Experience The Best Of Uganda

It was revealed last month that Uganda, otherwise known as the ‘Pearl of Africa’, saw a 10% increase in tourist numbers to its national parks in 2018-2019. With such unique opportunities to discover wildlife, this does not surprise us at #Teamcoco. And yet we know that there is much more to Uganda than the bush. Its iconic Lake Victoria and the vibrant capital of Kampala are also unmissable and unmistakably Ugandan experiences. Having sent our girl, Rachael Lindsay, to visit Africa’s Pearl earlier this year, we take a look at her round-up of the best three resorts to experience the best of Uganda.

For the lake: Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa

Nestled on the banks of the world’s largest tropical lake, the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa is our top pick of Uganda’s hotels. The winding pathways, bridges and fountains of the resort make it a joy to get lost in and the Marina restaurant offers fresh fish and sunset views at the lake’s edge. It has all of the luxurious touches that you would expect of a five-star resort as well as bespoke boat expeditions to nearby Ngambe Island, home to 49 orphaned chimpanzees.

For more information, visit serenahotels.com or read our full review here.

For the bush: Bwindi Lodge by Volcanoes Safaris

Set on the boundaries of Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest, this stream-side hideaway is the perfect place from which to visit Uganda’s mountain gorillas. A new deluxe Banda opened in June this year and all Bandas feature four poster beds, locally inspired furnishings and personal butler service. The local gorillas often choose to relax around Bwindi Lodge, making it both a stylish and natural spot from which to get to know these fascinating animals.

For more information, visit volcanoessafaris.com.

For the city: Latitude O, Kampala (due to open October 2019)

With stunning properties in Lilongwe, Malawi, and Lusaka, Zambia, Latitude Hotels offers experiences in Africa’s cities that match its great beach resorts and safari lodges. That’s why we had to include Latitude 0 in our list, which is set to open in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, in October 2019. Located among indigenous orchid-filled trees atop of Makindye Hill and with a Ugandan-inspired design using reusable materials, this hotel is going to be a seriously stylish addition to the capital and the perfect base to recover from those post-safari blues.

For more information, visit 0.thelatitudehotels.com.

Cover photo: @rachannelindsay at Lake Victoria Serena

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

East London’s freshest food hit: Treves & Hyde

How do #Teamcoco like to chill after a day of work in the city? Experiential food and great cocktails in a convenient, stylish setting is no bad suggestion. So when we heard that Treves & Hyde had opened up near Aldgate, not too far from where our writer, Rachael Lindsay, is based, we sent her to check it out…

For me, the location of Treves & Hyde is perfect – not too far from Aldgate station and within walking distance of Brick Lane and the City. Sometimes it can be tricky to find good places to eat after work in this area so a new opening with George Tannock heading up the kitchen sounded like a promising proposition.

The design of the first floor restaurant is refreshing. Airy with large windows welcoming in the evening sun, fun with mustard yellow chairs and pot plants, but also very simple with a bare spiral staircase and half painted concrete. Not too hipster or in-your-face, leaving the food centre-stage.

George Tannock, who lists some impressive establishments like The Fat Duck, Zuma and The Dorchester on Park Lane on his CV, heads up the kitchen. His ethos is responsibly sourced food, simple ingredients and passionate people. The service staff are incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about every dish, showing that Treves & Hyde genuinely employ people who share his mission.

What about the drink? Well, the cocktails are expertly mixed by Stefano Campigli and I enjoy a Sloe Gin Fizz prepared with home-made syrup, contrasting foamy egg white with sherbet sweetness. The wine, picked out by our waiter based on our menu choices, is a Picpoul which complemented but never overpowered the gentle flavours of the food.

And the dishes? We choose little appetisers like red pesto arancini and peppers with cod brandade and saffron aioli and fresh starters including seared tuna with edamame and seaweed crisp, and diver scallop with chestnut and pickled cabbage. The flavours are delicate and expertly paired; the creamy cod filled peppers particularly mouth-watering and the tuna and scallop clearly of the freshest quality.

The starters are light, leaving us hungry for the main event, where we choose beef brisket with bacon pudding and cod with cockles and kale. The dishes are well-matched with playful side dishes such as sweet potato with tahini and pomegranate or tenderstem broccoli topped with eerily moving fish scales of katsuoboshi.

I would recommend the cod, a fish whose flavour is usually obscured by batter or sauce, but which is here cooked to perfection and enhanced rather than smothered by its accompaniments of polenta, creamy cockles and beer pickled shallots. The beef is tender and rich, although we find the bacon pudding, a recipe apparently handed down from the chef’s grandmother, to be a little starchy.

We try both desserts on the menu, a butterscotch creme caramel with salted popcorn and a dark Valhrona chocolate slice with pistachio. The smaller creme caramel is ideal if you are feeling full and the Valhrona is devilish and divine if you want a serious chocolate hit to end the evening.

Approachable and adventurous, that is how I would describe Treves & Hyde. George Tannock is experimenting gently, without doing anything superficial or superfluous, and always keeps the original ingredient front of mind. The prices are affordable considering the location and quality of the dishes, making this a lovely spot for an after-work treat. A big thumbs up from #TeamCoco, and keep an eye on Chef George Tannock for exciting things to come.

Rachael dined at Treves & Hyde, 15-17 Leman Street, London E1 8EN. For more information, visit www.trevesandhyde.com.

Hotels & Spas November 9, 2023

A #Teamcocopup adventure at the Nanteos Mansion, Ceredigion

A sprawling Georgian mansion, thirty acres of land, delicious Welsh food…Nanteos Mansion is the absolute perfect treat for your Mum and her dog. So those are the two special people #Teamcoco writer, Rachael Lindsay, took with her on a special overnight stay.

We take a long, windy drive through the Nanteos estate to get to the stunning Nanteos manor house, located in Ceredigion near Aberystwyth, Wales. After a fair journey, we are keen to give our #Teamcocopup for the next few days, Ralph, a stretch of his legs. Luckily we are in the heart of woodland and parkland. This is dog-walking heaven and we make the most of it, discovering a labyrinth, a pet graveyard and even a collection of garden bee hives along the way.

After Ralph has checked out the estate, it is time for us to check in. We have a gorgeous dog-friendly suite overlooking the grounds. Each room is individually designed so you can take your pick – if you really want to treat yourself, go for the Nightingale honeymoon suite, complete with corner bath and hand-stencilled walls. A lovely touch is the doggy treats left for Ralph which he rudely devours without even a thank you.

Leaving Ralph to enjoy his treats, my Mum and I feel like we are guests at the Titanic, making our way down the huge central staircase to the bar area. We sup Prosecco before enjoying a three-course meal of Welsh delights. The focus here is locally-sourced and -inspired dishes, and I have a vegan menu of charred leeks, chickpea curry and vegan cherry chocolate brownie. Special touches like a salmon or tofu miso as an amuse-bouche and the homemade sourdough bread with marmite butter add to the wow factor.

Breakfast, served in the Buttery, is an old-fashioned affair with high ceilings, copper pans and iron stoves. The buffet brims with fruit juices, cereals and breads and a hot food menu includes a full Welsh with lava bread and bacon as well as the usual brunch favourites.

Ralph isn’t satisfied without a wander through the house itself (well-behaved dogs are allowed in all rooms except those where food is served). We casually stumble across the Music room, with chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Welsh hills, and ridiculously ornate ceilings and walls. The period features everywhere are pretty astonishing and perhaps unsurprising for such a historic building. The flooring dates back to the 11th century (!) and the Mansion has been owned by the aristocratic Powell family for most of its existence. Information on the second floor provides a fascinating potted history which also involves the Nanteos Cup, a candidate for the Holy Grail!

Mythology, grand architecture, great food and acres of land for pups to explore…Nanteos Mansion is the perfect Welsh break for me, Ralph and Mum. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in history and nature, and at excellent value for the luxury on offer, from £139 B&B per room per night.

For more information, visit nanteos.com.

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

#TeamCoco Eats Vegan: The Vurger Co, Shoreditch

One of the perils of being vegan is constantly having to convince friends, family, EVERYONE, of how great vegan food can be. Thus, our #TeamCoco vegan queen, Rachael Lindsay, has made it her mission to seek out all of the best vegan options for us, including the very best vegan burgers out there. The sound of vurgers may be familiar to you if you checked out our preview article of the Vurger Co here. But now Rachael is checking out their shiny new restaurant. Are they really the best vurgers in London?

YES! Ok ok I have tried many a vegan burger in London and, of course, the search is not yet over. But I have to say, the food options at The Vurger Co are really top notch.

First, the burgers: you can take your pick from Classic, Auberger, a spicy Holy Habanero, and the MLT. We go for the MLT and Classic, with no regrets. The MLT is a heavenly mix of roasted shrooms and borlotti beans with a to-die-for homemade walnut and sundried tomato pesto. The Classic is black beans, chargrilled peppers and the BEST burger sauce.

They are both world’s away from those bland grey veggie burgers or huge portobello mushrooms between dry bread that non-vegans might expect. Nor are they faking it as meat, you can really taste the vegetables, spices and yummy ingredients in each dish.

Having already sampled the burgers before, I am super excited to try The Vurger Co’s legendary sides and shakes at the Shake Station. I think it is safe to say that the Oreo Shake is the very best vegan shake I have ever had. It is rich and chocolatey and has me questioning if it is really vegan (don’t worry, it is). The mac’n’cheese is another highlight. This is a comfort food dish for me that I have (just slightly) missed since cutting out dairy. The Vurger version was exceptional considering it was vegan and even my non-vegan friend was very impressed.

After gorging on all this food (I was admittedly very hungry on arrival), I look up and appreciate the design which manages to be both laid-back and on-trend at the same time. Painted white brickwork is broken up with a huge neon sign reading ‘Feed Your Soul’ in loopy handwriting and big menu boards in pastel tones. Comfy cushions are scattered on dark bench seating and a grey feature wall reads ‘Hey Shoreditch! Thanks for having us, we feel right at home’.

With veganism sometimes being accused of taking itself a little too serious, it is great to see how down-to-earth a vegan joint can be. And the location is perfect too, just a few minutes from Shoreditch High Street Station and near other great places such as Crosstown Doughnuts (yes some are vegan) and the newly opened board game cafe, Proceed Clockwise.

It is the kind of place where you can spend several hours chatting without ever feeling like the staff are pressuring you to leave, but also where you can grab a take-away for an indulgent film night. I also appreciate the little vegan touches such as that you can only pay by card since cash is not vegan and the cutlery is made of plants not plastic.

Before I go out into the East London night, I have to fit in a double chocolate ice cream sandwich. The cookie is crunchy, the ice cream is creamy and I impress myself by eating all of it (and it is massive!). An excellent end to a great meal in a lovely space.

The Vurger team are also getting involved with some exciting collaborations over the next few months. These include a terrarium building workshop with The Botanical Boys and a brunch launch with vegan chef, Gaz Oakley. Stay updated by following @thevurgerco or check out their website thevurgerco.com.

Fashion November 9, 2023

The best brand swaps to make your wardrobe more sustainable

We cannot forget about sustainability. If you are ordering clothes, think about trying one of these tried and tested brands which uses only recycled products. The planet will thank you for it.

1 – Charnos tights made from offcuts

Charnos Hosiery’s new ‘RE, CYCLED ’ collection features a sheer 15 and opaque 40 and 70 denier tights. Having tried these gorgeous tights ourselves, we can confirm that they are top quality as well as environmentally friendly. Each piece in the range is made from luxurious Italian yarns that are produced using the offcuts of current hosiery production. The recycled offcuts are then used to create an environmentally friendly yarn, which substantially reduces the effect of manufacturing with production. Cutting emissions by 80% and reducing water consumption by 90%. Find out more at www.charnoshosiery.com.

2 – Sundried activewear made from coffee grounds

With pioneering activewear collections made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and coffee grounds, Sundried is paving the way for sustainable fashion while also helping to combat the global plastic pollution crisis. The sweat-wicking, functional and stylish properties of this activewear cannot be denied – you would simply never know that these clothes are made from the plastic we toss in the recycling bin. Read our full feature on the brand here. For more information about Sundried, visit www.sundried.com.

3 – Rothys shoes made from plastic bottles

We love Rothys. Not only is everything they make 100% recycled but they are inspired by the women of today. Made famous by Meghan Markle, they have made shoes by repurposing over 37 million single-use plastic bottles and turning them into stylish pumps and ballet shoes. The washable insoles are made with bio-based castor oil and recycled materials too. To find out more visit www.rothys.com.
Cover photo credit: Sundried.

Bangladesh November 9, 2023

5 Ways to Live More Sustainably

The painful facts are now difficult to avoid: we have more CO2 in our air than ever before, rising seas are threatening to engulf the world’s islands and low-lying coasts, the day on which humanity’s consumption for the year outstrips the world’s capacity to regenerate resources that year is getting earlier and scientists are realising that more and more droughts and floods are down to human action. Such horror brings apathy and makes us feel that we can do nothing to help without extreme changes to the lifestyle we enjoy. But there are some simple things we can all do to live more sustainable lives. Rachael Lindsay gives us her top 5 tips…

Cut down on meat and dairy

Avoiding meat and dairy products is one of the biggest ways to reduce your environmental impact on the planet. While meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories and 37% of protein, it uses the vast majority – 83% – of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that even the very lowest impact meat and dairy products still cause much more environmental harm than the least sustainable vegetable and cereal growing.

For inspiration on how to go vegan without missing out on the good stuff in life, check out my story: https://houseofcoco.net/why-i-went-vegan-without-looking-back/.

Fly less

This is quite simply one of the most effective things you can do to live more sustainably. Air travel is one of the more environmentally damaging activities we can undertake so just a few flights fewer and you are making a huge difference to the planet. Take advantage of the gorgeous nature and heritage in the British Isles, take the Eurostar to Paris to explore France or the ferry to Dublin to experience Ireland: there are plenty of great travel options that don’t require a flight.

One campaign is looking for signatures for those who want to pledge not to fly at all in 2020, quite a challenge if you are a frequent flyer like me, but something we should all start thinking about.

For more information, visit flightfree.co.uk.

Shop second-hand

A study commissioned by Oxfam has revealed some shocking facts about fast fashion. Each item of clothing you buy could travel 21748 miles – from a cotton field in the U.S, to production units in Bangladesh, to the shipment of the product to Germany and finally to the customer. Throwaway fashion is undeniably putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people – it’s unsustainable.

Oxfam has launched a #SecondhandSeptember campaign to encourage us to try their second-hand clothes shops instead of supporting fast fashion. It is very simple: pledge to only buy second-hand clothes for this month and feel the glow of knowing you are doing something amazing for the planet.

For more information, visit oxfamapps.org/secondhandseptember/.

Furnish your home with a sustainable lifestyle brand

Home furnishings can have just as negative an impact on the environment as fast fashion particularly if you constantly update your home with the latest trend.

The second-best thing to second-hand is choosing a brand that uses sustainably sourced materials which are good quality and long-lasting. This brings us to Vênoor and its fantastic homeware. Not only do they produce and sell gorgeous sofas, tables, chairs and home accessories but they use workshops with high ethical working standards, use sustainable timber and metal, and plant a tree for every order made.

For more information, visit venoor.com.

Ditch single-use plastics

Think about your use of single-use razors, forks, cups, bags, and food storage containers, particularly those made in plastic. Packaging is a major source of disposable plastic so bring your own containers and bags (cloth or canvas is best). If your supermarket doesn’t sell food in bulk, make the request or find a better market. This is something that we have all got on board with amazingly in the past 12 months meaning figures have shown that far fewer plastic bags have been used per person and there are far more alternatives to single-use plastic than there used to be.

For more information, visit plasticfreechallenge.org.

BONUS: Ditch electronics responsibly

Given the technological advancements in today’s world, it is inevitable for electronics to break down or get replaced. Instead of tossing these gadgets in the trash, consider recycling them responsibly. E-waste, or electronic waste, is becoming one of the biggest pollutants of the planet, and these appliances contain harmful chemicals that may wreak havoc on land, water, and air. They also contain precious metals such as gold, silver, and steel, and the best way to reuse them instead of mining the earth for more is proper e-waste recycling. Here is a handy guide for more information on the topic.

Cover photo credit: @theplanetd.