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My latest eco swaps and thoughts on ethics

My latest eco swaps and thoughts on ethics

I’ve had sustainability and ethics on my mind a lot recently, and I know a few people have been interested in what I’ve had to say so I thought I’d write a quick post about some of the latest swaps and changes I have made to family life with my husband and twins here in Yorkshire. 

Period Pants

I’m sure I’ve mentioned period pants on here somewhere before, but it’s got to the point where I really do love them and I reach for them as soon as my period is due. Previously, I had a pair of WUKA 3XL pants which looked the part, but they were tight and not particularly stretchy for my size 20/22 bum which put me off as they dig in around my hips. I then found Hey Girls period pants which go up to a 4XL and are super stretchy. After giving them a go, I was sold and even gave Babipur a hand with getting some pics of them – photos of my bum in Hey Girls pants have now been shared all around the world which is hilarious! Now, WUKA have expanded their range of sizes, so I’ve got a pair of high waisted period pants in 5XL on the way, and we will see how they size up. I wasn’t sure if I should be going for 4XL or 5XL, but sized up knowing that my other pair of WUKA pants aren’t stretchy! Last week I also tried out a pair of Modibodi period pants – I was particularly drawn to them for their inclusive sizing and beautiful patterns, but they did a good job on the practical front too! Hey Girls are still my favourites so far, but I’m on the look out for other size inclusive brands to try out. 

Office Snacks with Ethics

I’ve been working from home since October on a full time basis – I have a great office set up in the attic, and even have a little fridge for essential supplies! In a previous life, my idea of office snacks would have been vast quantities of diet coke and whatever chocolate I could find cheap in the supermarket. Now, I have a much better idea of which companies are ethical and which aren’t – as a result, my office snacking habits reflect this. 

I’ve signed up to a subscription to DASH, which is a fizzy water company that infuses the water with wonky fruit. The company is a B Corp, so I’m confident that their ethics are higher than most other fizzy drink companies! A can of DASH water is significantly more expensive than a can of Coke, but it’s a price I’m willing to pay for a number of reasons. Firstly, higher ethical standards (sadly) come at a higher cost, and B Corp companies like this are worth supporting, and secondly, the actual product itself is undoubtedly much better for me than a can of coke. I hardly ever get enough fluids in me, but drinking a can of fizzy water at my desk is going to help a bit, and way better than all the additives in Coke! 

When I remember, I bring fresh fruit up to my desk to snack on, but I’ve got a supply of great snacks up here for the times when I forget. I bought a big box of NAKD bars – an amazing alternative to chocolate bars. They’re made with wholefood, taste amazing, and many flavours count as a daily portion of fruit too. At the moment I’ve also got a big pile of Tony’s chocolate bars next to my desk – I brought these back from Amsterdam and not sure how long they’ll last, but a great ethical option when it comes to chocolate anyway! 

Milkman

My weekly ‘big shop’ has been a source of guilt for me for a while when it comes to my single use plastic consumption. So many of the things I’ve got into the habit of buying from the supermarket come in unnecessary plastic! Last week I got a leaflet through my door explaining that The Modern Milkman has now started delivering to my area, and I signed up immediately. I am now signed up to have milk delivered to my door, along with potatoes, orange juice, and bread. Again, there is a slightly higher cost to this than simply getting these supplies from Tesco, but as long as I can afford to pay an extra pound or two, I’m going to continue getting milkman deliveries to save on plastic. All of the packaging that comes with the products the milkman brings can be recycled or composted! 

Nappies

When it comes to nappies, I am struggling and have actually taken a bit of a step backwards! Both twins are still in nappies with no signs of potty training on the horizon. While my son just about still fits into the great stash of cloth nappies we have, my daughter doesn’t. This isn’t a big surprise as she is a 91st percentile two and a half year old, but it’s made things tricky. For a while I managed to get her into a combination of Tots Bots Bamboozles and XL Petit Lulu Wraps, but it got to the point where this combination wasn’t working and became too small as well. At the moment, we are struggling on with disposables, but even these are very hard to get hold of in sizes big enough without having to rely on pullups. I have put feelers out and have a few different things to try – come reusable nappy week at Babipur, I will be buying new ‘big kid nappies’ to try and fingers crossed we can ditch the disposables! Please do let me know if you have any suggestions for very chunky toddlers! 

Plus size bum outside wearing Hey Girls black period pants

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