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Now is the time to simplify our lifestyles

What has Covid-19 taught us?

Who knew that 2020 would play up to it’s name, & give people the chance for a clearer vision?

Understanding the confusion, devastation & interuption Covid has brought us all, has anyone else felt as though they’ve needed less and reflected more on what is most important to them right now?

We’ve seen a few friends & family reconsider what’s important. Do they really need new clothes, holidays or material objects.

So what is stopping people from choosing a more conscious lifestyle?

With so many of us now having switched to a different way of living, is now the time for more of us to learn how we can build this in to our own lives?

I Don't know where to start

You hear the word Zero waste banded around a lot. A term used by many of us, but what does it really mean? In essence, it is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerators, or the ocean.

At Appletree and Avalon, we do not waste anything. All of our products are biodegradable, home compostable or can be recycled at the end of their life.

If products are only recyclable, we ensure that they are stocked in with the intention that our customers get a significant amount of use out of the products & nothing that we sell includes single use plastic, even the packaging we use. (We also reuse the packaging received from our own suppliers by the way!)

Zero Waste Isn't Possible

We choose & prefer to use the term ‘Conscious’ because we would rather be able to influence everyone to think about what they buy & #buybetterfornature, than for a few people to move to a zero waste lifestyle & for others to continue as they are.

We, ourselves are on our own journey & would encourage everyone to try cutting down & to think about zero waste, but we also know that everyone is on their own journey & it is different & difficult for everyone to evolve at the same pace.
Whether you choose to become vegan, cut down on plastic consumption, add clean, natural products to your skin care routine, or simply recycle more.
It’s ultimately down to the individual.

Isn't an Eco-Friendly Product More expensive?

We hear a lot that customers feel that Eco-friendly means more expensive.

We’re here to prove this misconception wrong!
Sure, there will always be cheaper options, but are they better quality?

Part of our role, is to help customers understand that if you do end up spending a little more upfront, that your product should at least last longer or be better for you & the planet

Substance over Style

If we all understand that we’re trying to reduce our consumption & buy better for our future, planet & climate, shouldn’t we be ensuring value for money on the products we do buy?

In our opinion, price isn’t always the only way to determine if a product is better value for money. Even if it is, did you know that a lot of our products are actually matched or cheaper to leading like for like brands?
So why wouldn’t you switch over to more natural, friendly options to suit your budget & lifestyle?

We’re interested to know why you might choose not to? What turns you off the switch to environmentally friendly?

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What I learned at Christmas

After the time we’ve all had after Covid, being away from family, shut away, on top of our own personal traumas. We need to take a moment or two daily to reflect & process these.

Working is hard enough, but running a small business alongside too, is tough.

There hasn’t been an easy time yet. I wouldn’t change it for the world, and am extremely grateful, but sometimes you have to put yourself first & I wouldn’t want anyone going into one without realising
Christmas, is one time to feel less guilty about selfcare (Not that you ever should)!

How to Move House more Sustainably

We ended up relocating (as many of you will know), so this wasn’t a small move for us We decided to relocate back to Derbyshire, where I personally grew up in the countryside! In this decision, we also chose to buy an older property, where it needed a lot of work. We felt this was a better option to a newer property, having weighed up the benefits for nature. It did mean that we were in for the long run & some very late nights however! We’ve been lucky in part, where we’ve managed to save money by uncovering wooden floors under old carpet. We live very minimally, so once the work has been done, we aren’t big tech folk, so we have lots of house plants & upcycled bits & bobs.

As we move into the New Year

I said last year that 2020 was the year for vision & it certainly gave us that. Chaos, destruction & grief all in 12 months. Helping us to see how fragile our world is & how delicate our lives depend on the rest of the world.

The appreciation of nature grew & we all enjoyed the outdoors more than we ever realised. Yearning for a freedom, that for some (including us) is still not in clear sight.