Being eco-friendly doesn’t seem easy. Although the latest weather-craze has made the process of deciding what to wear just that more difficult, the problem has much more serious consequences. Yes, this is about Climate Change. Before you ignore that twinge of guilt and skip to something a little more entertaining and less depressing, sit tight! There are easy things you can do that won’t inspire an eye-roll and a joke at the expense of Veganism from your friends!
According to the World Bank, Egypt is one of the countries most likely to be vulnerable to Climate Change. To make a long story short, Global Warming caused by the increased emissions of heat-trapping gases such as Carbon Dioxide and Methane has led to global shifts in the climate. The rising temperature leads to a lot of ice melting, which leads to a rise in sea levels. While it may not seem like it, this actually has catastrophic consequences for us.
Egypt is already considered a water-stressed country with a rapidly growing population and a future that’s not looking so bright. Climate Change will drastically impact our crop yields, our food insecurity, our fisheries, and some areas in Alexandria might soon be at risk of flooding!
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Invest in a Reusable Eco-Friendly Facemask
Actress/Radio Host Mariam El Khosht pictured in reusable facemask from ZedArtCorner
You’ve probably heard of the 3 Rs of environmental consciousness: Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle! By applying the 3 Rs in our daily lives, we’ll automatically become more eco-friendly. We’ll save up those resources for future generations, we’ll reduce the emission of harmful gases by decreasing plastic pollution, and we’ll save a lot of money! I know we’re all Corona-scared and frantically buying boxes of single-use masks, but by buying those fashionable fabric ones, you’ll be a friend to the environment and to the health-workers who need those surgical/disposable masks much more than we do. Also, they’re pretty!
You can buy sustainable facemasks from ZedArtCorner, CaicoCotton, and Cottonil.
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Reduce your Plastic Consumption
Paper Straws by Smart Straws Wooden Hairbrush by The Body Shop
Egypt kind of has a waste problem, if you can tolerate the smell of a pile of garbage on the street long enough, you’ll notice that it’s full of plastic bags and containers. It’s not only you and the street that are suffering from this plastic-overload, it’s also the turtles! Plastic waste fills the Nile and the Mediterranean.
Small things can make a big difference. For example, using a stainless-steel bottle instead of a plastic one will drastically reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles in those garbage piles. They’re even better than reusable water bottles because they generally last longer; so, they’ll save you a lot of money and keep your water cold for up to 12 hours. A Cloth shopping bag won’t get ripped on its way from the car to your doorstep and, they’re in fashion! Wooden or bamboo brushes are better than plastic ones for optimal frizz reduction. Paper straws come in cool colors and are 100% safe and eco-friendly.
You can find wooden and bamboo brushes at The Body Shop and reusable shopping bags at Urban Earthlings, stainless-steel bottles at Gourmet, paper straws from Smart Straws.
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Try out the More Eco-Friendly Menstrual Cups
Menstrual Cup by OrganiCup
We get it, it doesn’t seem like the most comfortable but just imagine the number of pads this little cup will save. Also, it’s been recommended as a sustainable and healthy alternative to menstrual pads and tampons by doulas and experts such as Nour Emam.
Find them at OrganiCup.
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Put your DIY Cap on and Get to Mixing
Shampoo Bar by Norshek
Head to your nearest Attar and get some natural oils instead of spending a fortune on harsh chemicals for your skin and hair. Also, you can buy the more eco-friendly Sodium Bicarbonate as an alternative to cleaning detergents, ‘Shabba’ a healthier, natural deodorant and a Loofah!
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of DIY-ing, head to Norshek.com for natural Shampoo and Conditioner Bars that are curly hair and eco-friendly. Just think about all the shampoo bottles you won’t have to declutter by the end of the month!
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Go for Eco-Friendly Fashion
Sweatshop
This may come as a shock to you, but the Fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world after the oil industry. Not only is it a major water consumer and polluter, but it is also responsible for the production of a lot of unrecyclable waste. Furthermore, you may have noticed that most of the clothes you find in mainstream stores are made in Bengladesh, India, or China; countries that are famous for their lax labor laws. Big fashion corporations utilize exploitative labor laws, such as very low or non-existent minimum wages and child labor, to lower their cost of production and mass-produce hundreds and thousands of cheap and disposable garments. This is not only harmful to the environment, but also unethical as it exploits the workers.
The green and ethical alternative is Slow Fashion. That is, fashion that minimizes waste, is recyclable and sustainable, and does not depend on the exploitation of workers. There are great new local brands dedicated to being ethical and eco-friendly. Here are some of our favorites:
Follow these pages to stay aware and Eco-Friendly!