Seeing all of the different sustainable initiatives from around the globe is nothing short of inspiring — it makes us realize that there are ways to live a little bit greener in virtually every aspect of our lives. If you are familiar with TreeEra, you know that we are all for making sustainability approachable and simple for anyone and everyone. Evie, founder of The Good Life Company, also wants people to know just that — sustainability doesn’t have to be hard.
We got to chat with Evie about the idea behind The Good Life Co.— She’s on a mission to live life more sustainably by making conscious decisions about how she does things. Evie’s full of simple and meaningful tips on how to live with a little less impact. We are also very proud to say that she’s a TreeEra subscriber! Not only reducing her future footprint, but cleaning up after those that our earth has already felt. Read our conversation here:
Tell us a bit about The Good Life Co!
I’m Evie, a communications professional with a passion for environmental sustainability, and the founder of The Good Life Company. My mission is to show people that it’s not that hard to be more sustainable — it’s all about making small and simple changes that collectively make a big difference. Not only this, but there are personal benefits to living more sustainably that I wanted to make people more aware of — including better health and finances.
I’m hoping that in the future, The Good Life Co. website will be a place where people can go not only for information, but to purchase sustainable products like bamboo toothbrushes, tote bags, reusable water bottles and takeaway coffee cups, as well as find ways of offsetting their emissions.
Was there an initial triggering point in your life that inspired you to try to live more sustainably?
I’ve always been interesting in sustainability, especially since doing my BSc in Environmental Economics. I’ve worked for a few organisations in London focused on sustainability and helping fight climate change in cities, but since going to New Zealand in March this year, I realised there were so many things I could have been doing that didn’t occur to me before.
After living in the city for a few years and seeing the contrast with how people live in NZ, I realised just how different and unsustainable my life had been. So many people there grow their own vegetables and have their own livestock, and they’re so connected with the environment and are so aware of the impact they have on it.
Now I’m back in the UK, I want to help promote that lifestyle and help people find their environmental conscience. I know it can be difficult when you live in the city, but there are there are so many ways you can reduce your impact just by swapping out everyday items and habits for eco-friendly ones.
What would you say is a good first step for others that are trying to lead a more sustainable life? What was the first step that you took?
Our website launched just in time for Plastic Free July, so naturally this was one of the first things I did. Taking part in the challenge made me realise just how much unnecessary plastic there is out there, especially when it comes to sanitary items and fruit and veg packaging. But once I committed, it wasn’t that hard just to switch to products that don’t come wrapped in plastic — they’re out there, but you do have to look a bit harder for them. And remembering to bring your own reusable bag is essential!
Another good first step would be taking part in Meat Free Monday — just one day a week where you cut out meat entirely. I know not everyone wants to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet, but by trying new meals and realising that it’s not as hard as it seems, it hopefully encourages people to eat less meat in general.
What are some sustainable practices that you have not yet adopted but hope to in the future?
I love to live off-grid, by installing solar panels or using rainwater harvesting. Growing a lot more of my own food would be really amazing too — and that way I’d also be well on my way to being zero waste too. And I wouldn’t say no to owning a Tesla…
You are planting trees with TreeEra to help offset some of your travels — could you tell us about what trees mean to you and why you chose trees as a method to help with your carbon footprint?
When I was working in the Peruvian Amazon a few years ago, you could really see the effects of deforestation — burnt fields and cattle everywhere — and no matter how deep you were into the jungle, you could often hear a chainsaw somewhere far off in the distance. It was really heartbreaking.
It can be so difficult convincing people not to cut down areas of forest, as there’s so many underlying social complications, especially in poor and developing regions. So the second best option is reforestation.
Planting trees is also vital to reducing CO2 and tackling climate change, which I’m passionate about doing. I also love travelling, and by planting trees, I’m doing something proactive to offset my emissions. It’s one of the things you can do that actually takes CO2 from the atmosphere, rather than preventing it from being there in the first place. If I can change to a more sustainable lifestyle and plant trees, I’m already making a difference. If everyone did this, we might have a chance at avoiding catastrophic climate change and help the world meet its targets.
Thank you, Evie, for chatting with us — it’s always encouraging to learn about other like-minded initiatives.
