Making your home more sustainable can be very easy. Over the years we’ve made a few changes at our house in order to reduce waste and live more in line with our values. A lot of them are simple swaps we’ve made so that we can avoid single-use products. I’d like to share some of them with you today:

Kitchen

baking mats: instead of baking paper we now (re-) use silicone baking mats that are easy to use. A plus: we don’t need a lot of oil or similar when baking/making food in the oven.
reusable kitchen roll: I came across a great alternative to the traditional paper rolls a few years ago. The kitchen roll we use is made from cellulose and cotton. It can be washed and reused several times. The material is biodegradable so once the individual sheets have done their job for good, they go on the compost.
beeswax wraps: a great alternative to cling and tin foil. I dare to say that bread and fruit last longer when wrapped in them.
linen napkins: I don’t like eating without napkins but I had a real problem with using paper napkins and thus, creating more rubbish than necessary. A few years ago, we began to use linen napkins that we now reuse (we all have our own napkins of course) until they need to go into the wash.
jars to store dry food: instead of acquiring more plastic boxes we now use jars to store dry food and herbs. Some of the jars were specifically bought for that purpose, others were former honey and yogurt jars.
refillable coffee capsules & a reusable filter: when we still lived in the UK and Munich we had one of the famous capsule coffee machine. Instead of buying the single use ones, we bought reusable capsules that we filled with coffee we ground ourselves. That way we didn’t have lots of capsules ending up in the bin and could try out a variety of roasted coffee beans (most of them from cafes we loved). Now, that we have a filter coffee machine, we work with a reusable metal filter. It’s great!
metal straws: now and then I love using a straw e.g. for my smoothies, an iced drink in summer. The more sustainable options we have at home are metal straws. Not sure if it’s just me but I think drinks taste even better with them. On a side note, I’ve used bamboo straws too but found them harder to clean.

Bathroom

soap bars: when I was younger I used to love all the colourful shower gels & hand soaps and their fancy smells. What wasn’t great was that I always ended up with plastic bottles that were hard to clean and therefore, couldn’t go into the recycling container (but general waste). One of my friends re-introduced me to soap bars. We had them at my childhood home but over the years I had forgotten about them. Now, they’re my number 1 option. I haven’t warmed to shampoo bars yet (I simply haven’t come across one that works for my fine long hair) but I am open to get convinced other wise.
refillable bottles and containers made from recycled materials: soap bars don’t always work, e.g. for my face wash, toner etc. What I’ve been trying to do though is either go for glass bottles (some brands also offer refills now) or packaging that was made from recycled materials.
reusable make up remover pads: I’ve tried different ones but the pads I like the most are made from bamboo fibre. They’re super soft (even after several washes) and go gentle on my skin. A good alternative to remove eye make-up are facial cleansing sponges. They’re used when damp and are very easy to rinse off afterwards.
toothbrush: at home I have an electric toothbrush that I’ve owned it for a while. Last year I came across a brand from Berlin that offers toothbrush heads that go with my toothbrush but don’t harm the environment once recycled. When I am away for a long weekend, I bring my biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.
sanitary products: I changed my sanitary products a few years ago and am so happy with that change that I’ll never go back. Instead of pads and tampons, I opt for menstruation cups and period pants.

Baby/toddler

wipes: we love using fabric wipes for our son. They are gentle on his skin and easy to wash.
glass bottles: yes, they’re bit heavier than the plastic ones but it is easier to clean them. Also, it feels good to have less plastic in the house.

Cleaning/laundry

fabric cleaning wipes: instead of single-use ones, we use fabric wipes and sponges in our house. I usually wash them on a hotter spin.
natural cleaning products: luckily, it is easy to get natural cleaning products these days. One of my favourite ones is a bath cleaner that is made from recycled vinegar. If you’re super keen, you can also make your own cleaning products using baking powder, vinegar and lemon. I don’t do it a lot but if I do, I usually add a few drops of essential oils to make the house smell lovely.
washing clothes only when necessary: we tend to wash our clothes only when it’s necessary. In most cases it’s enough to hang a blouse outside or next to a hot shower so that it smells fresh again. If I need to wash an item (that is not necessarily one of the cleaning cloths I mentioned above), I wash it on a colder spin. Tip: denim hardly ever needs washing.

Food shopping

baskets and reusable shopping bags: like most other people, we avoid buying bags at the store but bring our own shopping bags and baskets.
containers: I tend to pack my own containers to buy cheeses/fruit etc before I head to the shop. That way I can avoid unnecessary plastic packaging.
plastic alternatives: if there is a chance I can avoid plastic packaging e.g. for milk, yogurt, fruit, I always do. It’s great that so many brands offer glass alternatives or similar these days.

I hope you’ve found my tips useful. Do let me know if you’re planning to introduce some of them to your household. I’d also love to hear from you if you already do the same or if you have sustainable practices that could interest me too.

Words & photo: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

I don’t know about you but sitting down with a hot cup of tea and consciously enjoying it is one of the things that makes me feel most heiter. My hands on the cup and feeling its warmth. The delicious smell, most likely from a blend of herbs that pleasantly takes me back to my childhood, when my grandmother made tea for my siblings and I, and then there is of course the golden liquid itself. It feels like sunshine when I drink it and warms my whole body, just like a gentle hug from inside.

Not only was it my love for tea but also my passion for sustainability that made me feel especially excited when I got to know the recently founded, ethical tea brand NUDITEA. NUDITEA is the brainchild of Sophie and Josh. Sophie is a literature graduate turned lawyer turned health, wellness and psychology writer who is passionate about plant medicine and herbalism. A big part of that passion evolved in her home country of Georgia, where her grandfather taught her all about plants. Sophie loves the intersection between nature and humans, and how they can help one another. Before Cornwall-born Josh, Sophie’s partner, was in charge of the NUDITEA website, the logo, the photography and even the financial side of the brand, he trained as neuroscientist and worked as an account manager in sales and product management. Looking at their joined skills and talents, it is no surprise that the two had to start a business together.

The idea for NUDITEA came after Sophie and Josh returned from a few months of travelling. Both had quit their corporate jobs before their trip got underway. Once back in London, they were planning to open a café that purely focused on tea. Everything was sorted out and the couple was ready to sign a lease for a coffee shop in Notting Hill. However, everything changed when London went into lockdown the same week.

Having been passionate tea drinkers themselves, Sophie and Josh made the best out of the change of plans and the newly found time during lockdown. They began to experiment and create their own tea blends. Also, they knew that there was no brand that had all their favourite teas, so they made it their mission to become that brand. One thing led to the next and soon after that a website, photos and packaging were created.

One of my NUDITEA favourites: After Eight (Thirty)

What makes NUDITEA stand out amongst the crowd is not just their unique blends but their values. Part of the brand philosophy entails valuing life in all its forms. Both Sophie and Josh have experience in working for big businesses. They disagree with the way people are often exploited by big companies and would like to use their start-up to show that business can be done differently. Keeping in mind that they want to make decisions that positively affect our planet’s future and positively impact the lives of people on this planet, NUDITEA is one of the very few tea brands that offers compostable, plastic-free packaging (yes, you heard right, you can recycle the packaging by popping it into your compost bin!). Their goal is that their teas don’t just taste great but are also good for you. With sustainability being one of the NUDITEA core values, they only work with ethical businesses, mainly cooperatives, that share an exceedingly high standard when it comes to looking after the planet and their employees. Working with those kinds of businesses already starts when sourcing the NUDITEA ingredients. No matter if it’s camomile, mint, rooibos, rosemary, cacao and so on, they all come from suppliers who treat and pay their workers fairly (and can prove it). One day Sophie and Josh would like to grow their own tea, ideally in Georgia, home to Sophie and a country rich in tea-growing heritage.

I can already see the two of them achieving that dream of growing their own tea, just like they managed to create their business whilst the world was standing still earlier this year. Do they regret their decision to start their brand during COVID-19? Absolutely not. NUDITEA has added so much joy to Sophie and Josh’s lives. They enjoy being able to combine their work and interests, meeting tea lovers from different corners of the world as well as other lovely small business owners. The most rewarding part of running their business has been the positive feedback they’ve received for their blends. There is nothing more heiter than hearing back from happy customers and finding out that they’ve also recommended the teas to their friends. Knowing that makes me feel heiter too. I really like what Sophie, Josh and their brand stand for. I’ve only tried a few of the NUDITEA blends so far, but I can honestly say that I love them. My current favourites are the Happy Blend and After Eight (Thirty). Not only do they smell and taste lovely, drinking them adds a certain cheer to my day.

GETTING TO KNOW SOPHIE & JOSH A LITTLE BETTER

What teas are your personal favourites and why?

Josh: My go to is Masala Chai. We worked on this blend over so many iterations trying to get the balance of spice and sweetness just right, and it is just so delicious and drinkable now. I am very sensitive to caffeine so in the evenings I tend to switch to our After Eight (Thirty), a blend of cacao nibs and shells and peppermint mixed with rooibos, which is a great black tea alternative from South Africa that is naturally caffeine free. This, again, is so delicious. Everyone who has tried this blend has in turn recommended it to friends. It is a bit of a hidden gem in our portfolio as there really isn’t anything out there like it.

Sophie: My favourite is the Happy Blend. It’s a really beautiful balance between roses, cacao and cinnamon, plus damiana which in herbalism is used to combat low mood and increase positive energy. It’s a combination that was inspired by my time in India, where this wonderful woman who worked as a healer recommended cinnamon to me as a mood-lifting spice. She drank it every morning in hot water. I also drink the Clarity Blend a lot. It’s really good for those mornings when I struggle to feel awake or have work to do but my brain feels a bit groggy. I’m also not great with a lot of caffeine, so this is a really good alternative to coffee for me.

What makes you feel heiter?

Sophie: I love walking and spending time in nature. Recently we started camping, which is so nice too. I find a lot of joy in learning more about herbs and plants and going foraging. I also love reading, so sinking into a book for an afternoon with a cup of tea is perfect for me. Connecting with people and sharing stories makes me feel really appreciative and happy too.

Josh: I really enjoy getting out and exercising and can usually be found cycling in West London or running along the Thames Path. I also love spending time back home in Cornwall, on one hand because it is such a beautiful part of the world and very peaceful, but on the other because it is where my family still live and they have lots of little ones who love seeing their Uncle (sometimes the opposite of peaceful!).

Words and top two images: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

Image below: Nuditea

Small changes, big difference: making your home more sustainable

NUDITEA: the story behind the ethical tea brand