Sustainability 30 Day Challenge: Week Three Update

A sustainable check-in...

If you've picked up the latest copy of Irish Tatler, you'll be aware that our focus this month is sustainability - and more importantly; how #onesmallchange can lead us to live more consciously and help save our planet.

We're not here to scaremonger, nor to place blame. We understand it's a huge topic that can seem very overwhelming, so we've broken the topic into bite-size chunks ranging from fashion, beauty, food and lifestyle edits that we hope you'll connect with.

Much like the magazine, we at irishtatler.com are hoping that the content we share online over the next few weeks will prove to be educational, but also functional and instructional. Easy, applicable ways to charge up your sustainability efforts when it all feels a little too much.

From quitting fast fashion to becoming vegan and breaking up with plastic, we at Irish Tatler are proving that we practise what we preach by committing to the #IT30DAYCHALLENGE.

Here's how the Irish Tatler team got on this week...

Amy Heffernan, Editor, Irish Tatler.com

This week as if I manifested it, I got the chance to meet the founders of a new bioscience-led beauty company that will, without doubt, set the standard in organic luxury skincare. I'm serious, this is a guaranteed greenwashing-free zone.

Codex Beauty's brand new Bia skincare blends ancient Irish herbal knowledge with modern science.

Founded by Cork-based herbal scientist Tracey Ryan, Bia is powered with bio-actives sourced from native, hardy Irish plants— wild harvested from local, organic growers and developed with biotechnology and green chemistry. Unique to Bia is the patent-pending BiaComplex™, a nourishing blend of oil infusions that are used as the base for products - the infusions themselves boasting so many benefits.

In addition to the pure, efficacious and affordable products in the range, Bia employs only green polyurethane packaging, made with plant-based biofuels and their goals are to have zero carbon footprint, zero contribution of plastic into the ocean, and support the preservation of the arctic wilderness.

One of the Bia products even has a negative carbon footprint - as in, its production gives more goodness back to the environment, than it takes.

See? I told you! Next level eco beauty.

Shop Codex Beauty's Bia skincare in Meadows & Bryne stores and online here.

Follow @amylouheff

Sarah Macken, Editor, Irish Tatler Magazine

A no shopping ban means you need to get creative.

Here are three thing things I've been doing to liven things up in place of buying new clothes:

1)Wardrobe rotation.

It sounds gaga but it's actually quite logical; store some clothes in vacuum packs until you forget about them. Take them out six months to a year later. Et voilá, new sh*t!

2) Repurposing.

Can that trusty long sleeve layer under a dress to lend it a whole new dimension? Can you take a leaf out of the pre-fall 19 playbook and do a dress over trouser combo? A caveat: not every pairing you 'ingeniously' put together will work, it's all trial and error. But, when it works, god damn you feel smug.

3)Upstyling.

A rather fancy word for throwing the kitchen sink at your outfit so that it feels good as new. A jaunty scarf, the waisted belt and a solid pair of statement earrings are all part of the artillery here. Don't forget the Coco Chanel rule either - remove one thing before you leave the house in order to look artfully 'thrown together' rather than downright fashion victim.

It takes a bit of effort but the opportunities, provided you start thinking outside the box, are plentiful. And any boredom is dispelled by the warm and fuzzies knowing you're doing the planet a good turn.

Follow @ohegartysarah

Ellie Balfe, Editorial Director

I have to admit to a slightly flagging resolve this week - I am recycling as per usual, but in all honesty, I have thrown a few things in the black bin when I couldn't be bothered to clean them out properly - then I felt instantly guilty (and even fished out a few!).

All new habits are hard if the personal pay off isn't immediately obvious. I'm trying to stay focused on the long game - and on training my kids up in mindful methods of keeping waste flowing out of our house the right way.

I won't say it's easy. I will say it's worth it.

Follow @elliebalfe1

Stacey Malaniff, Social Media

A single plastic bag can damage up to a million sea creatures in its lifetime.

When I took on this plastic challenge, I stopped my morning trips to the local FUDI because there was little I could buy without breaking my zero plastic challenge. I knew the obvious solution was to just get up early enough for breakfast which I did for the first week. But I soon learnt it was an unsustainable solution just to avoid shops and also what good would that do for anyone else? So during my second week, I went back into the shop and told the manager who was serving me about my challenge and asked for my croissant to be put in just a napkin. I pointed out the plastic holding the fruit, the sandwiches, the salads, the drinks. At first, he thought me a little strange I'm sure, but after that ice-breaker, we chatted a little most mornings. Today, to my delight, he finally handed me my usual croissant in a paper bag. And then he picked up paper plates to proudly say he'd changed them too. I couldn't believe that me choosing not to accept their to-go plastic bags eventually led to the reduction of so many plastic bags in circulation. Think of the sea creatures! In the last week of this challenge, this was exactly the encouragement I needed to take it beyond the 30 days.

While I have not been perfect this last month, I have certainly been woken up to the scale of the problem and how through communication we can multiply our impact. If there is something in your life you have a pang of guilt about, don't be afraid to make these small changes and ask other people for help and support; chances are, you're not the only one who cares.

Follow @staceymala

Emma Blanchfield, Content Creator

When I first decided to give up my diet which consisted of meat, cheese and bread for one consisting of vegetables, tofu and Quorn, I was sat with my daily planner ready to mark each day off as a countdown. "Only 29 sleeps 'til I get to eat meat again..." kind of thing.

Today, as I opened up my planner, there were no red crosses marking out each day - just meeting reminders and to-do lists for each day. It was only until on my to-do list today was to write this very article that I realised I only have one week left until the #it30daychallenge is over and I'm allowed go back to my once beloved burgers and steaks.

But will I? I'm not sure. Today at lunchtime I took a stroll to Angelina's for what I was hoping would be a veggie pizza slice binge. But alas, there must have been some hungry vegetarians that beat me to it as the only pizza slices left were strictly for carnivores. If you had asked me three weeks ago would I ever had said no to a pepperoni pizza slice in favour of a halloumi and falafel roll, I'd have laughed in your face. Yet, here I am, three weeks later eating a vegetarian roll instead of pizza.

This week, my goal is to face my fears of tofu.

Follow @theblanch_

Check in this time next week to see how the Irish Tatler sustainable challenge held up for week two. And don't forget to join in on the good 'clean' fun and use our hashtag #IT30DAYCHALLENGE, so we can follow to see what small changes you are making.

READ: Week One Done: Team Irish Tatler On Their #30DayChallenge

LISTEN: Irish Tatler's Latest Podcast: The Sustainable Guide to Living, Part 1