Sustainable essentials: 5 brands and bits making everyday life that bit more eco-friendly

Living - but make it sustainable.

If you're in a bid to make your everyday living more eco-friendly as soon as possible then you, my friend, have come to the right place. The past few years has brought a tonne of Irish brands, Irish stores, and other bits simply for sale in Ireland onto the sustainability radar. Despite this, life's essentials can sometimes fly by unnoticed when it comes to the reusables, the recyclables, and the biodegradables. Here are 5 brands and bits to get you back on track. 1. Eco-friendly cleaning products  If you didn't get into cleaning during the pandemic, did you even lockdown (bro)? Cleaning products are, naturally, an essential part of every home, so why not make sure you've got a few sustainable lads up your sleeve the next time you're doing the washing up, embarking on a deep clean, or simply sticking on the laundry? Dublin store Reuzi now stock a nice range of sustainable cleaning products called Tru Eco. The range is made from plant-based and biodegradable ingredients, free from harsh chemicals, and includes an all-purpose cleaner, washing-up liquid, non-bio laundry detergent, and fabric softener. The bottles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic, and they are reusable, recyclable, and refillable. 2. Eco-friendly period products (the disposable kind)  Everyone knows that the king and queen of sustainable period products are the menstrual cup and period underwear.  They're reusable, they're a fantastic investment, and they're very much the future of sustainable period-wear. However, for a lot of people, there will always remain a need to have a few disposable period products on the go - for the times you're caught off guard, or when a friend needs a dig out. Most generic pads and tampons are a strain on the environment, but there are brands out there doing their best to be as eco-friendly as possible. New period care brand Callaly has just landed in Ireland, and they've got a selection of products that are made from organic cotton with packaging that is either recyclable, biodegradable and/or compostable. A minimum of 1 percent of the brand's sales also go to non-profits including Days for Girls and Bloody Good Period, that work to eradicate period poverty. Sound out, really. 3. Bottled water, but make it sustainable  Alright, cartoned water, sorry. Everyone and their mother is making the move to sustainable bottled water these days - which is great news for the environment, and your recycling bin. Global Hydrate are the latest brand to launch in Ireland, becoming one of the first Tetra Top sustainable water brands to give you hydration... and an eco-friendly buzz. Their water is sourced from Tipperary, their cartons are easy to transport around, and are very easily recycled. You love to see it. 4. Brush twice a day... the right way If there's one thing we all do every day it's brush our teeth. In fact, we even do it twice. Bamboo toothbrushes, toothpicks, and the like have been giving people an easy way to live more sustainably for a good while now, but if you're looking to support Irish on your eco-friendly journey, you'd do well to check out Bambooth.  In a bid to protect the beauty of the natural world, Joe and Niamh are starting small in the hope of creating some big changes. They're selling biodegradable toothbrushes for both kids and adults, with entirely recyclable packaging that also doubles as a travel case. Sorted. 5. Food to go? No problem  Chilly's has been killing the sustainable game when it comes to steel bottles, but what about their other products, most of which are just as handy (and stylish) when it comes to staying hydrated and fed throughout the day? And alright, yeah, Chilly's isn't necessarily an Irish brand *but* their products are available to buy in a number of Irish stores, including the aforementioned Reuzi in Foxrock, Dublin. The store are now stocking Chilly's range of stainless steel food pots, that can keep your on-the-go food hot or cold for up to six hours. Sorted, like.