Eff Coral, 30, began her zero waste journey three years ago (Picture: Eff Coral/SWNS)
Being kind to the planet doesn’t have to mean spending big, as this eco-friendly mum shows.
In fact, 30-year-old Eff Coral is actually saving money with her green lifestyle, putting away £5,700 a year and helping the environment in the meantime.
In July, Eff sold her car to reduce her carbon footprint, clawing back £350 a month on fuel, insurance, and upkeep costs.
The move marked three years since she began her zero waste journey, which she estimates saves a further £130 monthly.
That’s a whopping £5,760 annually – not to be sniffed at amid rising bills and tightening budgets.
Eff and partner Andres Kristofferson, 30, cut down their plastic waste in all sorts of ways; buying shampoo bars, making their own cleaning products, and using toothpaste tablets.
She runs a zero waste shop where she can refill jars with food and toiletries (Picture: Eff Coral/SWNS)
Mum-of-one Eff also tries to buying secondhand clothes and reusable nappies for her daughter, Olivia, two.
Eff, owner of a zero waste business, from Uppsala, Sweden, said: ‘I remember looking at all the plastic bottles in my shower one day and just thinking it was awful.
‘Now I’m conscious to try and have a zero waste lifestyle. I buy all second hand for my daughter, which is also so much cheaper.’
The family use toothpaste tablets so they don’t waste plastic at brushing time (Picture: Eff Coral/SWNS)
Since selling the car, the family have been getting around on bicycles, but haven’t cut out all modern comforts.
‘We refill all our food and use toothpaste tablets and shampoo bars,’ explained Eff.
‘It is about balance though as, if Olivia or I do want to buy something new, we won’t restrict ourselves. It’s about doing what we can.’
Eff also makes more of her own food to keep her waste and costs down.
Eff estimates she saves just under £500 a month with her switches (Picture: Eff Coral/SWNS)
She said: ‘I try and cook with as little waste as possible. I use reusable coffee filters and tea bags and don’t buy any cleaning products anymore.
‘Instead I use white vinegar and baking soda to clean.’
Eff says she and her family try to be as zero waste as possible but don’t like to restrict things too heavily.
Everything from razors to teabags are reusable in the Coral household (Picture: Eff Coral/SWNS)
‘We don’t want to take it to an extreme,’ she added.
‘If I do want to buy something new, or Olivia wants something, I will get it.
‘On the whole I live a minimalist lifestyle and we buy secondhand and reduce our waste where we can.’
For others looking to keep costs down, she recommends looking at a less wasteful way of life.
More: Lifestyle
Eff said: ‘I think a lot of people think being zero waste is expensive, but it’s saved us money.
‘It might cost more to buy alternative house products in the first place but they last so much longer that it ends up being cheaper.
‘We’ve halved our monthly budget on household and food products.’
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She makes her own cleaning products and sold the family car for a bicycle.Â
