Sustainable Living with Amy Atkinson

Introducing our sustainable friend of the month, Amy Atkinson…

“I’m a yogi loving, beach dwelling, Jiujitsu-ing, surf noobie, wedding photographer and actress. I love our earth, nature and food and love finding ways to make the world a little brighter and make the most out of this epic thing we call life”.

When did you get introduced to the idea of sustainability?

I don’t recall a moment, but I had always tried to do small things and even since I was a kid absolutely HATED it when I saw people litter. If I was ever driving around with friends and they threw a bottle or something out the window I would force them to turn around and pick it up. I just always wanted to try my best to keep the earth clean and give back to it for all it gave to me. I grew up immersed in native bush so I’ve always felt very connected to my environment and if you can’t take care of the environment you’re in, how can you expect to take proper care of yourself or others?…

What is it about sustainable living that interests you the most?

I guess just trying to live my life in a way that makes the world better. Not take away or make it worse.

What’s one thing you’ve done to reduce waste in your home?

My packageless pantry has probably been the biggest influence. It immediately made me cut back on single use plastics which inspired me to look in more depth into other aspects of my life to see where I could do better.

What’s one zero-waste item you can’t travel without?

My mooncup – it was probably my first step towards living more sustainably and I first started just to save money but I love my mooncup as it saves so much more that dollars you spend on tampons or pads.

What’s one thing everyone can do today to make a difference?

Say no to single use plastic where and when you can. Straws in your drinks, Plastic bags at the supermarket or when your shopping and you are able to carry your items to your car or byo bag. It’s so easy and really not that big of a deal for you. But it makes a huge difference if a bunch of people actively make the choice to do it.

What’s your idea of the perfect package-free pantry?

I would love my jars to be all the same… Buuuuuut I just buy things in jars and then reuse them so my pantry is kind of mismatched. In an ideal world it’d be so satisfying to have them all the same and stacked in order of biggest to smallest… but it's not necessary and I’ve come to love my mismatched jars!

Are you a glass jar or a tupperware kind of person?

Jars for LIFE! – Tupperware stresses me out! (I don’t even wanna look at my tupperware draw RN)

What is your favourite ingredient from the GoodFor store to cook with?

Buckwheat! I’ve made so many recipes with it! From pancakes to salads and everything in between – I sprinkle that stuff on EVERYTHING!