At Fifty Shades Greener sustainability is a priority in everything which we do.

In this spirit it was decided that as a team we would each test out different homemade DIY environmentally friendly cleaning recipes and share our experiences in a blog.

Giving our readers insight as to what solutions are just that and what one’s are best missed!

Why is it your interest to bother to make your own eco friendly cleaning products?

Better Air quality

Commercial cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are dangerous to our health causing eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as headaches, dizziness and memory loss!

Save your Money 

Making your own eco cleaning products is actually more affordable than using commercial brands. Many green products simply use ingredients such as white vinegar, baking soda, water and citrus.

Better for our planet

Toxic chemicals from cleaning products are flushed down the drain and enter our waterways. Using...

UN SDG 11 main goal is to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

The global population is continuously increasing, and it´s expected that by 2050 70% of the global population will live in cities. Therefore, it´s urgent that we rethink our current urban planning so we can all live in a sustainable and inclusive way. In today´s blog, we will analyse how far we are from this target, and we will explore how it is living in a sustainable city.

The way we live now.

To put in context the lifestyle situation, let´s look at some impactful data:

Nowadays cities account for more than 70% of global house emissions.

In 2022, 99 % of the world’s urban population lived in areas that exceeded the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Between 2015 and 2030, annual passenger traffic globally is projected to increase by 50%, and the number of cars on the road will likely double.

This picture from...

In 2015, leaders from 193 different countries agreed 17 global goals they felt the world needed to achieve by 2030. Sustainable Development Goal 10 aims to reduce inequality within and among countries.

Equality is fundamental to a stable, just, prosperous, and peaceful society

At the heart of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the hope and ambition to make certain that no one is left behind, a vision which can only be achieved by addressing the quality of life of the most vulnerable of today’s society.

Inequalities based on age, income, sex, disability, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, access to services and opportunity continue to exist across the globe. This threatens long-term social and economic development and reduces people’s sense of fulfilment and self-worth.

Sustainability is wholly incompatible with inequality.

How can we be affected by Inequality?:

Intergenerational Poverty/ Inequality

‘Inequality...

In 2015, leaders from 193 different countries agreed on 17 global goals they felt the world needed to achieve by 2030. The ninth goal is Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, which is about developing and promoting sustainable industry and enhancing innovation.

When we talk about climate change and how we should tackle this crisis, oftentimes we think of the most pressing issues such as poverty, biodiversity loss, climate action, and gender equality.

But how does ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ fit into this picture, and is this SDG a vital part of solving the climate crisis, and if so, how? We will be discussing this in this week’s blog!

What is the aim of this SDG?

SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure aims to develop and promote sustainable industry and enhance innovation. It is known that diverse economies with strong infrastructures often sustain less damage and experience faster recovery from potential economic challenges. SDG 9...

UN SDG 8 main goal is to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. However, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 28 million were in forced labor in 2021.

In today’s blog, we’ll learn about the current forced labor reality and the meaning of decent work and sustainable economic growth.

Forced Labour – modern slavery behind your favourite brands?

Forced Labour refers to situations in which persons are coerced to work through the use of violence or intimidation, or by more subtle means such as manipulated debt, retention of identity papers, or threats of denunciation to immigration authorities. It is also called modern slavery because it refers to situations of exploitation, where a person cannot refuse or cannot leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. Some important facts to know:

• Women and migrants are more likely to be involved in...

UN SDG 6 main goal is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. However, the most recent UN report on Water warned of an approaching global water crisis because of pollution, global warming and overconsumption.

In today’s blog, you'll read about some of the main problems related to water and sanitation that are included in the United Nations Agenda, but are far away from being solved.

Access to clean water & sanitation

Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being, and still having unlimited water running out of the sink is a privilege:

In 2020, only 74% of the global population had access to safely managed drinking water services. Meaning that two billion people live without these services.

Sanitation is essential to prevent diseases such as diarrhea which is the second leading cause of death in children under five. 946 million people still open defecate and 2.4 billion...

 Achieving Affordable and Clean Energy for All!

In 2015, leaders from 193 different countries agreed on 17 global goals they felt the world needed to achieve by 2030. The seventh of these goals is Affordable and Clean Energy, which is about ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

The main goals of SDG 7 are to create a world where everyone has access to energy, where the proportion of renewable energy is higher, and where funding and infrastructure are made available to the countries that need it most!

Energy can mean many different things - from the food we put in our bodies, to the coal that is burned to power industrial machinery, to the radiation used to carry out an X-ray in a hospital. Energy is all around us. It powers our homes, our cars, and much of our lives.

The vast majority of this energy that powers our world comes from three main sources: Oil (31%), Coal (27%), and Gas (25%). Approximately 35 billion barrels...

SDG 5 focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by promoting equal rights, opportunities, and access to resources.

The purpose of SDG 5 is to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, promote their access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, and ensure their equal representation. This goal also aims to promote gender-sensitive policies and laws and eliminate harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.

One key aspect of this goal is ensuring that women have access to maternal healthcare services that meet their needs and that they are included in the decision-making process when it comes to their health. In Ireland, there has been a call to include women with Gestational Diabetes (GDM) on the Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme for the duration of pregnancy. Diabetes Ireland reports that each year in Ireland approximately 7,440 women...

Quality Education – Sustainable Development Goal 4

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) places a huge focus on ensuring inclusive and fair quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. As we all know, education is a fundamental human right and crucial for personal and societal development, economic growth, and sustainable development.

The main target of this goal is to help improve the quality and relevance of education, increase access to education for all, reduce disparities in education, and enhance teachers’ capacity and knowledge.

Achieving SDG 4 is crucial to help achieve other sustainable development goals. This is due to education playing a critical role in eradicating poverty (SDG 1 blog), reducing inequality, promoting gender equality, and combating climate change.

Education empowers and enables individuals to make informed choices, improve their well-being (SDG 3 blog), and contribute positively to their communities and...

Good Health and Wellbeing – Sustainable Development Goal 3

Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) aims to ensure good health and well-being at all ages. This includes a commitment to end the increase of AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and other communicable diseases by 2030. It also aims to achieve universal health coverage and provide access to safe and effective medicines and vaccines for all.



What would the world look like if there was more importance put on good health and well-being for all?

If this goal was fully implemented, it would mean a world where everyone has access to quality healthcare, no matter where you live or how much money you have, you would be able to get the healthcare you need. This means more doctors, nurses, and healthcare facilities in disadvantaged areas, and more funding to support healthcare systems in developing countries.

Preventive care would be a priority rather than waiting for people to get sick, we would focus more on preventing...