This year we have seen even more climate change protests, reports on world temperatures increasing and celebrities shouting their support on how we can help the world. But actually, what can we, me and you, do in our everyday working and personal lives to help the environment, which is easy and realistic?
By far the best step we can take is to use less plastic. It’s simple and effective. Buying a reusable water bottle so we don’t add to the millions of plastic bottles overflowing in landfills, to buying loose fruit and veg at supermarkets, rather than pre-packaged produce. Bring a brown paper bag next time, or a tote bag to pack all your shopping in! It reduces plastic bags being thrown away, plus you can reuse the bag as many times as you need. When the time finally comes to replace your reusable bottles and bags, just pop the old one in the recycling.
Secondly, reduce food waste by putting left-overs into Tupperware containers and into the freezer for another time (make sure your food has cooled down before doing this though)! Opting for homemade meals, over ready-meals or fast-food, is much healthier too- both for your wallet, environment and you! You’ll also be choosing more local ingredients; this reduces transportation costs and CO2 emissions too – whilst helping local growers! If you really want to go the extra mile, try and eat seasonally. That means, local summer fruits during July and August, and changing to apples and pears when winter comes.
Going for local produce, or even growing your own fruit and veg, can help the environment, but also has lots of health benefits as they’ll be chemical-free, making those lettuce leaves way more nutritious!
Water waste is another topic which has been talked about for years, but can we do more than just turning off the tap when we are brushing our teeth? Yes! Boil the amount of water you need, then top the kettle up - don’t throw the water away every time. Reuse the water you cook your vegetables in, then use that water for gravy. There are more plenty of ideas available online, just have a look!
Transportation is something we cannot live without: going to work, visiting friends, or just popping into town. How could we do it without our cars? Well, public transport or sharing lifts is something to consider. This means that you are reducing the number of vehicles on the road, so reducing the CO2 produced from vehicles, saving a lot of money too… and traffic!
When at work, think about what products can be purchased to enhance your environmental business status, such as going forward with hybrid technology ? Why not consider machinery which reduces emissions and uses less fuel? Or, when the product is being transported – opt for a compact option where more can be transported at once to reduce CO2 from transport costs as only one, rather than two, trucks need to be used, for example?
Recycling is very well known. But not enough packaging is recyclable, even in 2019! Is there a way your product be recycled? Can an item be washed and reused instead? Rather than having to buy another to replace? Think about “reuse, reduce, recycle” at work too! Make sure labels say this, and people start to recognise it! Printer cartridges can be sent back to be recycled and batteries can be dropped off at supermarkets, rather than being thrown away. Just keep a look out for those bins!
It all becomes a habit in the end! Purchasing eco-friendly products, living a green lifestyle will all become normal when you start and think more about your habits! Helping the environment can also help your pocket. It’s a great habit to get into – why didn’t we all start this earlier…?
