We know you must be tired of the same old campaigns! DO this and DON’T do that but have you really been told the significance of the little changes you make. Well here’s 7 quick pointers that prove your little steps can make a difference and how easy they are to do!
- GREEN PENSIONS - MAKING YOUR MONEY MATTER!
Green funds just may be the superpower to fighting the climate crisis
There is £2.6 trillion locked away in Brits pensions that could be funding oil companies! Make the switch to a green pension and you can cut your carbon footprint 21x more than going veggie, giving up flying and switching energy providers just by the simple click of a button!
- BORROW DON’T BUY
Do you really need a new party dress for that one occasion, you think you can’t be seen in again?
Swapping wardrobes won’t kill your bank account, will save you time instead of racing round the shops and will really save the environment. Plus you can wear that dress again, you have a washing machine!
Try the Olio or Mooch apps where you can borrow that ladder, waffle machine or save that croissant from going in the bin!
- FOOD NOT WASTE!
A common statistic you’ve almost certainly heard is that 1/3 of the food we produce is going to waste!
But did you know that 40% of fruit and veg is rejected because of its shape and size (Forbes, 2020) and 3 million tonnes of fruit and veg is wasted before it has even left UK farms (Oddbox, 2021).
FOR WHAT REASON! This just shouldn’t be the case! Join us this month and take part in Locanuary and learn about the importance of buying locally to save the environment and reducing food waste by supporting your local farmers.
And don’t forget to download the Olio app to stop cafes and restaurants throwing away all that perfectly edible food! There are also like-minded food companies such as Dash, The Wonky Food Co. Oddbox and of course ChicP, which use those perfectly imperfect veg to create the most delicious and nutritious food and drinks!
- REDUCE YOUR CONSUMPTION OF ANIMAL PRODUCTS!
Animal farming equates to 15% of global emissions
Join us every Monday for Meat-Free Mondays and get inspired by our delicious recipes that will help you lower your meat consumption.
Join the movement and sign up for Veganuary now! Veganism can lower your carbon footprint up to a whopping 78%. And don’t you worry you can still get all your protein (it’s a myth!)
Or try vegan subscription boxes such as The greedy vegan and Zebra plant-based!
- BREAK UP WITH FAST FASHION - IT'S A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP!
Greenwashing is big out there - and in truth only 1% of materials are being recycled into new clothing - 99% are going to waste!
If you send back your £8 top it will almost certainly end up in landfill and not forgetting those £60 shoes that don’t fit with the laces still tied. Companies do not have the technologies in place to handle little nuances in returned goods, so it is often more profitable for them to sell them cheaply to discounters, shipping, driving and flying them across the world or simply chucking them in landfill. According to Eco-Age, 30-40% of clothes bought online are returned and this act of ‘buying products with the intention of sending them back’ is becoming more and more common!
They really are toxic! - Textile waste contains substances like lead, mercury and arsenic which is extremely harmful to aquatic and human life. Now why would you want to wear that! Try researching the clothes you buy and explore the materials you find yourself wearing.
- SWITCH ENERGY PROVIDERS!
DITCH DIRTY ENERGY! Switching to greener energy providers such as The Big Clean Switch or Green Energy Switch has never been easier. Make the air clean again and invest in companies that provide 100% renewable energy. They are often a lot cheaper!
However, make sure you are switching to smaller green energy providers who also provide 100% green gas.
Although British Gas and EDF energy can provide 100% electricity they aren’t as appealing when it comes to gas.
BULB is the leading green energy provider with 100% green electricity and 10% green gas, the rest of which is offset by carbon neutral technologies.
Check out this page to check what provider best suits you: https://www.t3.com/features/best-green-energy-supplier.
- STAY GROUNDED - AN OBVIOUS ONE!
Are you flying from Scotland to London? Well think again! We know this can sometimes be the cheaper option but flying has the most carbon intensive footprint.
Take that train or that bus and explore the English landscape!
You may find cheaper journeys with Megabus and National Express offering as little as 90p to travel from London to Bristol or Edinburgh to London for £14.50!!
We know it sounds scary… but don’t fear! We have some excellent top tips to inspire you to make 2022 a greener planet through your shopping habits:
- Buy second hand / up-cycled and save clothes from ending up in landfill.
- Select that patient delivery option - waiting for standard delivery can cut back your footprint by up to 30%.
- Buy what you need - Impulsive buys or “retail therapy” is not going to treat your bank account well! Treat yourself to a hot chocolate instead!
- Commit to retailers who are on a mission to lower their environmental footprint and those who are packaging-free - Speak up about Brand Loyalty - this will incentivise other stores to make greener decisions. If you're fed up with the excess packaging - tell that retailer!
- Cut the miles - Rethink the last & first mile by opting to pick up from your local drop-off point. That DPD collection point might be in your local post office and can save you money!
- Shopping in store will reduce the amount of returned items by a mile, however make conscious decisions as to when online is going to be greener - with only one van going from warehouse to address rather than a thousand cars flooding the high street.
- Opt for a carbon-neutral shipping option e.g. Cloverly, or those who use 100% electric vans e.g. IKEA & Tesco (by 2025)
- Shop at Zero waste shops like Loop Store they are often higher quality items and more importantly NO PLASTIC!
Buy with a conscience - maybe buying that bright colourful top will brighten up your day, but will those essential basics get much more wear!
With special thanks to Tessa Clark, co-founder and CEO of Olio:
https://tessa-92849.medium.com/7-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-planet-this-year-e437152f5c43