Plastic straws (we know you’ve heard this one already)
In May 2019, the UK government moved to ban plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds with plastic stems from sale and use from April 2020. Nearly 5 BILLION plastic straws are currently used each year in the UK, and this plastic pollution has increasingly placed waterways and wildlife in the UK at risk.
In our office, we choose to get our take-away iced coffees from chains like Pret, who use recyclable paper straws instead of plastic ones for their drinks. At home, many of our staff members have invested in bamboo or steel straws, which you can use again and again.
Offset your flights (its easy to do)
Some airways have their own offset schemes. When booking your flight you tick the box that you want your flight to be carbon neutral, pay the added fees and you’re done. This will increase your ticket price with roughly 10%, depending on the airways company and as easy as that you compensated for the carbon emissions of your flight.
Do our current projects with Climate Care offset our flights????
Is it recyclable? (think about this)
When you are buying something that comes in plastic packaging, check how much of it is recyclable. Most of us wrongly assume that most plastic is recyclable these days, but coloured plastics, and very thin plastic often is not.
Consider investing in reusable mesh produce bags for when you go shopping, to save on those single use bags. Or shop at places like Zara, who retain their recyclable paper bags and their online orders now come in cardboard boxes (as opposed to the single use plastic bags ASOS orders arrive in for example).
Conscious fashion (where are you buying?)
This is not so easy to keep track of, with many brands now claiming that they are eco friendly- but how can we be sure? Do your research- where are the clothes made, and what fabrics are used? Are the ethics of the company clear, and on what scale are they producing? Consider buying second hand- from everyday clothes to luxury items, you can find plenty online and in vintage stores- not only are you grabbing a deal, you are resisting ‘fast fashion’. Check out the conscious fashion website for a list of retailers they guarantee are environmentally friendly.