Many of us are looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and make our everyday lives more eco-friendly.
As a certified B Corp, here at Pure Table Top we believe we need to do more for the planet on an individual level. That’s why we have investigated some different ways we can all go a little greener.
While it can be daunting to think about making major changes to our lifestyles, there are lots of simple and easy ways that we can all be more environmentally friendly in our everyday lives. Here are our 8 top tips:
1. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: The three R's of sustainability are a great place to start. Reduce your consumption of single-use plastics by carrying a reusable water bottle, shopping bags, and coffee cups. Reuse items where possible and recycle anything that cannot be reused.
2. Save Energy: Energy use is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions. Turn off lights when you’re not in the room and unplug electronics that aren’t in use.
3. Use public transport such as buses or trains. Or get some fresh air and exercise by walking or cycling where you can. Cars are a major contributor to air pollution, so try to use them as little as possible. Not only will this reduce your carbon footprint, but it can also save you money! Or if you do need to drive, can you lift share to reduce the number of cars driving?
4. Think about what you are throwing away. Can it be washed and recycled? Or even better re purposed? There are lots of household items commonly thrown away that could be easily re purposed.
For example, a cleaning spray bottle could become a plant mister, wine bottles can become candle holders, glass jars can make beautiful storage holders for kitchen ingredients such as rice, pasta or spices depending on the sizes. Get creative – before you make a purchase think ‘is there another solution I could find? Could I repurpose something I already have to fulfill the same need?’
There are many more refill stores opening in the UK, do you have one in your town? Refill stores enable you to reuse existing packaging that you have in the home and generally offer more eco-friendly detergents too – plus you’ll be supporting a local business!
5. Buy locally and seasonally if you have the opportunity. Buying local and seasonal produce not only supports your local economy but also reduces the carbon emissions associated with transporting food long distances. By eating with the season, we can also broaden the range of meals we eat on a weekly basis.
6. Plan your mealtimes to reduce food waste. Write a list of the ingredients you need to buy and stick to it. As well as reducing waste you’ll also reduce stress from worrying about what to make, save money on unnecessary purchases, and eat better! Food waste is a massive problem in the UK with almost 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted every year.
Plus, with higher food prices eliminating the amount of food we waste is an effective way to save money. Why not pin your week’s meal plan to the fridge to help you remember? Having a meal plan will actually save you time and money each week!
Could you freeze rather than throw away food you cannot use at that time? Try splitting a loaf in two – use half, freeze half for a later date. If you have extra vegetables, you could make them into a nutritious soup with a few extra ingredients such as vegetable stock. Here are some helpful BBC Good Food Recipes: https://bit.ly/5EasyWaysToMakeSoupFromLeftovers
7. Switch to more plant-based meals to reduce the amount of meat and dairy in your diet. By embracing a plant-based diet, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease cropland usage, conserve water, improve water quality, and prevent pollutants from leaching into the soil and water. Plus, you will also benefit your health as well as trying new dishes and recipes. We love BOSH! for great plant-based recipes: https://www.bosh.tv
8. Keep a compost bin. Any out-of-date food or scraps could be composted rather than put in general waste. Not only will this help create a natural fertiliser and keep your garden green, but it’ll also reduce the amount of waste going to landfill which adds to CO2 and methane.
What we do at Pure HQ to do our bit:
- We recycle paper, card, and all our tins/cans/bottles/foil etc.
- We have a compost bin for fruit/veg/coffee granules/teabags (which are Clipper and therefore compostable).
- We try and buy as much of our office stationery and provisions as possible either locally or through environmentally friendly suppliers such as, The Green Office or The Green Stationery Company. https://www.thegreenoffice.co.uk
- We have fresh milk delivered by local milkman in glass bottles.
- We use ’Who gives a crap?’ toilet and kitchen roll, which is biodegradable and made out of 100% recycled paper! https://bit.ly/WhoGivesACrapUK
- We use reusable soap dispensers in the toilets and have air hand dryers rather than towels that are taken home to wash.
- Our coffee comes from a local, sustainable supplier and is delivered by hand to one of our employee’s home address to save on fuel costs and postage https://twochimpscoffee.com
- We are about to start using Rita the Refill van for office supplies like washing-up liquid/soap https://www.refillrevolution.co.uk
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We have just started our own little vegetable garden so we can grow a few veg for anyone to help themselves to.
By making small changes in our daily habits, we can make a big difference for the planet and help to create a more sustainable future. So, join us on our sustainability journey to do what we can to help.
