Be Part of the Lockdown Legacy
The global pandemic, or as us Yorkshire folk refer to it ‘with all this going on’, has altered life as we once knew it. A recent survey by Accenture said that the pandemic is likely to change our consumption behaviour going forward. Whether that be buying more locally or shopping more online or even changing your energy suppliers to a more eco-conscious one after seeing the size of that blummin’ bill!
Although carbon emissions and air traffic have decreased massively during lockdown, it’s still been reported by The Copernicus Programme that global temperatures are remaining the same, with April 2020 being on par with the previous hottest April on record (2016). This means we’re not out of the water with the environment just yet and still need to be consciously acting to combat the impact that our lifestyle has on the planet. Lockdown can and has helped us with many of us already seeing change in our own and others’ behaviours.
We spoke to one of our Flambassadors - Al Little, who is the Yorkshire Regional GM of Biffa (the leading integrated waste management company in the UK). He talked us through the things that we can do to help the environment as we phase back into ‘normal’ life. His overall sentiment was that the more conscious we are in our behaviour the healthier our behaviour is for ourselves, the environment and our wallets. Here are some small things we can do to lead a more conscious lifestyle.
REDUCING WASTE
Ultimately the best way to reduce waste is to reduce our consumption. We can do this by:
Reusing plastic bottles as we all know. However, a good tip is to fill them up for DIY dumbbells for your home workouts, genius if you ask me.
Cook more – oven and microwave meals produce more waste and buying ingredients to cook simple recipes will cost you less too. There’s an abundance of resources out there but we suggest Pinch of Nom, easy and healthy recipes. If you’re really struggling with cooking, then services like Hello Fresh are a great place to start.
Be conscious of your water waste – Many of us forget about our water waste because we get water so easily however, simple things like emptying your tumble dryer water on to your plants are small and doable ways to reduce water waste.- The British Summer has somehow turned a corner (potentially to the rising temperature of the planet) and has been providing us with beautifully hot weather which means that fruit & veg go off quicker. Therefore, compost where possible - you can stick all your plant-based food in there as well as teabags (if in biodegradable bags) and coffee grounds. Smash your eggshells so that they break down sooner.
SHIFTING BEHAVIOUR
Use your car less - there has been significantly less cars on the road since lockdown so it’s good to ask yourself how do we carry on doing that? Get on your bike? How realistic is that for your lifestyle? Think about the journeys that are essential for using the car and those that aren’t have a look at the alternatives.
Be more conscious of your clothing purchasing. The fashion industry creates more CO2 than Maritime, and Aviation put together (which made us say OW MUCH?!). The best way to change our behaviour is to buy good quality clothing that lasts, fits well and that you feel good in.
Buy smarter - Plan your meals and write a shopping list when food shopping to reduce waste and cost you less!
We want to know what changes you have made in this period. What healthier habits have you adopted that benefit the environment and yourselves? What is it that you’ve done that you could carry on doing after lockdown?
Huge thanks to our Flambassador Al Little for educating us on this and showing us how creating healthier habits is ultimately better for the environment, your own health and your wallet.