Jon has been thinking about the different ways he can reduce his impact on the environment. Here are 5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life.
1. By choosing organic and vegan products
Depending on where you shop there seem to be an increasing number of products that are organic or vegan. Jon is not a vegan but eats mostly vegetables in his diet and buys some vegan products. He also chooses organic if there is an option and checks where the country of origin is.
We cannot all be perfect when it comes to making the right choices. Jon has food intolerances so tried oat milk (which is seen to be the best choice for the environment) although it made him feel bad. He has now found an organic and lactose-free milk that he can digest better.
2. Buy products in bulk when possible using your own reusable container
Small things like buying a bigger washing up liquid bottle can help reduce waste. You can keep a smaller bottle for every day use and refill it from the bigger bottle. You will save money and reduce the amount of plastic waste.
For cleaning products now you can buy a refill pack. Jon has kept an old bottle and just refills it from time to time.
3. Wash your clothes in cold water
You can buy concentrated eco detergent nowadays. So, you can wash your clothes effectively at lower temperatures. The enzymes in cold water detergent are designed to clean better in cold water. By washing at a lower temperature you reduce energy consumption. You can also use a Guppyfriend bag to catch the microfibres from your clothes.
4. Compost your food waste if possible
Jon has a wormery and has used it to break down his food scraps. By using a wormery you can reduce the amount of food scraps that go to landfill. As an added bonus you get liquid fertiliser and compost you can use on your plants. Jon has definitely seen his plants grow much better now!
5. Bring your own reusable bag when you shop
Get into the habit of taking a reusable bag with you when you are out shopping. This reduces your use of plastic and discourages companies from producing more bags. Even if you forget your reusable bag try and use a plastic one over a long period of time. You can also recycle it at most large supermarkets nowadays.
Here are the first 5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint. We will publish some more soon!
