Sustainable September 8 Top Tips to be more Sustainable
Sustainable September. The everyday choices we make all have an impact on our planet.
At LTCO we are seriously passionate about sustainability and this September are focussing on how we can be more sustainable in our homes, how we live and how we eat.
Our planet can only produce a finite number of resources (from food to water) and can only withstand a certain degree of greenhouse gas emissions in order to stay healthy. We only have one Earth and are totally dependent on it for our survival and well-being.
But both people and nature are facing severe consequences if our current consumption increases. That’s the amount of energy we use and our demand for resources to feed, clothe, and house us.
Here are our 10 top tips below. How many are you practising and how can you make changes in your lives and home to be more sustainable?
1- Turn to Sustainable Tea Bags
You may have seen on our Instagram last night how we partner with local Tea Company, Eteaket. Every LT online order gets an Eteaket plastic-free teabag to enjoy on us!
Research shows that teabags account for about 96% of the millions of cups of tea taken daily in the UK. Although taking tea isn’t bad for you, the bags in which the tea is packed is, as a matter of fact, a huge problem to the environment.
While you may argue that some tea bags are compostable, it is crucial to state that most teabags are only partially biodegradable due to the presence of plastic in the bags.
Use tea bags that are plastic-free from companies like ETEAKET, Clipper and Pukka.
2- Less Electricity!
Your appliances have a control switch, yes? What about your light bulbs? Then, why do we leave our appliances and bulbs on standby all day?
With the awful rate our energy resource is diminishing by the day, it is high time we learnt to use the control switch. It will cost you nothing to unplug your chargers and appliances. It will take less than a minute to turn off light bulbs when they are not in use and you will be more eco-friendly in 2020 and this sustainable September. It’s just that easy.
3- Go for Sustainable Packaging
Another window that produces the most waste in the UK is packaging.
Let’s take a break from the plastic packaging. What about food packaging? Online shopping packaging?
At LTCO we have put our money where our mouth is and invested in packaging that is made from upcycled coffee cup packaging. Made in a Mill in England our packaging is so sustainable it is part of a circular economy where things just keep getting used in different ways.
This sustainable September be more conscious of what packaging is on the products you are buying.
4- Eat Less Meat
Eating less meat is crucial for a healthy lifestyle and a healthy planet.
The research is clear. A diet heavy in meat increases the risk of obesity, cancer and heart disease.
But it also makes the planet sick. The livestock sector (raising cows, pigs and chickens) generates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all cars, trucks and automobiles combined. Cattle ranchers have clear cut millions of square kilometres of forests for grazing pastures, decimating natural “carbon sinks.”
I’m not saying that everyone adopts a “meatless” diet tomorrow. But we all must develop “meat consciousness” and reduce the level of meat in our diets.
5- Recycle Everything
Chances are that if you’re thinking about taking on a more eco-friendly lifestyle then you’ll already be recycling. But could you improve your recycling-ability (now a word)? You can recycle almost everything, from batteries to paper to cars. Before you throw it away, take a minute to find out if you could recycle it instead.
6- No Single-Use Plastic
Plastic seems to have found its way into every single aspect of our lives. However, giving it up isn’t as difficult as you might think – bring a canvas bag with you when you go shopping, buy your fruit and veg loose and stop buying bottled water.
7- Do you have to Fly?
Flying is one of the most environmentally damaging things you can do. Just flying from Bristol to Edinburgh produces 0.15 metric tons of carbon! Why not stay a bit closer to home and explore some of the UK’s beautiful nature? Camping, hiking and cycling are all great things to do in the UK and are extremely low carbon.
8- Chose your Personal Care Wisely
When it comes to personal hygiene there are several things you need to be careful to avoid for a truly eco-friendly lifestyle.
The most damaging of these is microbeads, which are small bits of solid plastic which aren’t biodegradable and make their way into watercourses and ultimately end up damaging the environment by entering the food chain.
Make sure that your body wash, toothpaste, face scrub and other products do not contain these beads. In addition to this, avoiding chemicals and opting for natural products.
Have you tried LTCO all-natural, chemical free toiletries?
