It's not just businesses who should be concerned about their carbon footprint - on the contrary, every individual can change their lifestyle and do their bit towards saving the earth for future generations. Use the "Three Rs" to guide your purchasing and lifestyle decisions as a consumer.
With so many different options, it can be confusing if you're a newcomer to green practices. It's worth persevering, especially if you consider how much of a difference your actions could make.
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Top tips
Making simple changes, such as using a cooler cycle on your washing machine, can have a huge impact. If you wash your laundry in cold water instead of hot water twice a week, this can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that you produce by up to 500 lbs in one year. Never have your home's water heater higher than 50˚C, as this can reduce your CO2 production by around 550 lbs per year.
While you may not feel this is a lot as an individual, imagine if everyone did this! According to the statistics for February 2019, there are an estimated 67 million adults in the UK. If every individual kept their heating on a lower temperature and washed their laundry in cool water, over the course of one year, this would save an incredible 70 billion lbs of CO2.
Whatever you do as an individual, however small, it all makes a difference to the bigger picture. Read on to find out more about how the "Three Rs" can help save the planet...
Refill
You can reduce a lot of waste when it comes to household cleaning products simply by refilling containers. More brands are introducing eco-friendly ranges to prevent the wasteful use of excess packaging. Rather than going to the supermarket and buying small, disposable bottles of commonly-used products, stick to refills instead. Products that you can typically refill include laundry liquid, fabric softener, washing-up liquid, toilet cleaner and handwash.
If you're trying to cut down on single-use plastics, you can take advantage of the new breed of shops springing up across the UK. Brands such as The Refill Larder enable customers to buy dried foodstuffs and use their own food quality containers to take them home and store them. Kitchen cupboard essentials such as pasta, rice, cereals, nuts, grains and seeds can be purchased loose in-store.
Although this might seem a modern innovation in response to excess waste and climate change, it's a case of going back to the early days of grocery stores, before the onset of supermarket pre-packed foods!
Another tip is that "less is more". In other words, choose fewer items, but make sure the ones you buy are of a high quality and made to last, rather than buying lots of items that will end up in the dustbin.
Reuse
Buy durable items, rather than disposable options. Don't be tempted by the cheap and the free! Purchase useful products that you love so much, you'll want to use them time and time again. Carry reusable items in your handbag to use in restaurants, while out shopping, or if you have a "just in case" moment.
There are all sorts of ways you can reuse items. How many people throw away unused school supplies, such as pens and paper, at the end of the school year? September seems an awfully long time away and you just can't be bothered with the hassle of storing everything.
The simple solution is to keep your leftover school stationery and any other reusable supplies in a safe storage unit that you can tuck away until the new term starts. You'll be surprised at how much money you will save – and you’ll be creating far less waste!
Many people tend to replace items when there really is no need. In terms of reusing items, remember the old adage, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."
It's commonplace for people to replace electrical and other household items just because a newer model has come out - even if the old one still works perfectly. Think before you buy - there's nothing wrong with using older items and you don't need to follow trends just for the sake of it.
Recycle
Recycling comes after refilling and reusing in terms of your eco-friendly journey. If you absolutely can't find a use for something any more, don't throw it on a landfill site. There are so many opportunities for recycling these days, there's no excuse for not doing your bit. Household waste, such as paper, plastics and aluminium cans, should be placed in recycling bins and disposed of properly at your local recycling centre.
Did you know that if you dump trendy, cheap clothes at a landfill site, they can get damp and produce methane as they decompose? Studies have shown that on average, every person throws away around £80 worth of clothing every year, even in this era of charity shops and dress agencies. A horrifying 85% of used clothing still ends up in landfill sites!
Environmental campaigners say most cheap "fast fashion" originates in China and Bangladesh, so shipping it to the UK causes a greater carbon footprint in terms of long-distance transport. Rather than spending your money on cheap throwaway fashion fads, buy high-quality clothing that will last, or buy at charity shops, where you can find some vintage bargains.
Correct storage
You may feel like you're not doing much as an individual, but if every person performed even one small eco-friendly act, this would add up to a massive green wave of action across the UK. Use durable containers to store all sorts of items and keep them at their best – don’t throw things away for the sake of it.
Solent Plastics provides plenty of products that can be refilled, reused and recycled. Please contact us for more information.