5 Tips on How to Be More Sustainable in 2022
The New Year is always a great time to consider making positive changes. If there’s one resolution we should all keep this year, it’s doing more to help save our planet.
Here are our 5 tips how to be more sustainable in and beyond 2022.
1. At Home
Making sustainable choices starts at home. From reducing your food waste to recycling your devices.
One easy way to live more sustainably at home is to start composting. This is a great way to get rid of waste from your home in a safe way. Plus if you have green fingers the composting process is great for the garden too.
Reducing cling film when covering food is a great way to reduce your plastic waste. Repurposing glass jars as a way to store excess food or swap silicone lids or vegan food wraps as another sustainable alternative.
2. On the go
When we leave our homes, we can get caught up in the routine of grabbing a coffee on our daily commute or jumping in the car for the school run.
All these things are fine, however when added up they can amount to a lot of unnecessary waste. By making small changes like bringing a reusable cup to the coffee shop, or opting to walk one day a week to and from school will make a big difference to the impact to the environment. Opting to use public transportation is another way to reduce your carbon footprint.
When out and about try and reduce the need for a plastic bag or plastic packing. Yes, we can all recycle these however less than 1 in 7 plastic bags are recycled. Recycling is great but the idea is to move away from needing plastic items in the first place. Opting for string bags or reusable tote bags are a great sustainable alternative.
3. Shopping
Whether it's food shopping or clothes shopping we all have a choice on what we buy and who we buy from. Given that more than 100 billion garments are now produced every year, it’s more crucial than ever that we adopt the mantra “buy less, and buy better”.
Buying second hand is a great way to reduce the “wear it once culture”. Not only will you reduce waste by purchasing pre-loved items, you can also make sure your wardrobe features a piece of fashion history.
With the rise of rental apps such as Hurr, My Wardrobe HQ and By Rotation, it’s easier than ever to borrow a dress for any big events or weddings you’ve got in your diary for 2022 – instead of buying a new piece that you’ll only wear once or twice.
4. Lifestyle
Thinking of upgrading your car in 2022? How about an electric one? Or if not, there are some great hybrid cars on the market right now.
Cutting back on the amount of hot water we use can also reduce our carbon footprint as it’s responsible for an average of 875kg of CO2 per household a year. Easy changes you can make include having quicker showers, washing clothes at 30C, and only using your washing machine and dishwasher at full capacity.
Not many of us have been flying during the pandemic, but cutting back on air travel is an obvious way we can reduce our carbon footprint. Opt to travel by train instead where possible or enjoy more staycations, as we’ve grown accustomed to during the pandemic.
By now, most of us know the importance of reusable water bottles and coffee cups, as well as avoiding plastic straws. But there are also so many other everyday items that you can swap out for a sustainable alternative. Try our natural deodorant, biodegradable cotton buds, or our favourite, the reusable safety razor. Not only do you reduce your single use plastic but you also save money too.
Switching to a plant-based diet can reduce food emissions by an incredible 73 per cent, showing how eating less meat, fish and dairy is one of the most effective ways we can reduce our carbon footprint.
5. Be Part of The Change
A lot of people want to do more but do not know where to start. One of the reasons why the founders started The Sustainable Marketplace was due to this very reason.
If any of the above does not suit you, then there are many projects you can get involved in.
Trees have a crucial role to play in removing CO2 from the atmosphere — so planting more of them on a mass scale can also help us reduce our emissions. Treedom and One Tree Planted allow you to contribute, while the search engine Ecosia plants trees while you look things up on the web.
Never underestimate the power of you. Individual action is most effective when you’re creating widespread change, which is why looking at how you can make a difference at your work or place of education is a great way to increase your impact.
In this age of peak social media consumption, regular people are instigating change every day. We’ve seen monopolies fall, and huge companies issue apologies because regular people demand change. Children are pressuring whole governments to go green.
Pay attention to your local ballots. Vote for green measures, and educate those around you also want to do more but unsure how.
From everyone at The Sustainable Marketplace we hope you have a happy, healthy and sustainable 2022!