5 tips to go greener this Earth Week

This week marks Earth Week (16th-22nd April), culminating with Earth Day on Saturday 22nd April. Whilst sustainability needs to be woven into our everyday life, events like Earth Week and Earth Day are undeniably important to bringing environmental issues into the spotlight and uniting individuals, businesses and organisations to demand and create change.  

As an organisation, EARTHDAY.ORG aims to promote global environmental awareness by encouraging diversity, education, and activism. Since its creation in 1970, it has become the largest organisation for recruiting individuals into the environmental movement. With a network of over 150,000 partners in 192 countries and 1 billion individuals coming together to take climate action, EARTHDAY.ORG is committed to creating a movement that dictates action.  

By creating sustainability events like Earth Day, EARTHDAY.ORG is igniting conversations about climate change, forcing us, as individuals and as part of a wider community, to reflect on our own actions and become more sustainable.  

Both as a business and as individuals we recognise that we have a responsibility to reduce our impact and create a more sustainable future. This Earth Week, our team has been sharing some of the ways we’re putting sustainability first every day.  

1. Transport 

Transport is the single biggest emitter of CO2 in the UK, producing almost a quarter of our total emissions. Choosing to take public transport or active travel (e.g. walking and cycling) can significantly reduce our emissions. Compared with driving alone, using public transport reduces CO2 emissions by ‘45%’.[1]

Top tip: I always check public transport options before taking the car. Citymapper is a useful app as it also shows me where I can pick up a bike. 

2. Waste 

The average person in the UK throws away approximately 400 kg of waste each year. Overall ‘26m tonnes’ are produced of which more than half is sent to landfill sites.[2] As the famous proverb goes, one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure, donating or recycling your unwanted goods can improve the longevity of items and reduce the amount going to landfills.  

Top tip: There are loads of ways we can keep things from going into landfill. One of my personal favourite resources is Freecycle, where you can give and get stuff for free locally. 

3. Fashion  

Fast fashion has negative impacts both on people and planet from using vast amounts of natural resources to exploiting workers. Did you know? Buying a cotton shirt can create equal number of emissions as ‘driving a car for 35 miles.’[3]

Top tip: I use Pinterest to see how I can style what I already have rather than just buying something new. I also swap with and borrow from friends. 

4. Food 

The foods we eat can have a big impact on our carbon footprint, choosing fruits and vegetables that are local and in season help to cut transport emissions. 

Top tip: I've started growing my own fruit and veg, from blueberries to courgettes. If you don't have any outdoor space, herbs are great, all they need is a bit of sunlight. 

5. Community 

There are lots of people who are dedicated to creating positive change. Movements like ‘The Climate Coalition’ help bring people together to tackle climate change.  

Top tip: I've joined a local community climate organisation, bringing sustainability tips, advice and tools to help people eat better, repair broken items, heat their homes efficiently, and get all the great benefits of living more sustainably.