A Sustainable Summer

With the Summer season in full swing I’m sure we’ve all been looking forward to jetting off to somewhere hot and sunny abroad, and with the past few years we’ve had, who’s to judge? Taking some time off to go and relax by the pool or the beach and see some sights is a great way to relax and recompose for the year!

However, we unfortunately have to keep in mind the negative impact all these holiday plans can have on our planet. Heathrow in London is one of the busiest airports in the world, estimated to have 1,300 take-offs and landings every day of the year, making it a leading contributor to the UKs carbon emission output. The aviation industry worldwide makes up 2.4% of carbon emissions, and when combined with related gases and water vapour created during flight, this makes it responsible for 5% of global warming.

5% doesn’t sound like a huge number, does it? But when you consider that only a small fraction of the world’s richest countries fly regularly - within those countries less than half of the population fly, with only 12-15% of people flying more than once a year - you start to see how that 5% is unevenly distributed. Roughly 70 million of the world’s highest polluting population contributes as much CO2 emissions as the lowest polluting 3.2 billion people! It’s estimated that if every person in the world took one long-haul flight, the emissions from this would far exceed the United States’ entire CO2 emissions in a single year. See where this is going?

That’s why we’re encouraging people to think twice before booking their getaways. Some places are unique enough that the only option is to travel abroad, but with Brits outnumbering the number of locals in Benidorm during the summer months, it’s clear that the majority of people are just looking for somewhere hot and sunny by the beach!

In this sense, climate change can be a double edged sword, as we can actually thank it for giving us hotter summers than we’re used to experiencing, making this an opportune time to staycation. Being a fairly small island nation, the UK is hardly short of beaches to choose from, with Devon and Cornwall being just two of the most popular hotspots. It’s becoming increasingly easy to find the summer weather you’re looking for on your doorstep, all without the hassle and cost of travelling abroad, and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’re doing your part to cut down on your carbon footprint!

For those looking for other ways they can have a positive impact this summer (and the rest of the year!), we’ve compiled a short list of things you can do today to cut down on your emissions.

Spend less time driving - Consider whether you really need to drive everywhere you go. What are the alternatives? Walking? Cycling? Even public transport! Spending less time in the car is both cost effective (less money spent on petrol!) and a good way to lower your carbon footprint. And when you do need to drive, check the quietest times to travel. This helps cut down how much fuel is consumed and means you don’t waste your own time stuck sitting in stand-still traffic!

Eat less meat & dairy - Raising livestock is a carbon intensive process, from the resources needed to grow the food they eat, and then the machinery needed to slaughter and process the meat, it all contributes massively to carbon emissions. Combine this with places like Brazil that have cut down large areas of natural forestry to create space for these dairy farms, and the emissions start to stack up fast! Experts say that everyone skipping meat one day a week would save the U.S. 100 billion gallons of water and bring greenhouse gases down by 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide!

Reduce, reuse, recycle - this phrase has maybe lost its impact in recent years, but it’s still as true as ever! Reducing the amount of products you consume, reusing what you already have, and recycling what can’t be reused is one of the most impactful ways you can leave a positive impact on the planet. Cutting down on plastic products will help massively in fighting pollution and waste, and with so many great alternatives out there now, there’s no real reason not to make the switch!

As big promoters of eco-friendly living, we offer a range of sustainable packaging options to help our customers transition smoothly into this new lifestyle! From boxes to bags, or pouches to tissue paper, we have anything you could possibly need for your products available in eco-friendly options. In fact, these are now our most popular products, encouraging us to slowly convert all our products to sustainable materials!

You can check out our full range of eco-friendly products right here and start making a difference today!