The environment is really in trouble, that is not new knowledge. We're all becoming more aware of the adverse effects of climate change, plastic use and general bad habits. But there is so much we can do to make a big change with small steps, here are some of the things we can all do!
Shop sustainably!
Try and buy individual fruits or veg when shopping to cut down on plastic. Shop in particular shops that specialise in sustainable meats if you eat meat. E.g. Sainsbury's is known for their chicken, Aldi for their fish.
Cut down on meat
Even replacing one meat meal a week is a great start. The meat industry is a huge contributor to waste, land and greenhouse gas. Starting small is better than not at all.
Shop 2nd hand
Clothes are another biggie. Fast fashion can lead to water pollution and all of the excess waste end up in landfills. Shopping second hand and donating your clothes to charity or hosting a clothes party where you swap clothes with your friends is a great thing to do or even a ‘bring your clothes to work day’!
Stop wasting water.
Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth - if you run a tap for one minute it uses around 6 litres of water. Bear in mind you should brush your teeth for two minutes... that's 12 litres of wasted water. Also taking more showers rather than baths is another great way to save on wasted water.
Recycle!
Do we need to explain more? No. You know how to, don’t be lazy.
Get a reusable cup and straw.
Straws and coffee cups are a huge reason for plastic waste in the environment. *Inserts picture of a turtle with a straw lodged in its nasal passage*. Think of the ocean and turtles. Buy a £3 coffee cup with a straw for your daily coffee, you even get money off your drink when you bring a reusable cup, so you’ll earn the money back in no time anyway!
Here at Olympia, we are always trying to do our best for our environment. All of our paper and cardboard is recycled, we re-use all packaging in our warehouse, many of us carpool to work, we are trying to go paper-free in-office by encouraging digital manuscripts to be sent; even our proof-readers are asked to proof-read digitally rather than the traditional physical manuscript amendments and proofing. And we are very aware we can likely do more, therefore we think about our environmental impact and what we can do to better it on a daily basis.
Now it’s your turn!