It’s Earth Month throughout April and in week three we are looking at the theme of energy.
One of the key considerations in being greener is being mindful of our energy consumption. Not only does it help decrease household bills which is always nice, but there are many ways in which we can all contribute to making the world a better place by reducing energy and therefore reducing our carbon emissions.
Ready to make some changes? Here are some of the changes you can think about doing…
End clutter
Keeping electronic products for at least seven years minimises emissions associated with production. Repair, borrow, rent, or buy second hand products whenever possible.
Say no to fast fashion
Making the shift to buying second-hand clothes and limiting purchases to durable, quality pieces can make a big difference. Apps like Vinted are a great place to shop as this helps combat the environmental impact of fashion and reduces emissions from textile production.
In 2020, the UK spent the third largest amount of on clothing and footwear globally and it is estimated that two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK, more than any other country in Europe.
Did you know?
Across a garment’s life cycle, by far the highest amount of carbon is created by the energy needed to produce it. The carbon footprint of the new clothes bought in the UK every minute is greater than driving a car around the world six times.
Could you go plant based?
In the UK the food and drink industry is responsible for 9.5 megatonnes of CO2 emissions every year. You can find loads of great plant-based recipes on BBC Good Food.
Other tips based around food that really help the environment are:
- Planning your meals before you go shopping
- Batch cook and freeze food where possible
- Understand the difference between use by and best before dates
Do you need that light?
Turning off lights that you’re not using is also a great way to help save energy. Being mindful of what bulbs you use, LEDs being the best most efficient will save you money from your bills each year.
1kg of carbon dioxide would fill a large beach ball (with a diameter of slightly over 1m).
Spending less time in the shower
That long shower to keep you nice and warm, or cool depending on the season feels so lovely doesn’t it? But did you know that having a shorter shower (5 minutes) can help cut carbon emissions by about 40% and saves 36 litres of hot water?
Small changes like some listed above can really make a huge impact. Let us know what changes you’ve made to reduce your energy consumption in the comments below!
We know not all of these changes are possible to implement, but even just one change can really make a huge impact.
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