In today’s society we are gradually becoming more conscious of the growing threat climate change is having on our planet. But, there is still a lot more we can do.
One of the easiest ways to help protect our planet is reduce your carbon footprint which is the amount of greenhouse gases you produce as you live your life. You can calculate your rough carbon footprint on websites like carboonfootprint.com so you can see how you’re currently doing and what areas you can improve on.
At Honest, every decision we make has the environment in mind. We offer carbon-neutral calls and data, we’re a B-Corporation, and we plant trees for all our customers too. We’re always doing our research on how we can do more, and have compiled a list of 10 easy changes we can all make in our lives to help reduce our carbon footprint.
1. Bike, walk or ride the bus to work
This is such a great lifestyle change to make and not only improves your health and keeps you in shape, but it also reduces air pollution. An average car produces around five tons of CO2 each year so any changes you can make to reduce this will have a huge impact.
2. Eat low on the food chain
Changing some of your eating habits is a great way to do your bit. For every day that you forgo meat and dairy, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 3.6 kg – which is 1325kg a year! Meat free Mondays could be a good place to start.
3. Buy local, seasonal fruits and vegetables
Not only does changing what you eat have a huge impact, but also choosing where you buy it. By purchasing foods locally, not only are you supporting local and smaller businesses, but you’re also reducing the amount of fossil fuels that are generated from transporting goods.
4. Switch over to LED bulbs and smart appliances
This one really is a win win, LED light bulbs and smart appliances use a quarter of the energy and last up to 25 times longer – sounds good to us!
5. Turning your thermostat down by 2 degrees
A great way of reducing the carbon footprint generated in your home is to do an energy audit. This will show you how you use or waste energy and help identify ways to be more efficient. One simple thing you can do is turn your thermostat down a couple of degrees, and every one degree celsius will save 10% on energy use.
6. Remember your reusable cups, mugs and cutlery for all outings
Not only is using reusable items better for the planet by reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, but investing in items that are reusable is a great way to save money too.
7. Use waxed cloth instead of plastic wrap for food
This is a fairly new phenomenon in the eco world and has already proven to be super popular. The waxed cloth rinses clean with cold water and you can reuse them time and time again. Plus it’s made from ingredients that you can feel good about and when you’ve got your full use out of them, they are compostable. Alternatively, you can use Silicon bags. We love the pouches from Stasher who are also a member of 1% for the Planet!
8. Wearing clothes more than once before washing them
Lets face it, who enjoys doing washing? Great news, by washing your clothes less, and only doing two loads of laundry a week you can save up to 225kg of carbon dioxide each year. Washing your clothes in cold water also helps keep that carbon footprint down.
9. Join a carbon neutral mobile network
One of the best ways you can change small aspects of your lifestyle is by supporting and using ethical businesses. When you use Honest Mobile as your network you enjoy carbon-neutral calls, messages and data!
10. Plant trees using the Honest Mobile app
Reforesting our planet is one of the most effective ways for us to combat climate change. As a member of Honest Mobile we automatically plant trees for you and we also give you the option to easily plant extra trees! Find out more about signing up today here.