Reduce Your Carbon Footprint With These Easy Steps
At Feedr, sustainability is at the core of what we do. From ensuring our vendors are sourcing ingredients ethically, to delivering meals in carbon-neutral bikes, we’re all ears for new ways of going green.
However, we know that in our busy Londoner lives, it isn’t always easy to stay on the moral high-ground, despite our best intentions. We often claim to want to reduce our carbon footprint, but if something as simple as recycling can be a little inconvenient or messy, how many of us fall victim to ditching our messy cartons in the general waste rather than recycling?
If you need some inspiration for how you can be more environmentally friendly whilst living in a fast-paced city like London, we’ve outlined five easy ways to improve your daily habits.
1. Use reusable coffee cups/ water bottles
Treat yourself to a reusable water bottle and/or coffee cup and stop using single-use disposable plastic. Keep them in your bag or at your desk so it’s always within reach to prevent purchasing unnecessary plastic bottles.
Join the rest of London and purchase a Chilly’s bottle or a Keep Cup and start designing your own personalised cup to carry with you. Plus, most coffee shops such as Pret A Manger (50p off!) offer a discount to those using their own cups, saving you those pennies each day.
2. Recycling
We all know the positive benefits of recycling, and it’s such an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. Did you know in Norway a deposit of 10p to 25p depending on size is paid on plastic bottles. People can then return it to a machine or over the counter where they bought it. A barcode is read and they are handed a coupon or cash. Initiatives like this have lead to a 95% recycling rate. Embarrassingly for us, London is falling far behind with an estimated 50%.
We all know how to recycle, it’s just ensuring you take the time to do so. Start by making sure you have all the correct bins at home, and if you don’t, contact your local council to fix that! Not sure what your council recycles? Find out here.
3. Cycle to work
What better way to reduce your ecological footprint than cycling to work? See if your company has a cycle to work scheme and if they don’t, then suggest it! This popular employee perk allows workers to purchase bicycles, cycling kit, and accessories such as lights and locks up to the value of £1,000, completely tax-free.
Data has shown the average employee that uses the scheme will buy bikes and commuter gear worth £717.56, but will only pay back, through a 12-month salary sacrifice, £488, saving them £230!
4. Educate
Spend time educating yourself about the impacts and effects unsustainable practices have on our environment. Learn about ways to increase sustainable practices and what it means to reduce your carbon footprint – have you watched Our Planet yet? When individuals become more aware of our actions we are so much more likely to make a change in our behaviour and become aware of our choices. It could be the difference between cleaning that carton and recycling it or not.
5. Work lunches
Work lunches out often result in excess plastic and food waste and meals made from unsustainable ingredients. Meal prepping is a great way to avoid this – and save money! There are some easy, quick recipes that can be made the night before for a healthier, more environmentally friendly lunch stored in a reusable container.
Don’t have time for that?
Our Cloud Canteen daily office meals offer a sustainable alternative to this. We deliver healthy, sustainable and delicious lunches directly to your desk. Due to our pre-order model, your office manager can say goodbye to finger in the air guessing how much food to order and allow you to choose for yourself, meaning no more food waste! We also pride ourselves in only working with Vendors who support our philosophy for doing all we can for the environment. This means sustainably sourced ingredients and recyclable, minimal packaging.
Want to learn more about our Cloud Canteen? Spread the word and speak to your office manager to join the office lunch revolution!
