Four simple ways to be kinder to the planet
In case you haven’t realised already, at DUO we think being kind to the planet is pretty cool.
While it would be amazing if we could end climate change in the morning, unfortunately, that’s not very realistic! When it comes to helping the planet, it’s the accumulation of small everyday changes which can really make a difference.
In February, zero-waste Chef Anne-Marie Bonneau tweeted “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” and we couldn’t agree more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with information on how to live more sustainably, but we’re all about getting back to basics and keeping things simple.
With that being said, here are four simple ways to be kinder to the planet, which you can start doing straight away.
Walk or cycle more
Choosing to walk or cycle instead of taking the car a few days a week is a simple change that can really make a big difference. Completing just five 2km trips on foot a week can decrease the number of car emissions by 86kg a year. It also helps to create a quieter environment and reduce noise pollution, which can be a big issue in built-up areas!
Bring your own cup
Another simple but effective way to help the planet is to use a reusable cup. Get into the habit of taking your own cup when you’re getting a takeaway coffee or tea. If you drink on average one take-away coffee on weekdays, you’ll save roughly 80-120kg of CO2 a year if you switch to a reusable cup. And as an added bonus, many coffee shops will give you a discount when you bring your own cup too!
Bring a shopping bag
While the charge for plastic bags in shops has encouraged many people to bring reusable bags with them, it can still be easy to forget to take one with you! We recommend keeping a few tote bags in your car so you’ll have them on hand when you’re out and about. Plastic bags may be little but they’re deadly for the environment and take up to 1000 years for them to break down in landfills. Many plastic bags also wind up littering our streets or end of in the sea, causing serious harm to our wildlife.
Don't waste food
Simply not wasting food, can be a huge help to the environment. According to the UN, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, which is insane! This directly contributes to food shortages, water stress, biodiversity loss and increases greenhouse gas emissions.
A simple solution is to invest in some steel lunchboxes and save any leftovers for lunch or pop them in the freezer. Also, make sure to plan food shops ahead of time, which will help to avoid overbuying.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more sustainable tips. Shop our collection here.