Last year’s MPI's staff took an environmental and sustainability survey and the results showed that almost 90% of our staff indicated that they were interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle, so as it is the first week back after the Christmas break, we thought we would begin by giving you some simple suggestions as to how to reduce and recycle the Christmas waste, as well as how to set some personal sustainability goals for the year.
Reducing Waste:
Over Christmas we are prone to producing a large amount of excess waste, in fact it is estimated that a shocking 270,000 tonnes of food will be wasted alone. With uneaten food contributing to climate change, this is something that has to change. Unwanted presents you receive may not be unwanted by others, so please take a moment to take a look and donate any unopened food or gifts that you will not enjoy to charities like Shelter or your local foodbank or refuge centre and help others whilst improving your sustainability. There are also plenty of recipes to make the most of leftover food, so before you throw out anything, consider if there is any better way that you could deal with it to reduce your impact
Recycling:
Recycling helps to reduce demand on resources and creates a more circular economy. For those who opted for a real tree, these can be recycled to produce woodchips and soil improvers, so check your local council website for collection points. Real trees, wreaths and garlands can also go in your garden waste, just ensure to first remove any plastic or metal that’s holding them together.
For recyclable wrapping paper, ensure to remove the tape and for plastic packaging, check the labelling to see if it is recyclable to reduce the amount you just throw away. A quick test to see whether wrapping is recyclable is to crumple it into a ball. If the paper stays in its ball it can likely be recycled, if it bounces back open then it likely has metallised plastic film which is not recyclable. Check that the wrapping paper doesn't have any glitter on it before recycling.
Setting Green New Year Resolutions:
I’m sure some of you have already set a number of New Year’s resolutions for achieving a healthier and happier life, so why not challenge yourself to set a goal that will really make a difference to you and the planet. First, measure your carbon to help get a better idea of your impact and which areas you should focus upon to reduce it. Carbonfootprint.com’s individual calculator is a good tool to help work out your carbon emissions:
Then, think about what changes you can make and set yourself a goal to reduce your carbon impact. Setting yourself a goal gives you something to strive for and enables you to track your progress, so that this time next year you can see just how much you have achieved. Start with what motivates or interests you, as for any change to be sustainable, you have to be keen to make it happen.
Any action you take to become more sustainable and help the environment will make a difference, especially if enough people take action alongside you too, so make 2022 the year of living more sustainably, in harmony with nature and move towards a cleaner, greener lifestyle.
