- Travel
- Food
- Clothes and Washing
- Household
- Digital
- Beauty Care and Personal Hygiene
- Ask your parents and guardians to do
2.1.1. Stay closer to home for short vacations!
Issue:
Airplanes leave the highest carbon footprint out of all the means of transport, Therefore, the luxury of travelling to your holiday destination by airplane to spend just a few days there burdens the planet in a significant way in comparison with staying there for a longer period.
Solution:
Don’t go far away from your home when having a short time for the holiday. Apart from using environmentally friendlier transportation, you will also be rewarded by more budget available for your next trips and appreciating more your surroundings.
Did you know that…
Replacing a round-trip of 2 people flying around 1 000 km to reach the destination (520 kg of GHG emissions) by staying closer and travelling around 300 km with a patrol car (100 kg) could decrease CO2 emissions by 80%?
Sources:
- https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint
- Calculations made at https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx for 2 people having round-trip Vienna-Brussels flight (2 x 1 000 km) and 2 people travelling 2 x 300 km in an average petrol car
2.1.2. Plan longer stay when flying to your destination!
Issue:
Planes, despite releasing a huge amount of GHG emissions during the flight, could be a relatively justifiable means of transport when you plan to stay longer in your destination to keep you from plane hopping or from frequent travelling to different places. However, choosing flights with a layover for your trip would bounce you back to leaving a huge and unreasonable carbon footprint.
Solution:
Stay longer in your holiday destination! By having more time (and we talk about few weeks here), you can truly experience the daily life of the place of your interest, immerse yourself more in the local culture and also significantly decrease your carbon footprint by reducing the number of flights per year. That’s also a reason why to avoid flights with a layover as most of the aircraft fuel (around 23%) is being used just for taking off and landing and multiple flights could easily accumulate total carbon emissions.
Did you know that…
By giving up on every single flight of 2000 km, you could save around 210 kg of CO2. Otherwise, the carbon absorption of 10 trees in one year would be needed to compensate for your trip!
Sources:
- https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/green-travel/ways-to-reduce-carbon-footprint-while-traveling
- https://www.encon.be/en/calculation-co2-offsetting-trees
- Calculation made for 2 people having round-trip Lisbon-Bordeaux (983 km distance) at https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Carbonoffset/Pages/default.aspx
- https://gogreentravelgreen.com/why-nonstop-direct-flights-better-for-environment-than-layover-stopover-flights/
2.1.3. Avoid domestic flights!
Issue:
When it comes to passenger transportation, domestic flights represent the biggest source of emissions due to the inefficiency of fuel consumption, when most of the energy (around 23%) is used just for taking off and landing to travel only for a short distance as we talk about transportation within the country.
Solution:
Even driving alone in the car is a more environmentally friendly solution than using domestic flight. However, the recommendation here is directed towards the use of trains or buses when not planning to cross the borders.
Did you know that…
By average amount of grams of released CO2 and its equivalents, one passenger is responsible for 255 g per km when using domestic flights, 192 g while driving alone in a car using petrol, 41 g when travelling with national rails or only 28 g when using long-distance buses?
Sources:
2.1.4. Support eco-friendly accommodations!
Issue:
No, we don’t necessarily talk about living in hippie places or sleeping under the sky. There are plenty of ways the lodge can be turned into a place with a low carbon footprint – using renewable energy systems, offering local and vegetarian meals or installing low-flow showers.
Solution:
Search your eco-lodging on websites like www.ecobnb.com or www.nature.house. Also, many websites started using labels such as Travel sustainable property to distinguish the eco-friendly accommodations from the others. You can also do your own research by checking up on your accommodation whether it has any certification confirming its eco-friendliness.
Did you know that…
By using solar panels, the medium-sized hotel with annual electricity consumption of 6 900 kWh per room would avoid the production of 68 500 kg of CO2 per year? This amount of released CO2 equals to around 13 000 vegetarian lunch menus you could offer!
Sources:
- https://ecobnb.com/blog/2016/03/co2-save-green-hotel/
- Values for calculating vegetarian lunch from https://www.co2everything.com/co2e-of/tofu (3 eggs + 100 g cheese + 150 g tofu + 100 g rice + 100 g tomatoes + 50 g chocolate + 1 banana = 2.8 m3 of CO2 = 5.24 kg of CO2), conversion 1.87 kg/m3, see https://www.linde-gas.com/en/images/LMB_Safety%20Advice_01_66881_tcm17-165650.pdf
2.1.5. Offset your carbon footprint when travelling!
Issue:
Every means of transport you use leaves a different carbon footprint, therefore the need of compensating this footprint varies as well. Many airlines or bus companies can help you with this compensation by supporting projects connected to reaching carbon neutrality.
Solution:
Financially contribute to offset carbon neutrality while buying the tickets. The companies usually calculate this extra fee based on the number of km you travel.
Did you know that…
Apart from relying on travel companies to invest your carbon offset contribution into the project of their choice, certifications from The Gold Standard or Green-e can also help you to identify carbon offset projects that are worthwhile to support?
Sources:
2.1.6. Pack light!
Issue:
Apart from the number of km of your trip, the amount of fuel consumed while travelling also depends on the weight you take with yourself. And the more weight to carry, the more fuel used, hence the bigger carbon footprint you leave.
Solution:
Try to be as minimalistic as possible when packing up for the trip. There are many things that can be rented locally, or you can focus more on carrying only quality clothes that can survive without a need to be washed for a couple of days – the ones made of merino wool are perfect examples.
Did you know that…
Even reducing the luggage by 15 kg could save between 100 and 200 kg of CO2 on a return flight from London to Tenerife (distance reaching 6 000 km in total)?
Sources:
2.1.7. Choose bicycle over car or public transport!
Issue:
Passenger transport by using cars, motorcycles, buses, and taxis accounts for 45.1 % of global CO2 emissions coming from transport. Also, an average car usage is responsible for nearly 90 % of GHG emissions released during the car lifecycle. Hence, we should challenge ourselves by trying to reduce these emissions by switching to eco-friendly means of transport like bicycles.
Solution:
For short distances, always consider bicycles when possible. Many cities nowadays offer a bicycle sharing system, where you can jump on and off using any bicycle in the city belonging to this system. The usage of bicycle transportation can be still combined with using public transport.
Did you know that…
When using a bicycle, you are responsible for releasing only 21 g of CO2 and its equivalents per km, while using the tram increases this number to 35 g, bus to 105 g, taxi to 150g and medium petrol car to 192 g in case you travel alone?
Sources:
2.1.8. Use carpooling services!
Issue:
While on land, cars are considered to be the most polluting means of passenger transport as they can carry only a few passengers. Hence, driving alone or in two are considered to be very irresponsible towards nature in comparison with using other means of land transportation.
Solution:
When using a car, make sure you don’t leave any car seat empty e.g., by using carpooling services like Blablacar. Through such a service you can let the public know about your travel plan and people can join you and share the bill for the fuel with you as well. It also means that the average amount of released CO2 per person can decrease significantly.
Did you know that…
Carpooling currently saves more than 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 every year? To put it in individual level, every 100 km of driving alone would result in around 19.2 kg of GHG emissions, while by travelling in four, this number could be reduced to 5 kg.
Sources:
2.1.9. Train as the greenest option for travels!
Issue:
From land transportation, trains are the ones releasing low amounts of CO2 emissions in comparison to other means of transport used for medium or longer distance travelling. Hence, they represent a great alternative for planes or long-distance buses.
Solution:
Switch from plane to train, especially when it comes to domestic travels. This will have a great impact on reducing carbon footprint. Despite taking a longer time to travel, you will be rewarded by more comfort and landscape scenery that can be seen only from the railway.
Did you know that…
Travelling around 500 km by plane would result in 127 kg of released GHG emissions per person, while by bus or train it would be max. 20 kg? We talk about emission reduction by 80 %, so choose wisely!
Sources:
2.1.10. Reduce using air con while driving!
Issue:
Maybe not so obvious at first glance, but air conditioners in passenger cars and buses consume considerable amounts of energy. Because of that, the vehicles require more fuel and also the leaks of refrigerant are responsible for some amount of GHG emissions.
Solution:
Give up on a bit of comfort inside the car and travel with the cars’ windows opened instead of AC. Opened windows will help with circulating the air inside the car and cool it down. No redundant carbon footprint left by this solution!
Did you know that…
AC typically uses between 3% and 50% of the vehicle’s fuel consumption. Hence by not using AC you can lower the demand after fuel. Also, the leaks of refrigerant annually account for 30-82 g of GHG emissions.
Sources:
2.2.1. Reduce food waste!
Issue:
Current research estimates that between 33 to 50% of all the food produced globally goes straight to the trash can. Wasted food contributes hugely to our GHG emissions and the main reason for that is the methane that gets emitted by all this food decomposing in the landfills.
Solution:
There are plenty of ways how to reduce your food waste: planning your meals ahead and sticking to the shopping list you make accordingly in order to avoid buying unnecessary items, buying loose products, being creative with usage of leftovers, regular check-up on expiration dates of your food, buying visually ‘ugly’ but perfectly fine fruits and vegetables, freezing products to eat them later or donating surplus food to charities, food banks or through apps such as Olio or Too Good To Go.
Did you know that…
If the global food waste was a country, it could be considered as the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the United States? The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that global food waste represents 8% of all human-caused GHG emissions.
Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RlxySFrkIMandab_channel=Vox
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12649-016-9720-0
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-reduce-carbon-footprint
- https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-11/from-farm-to-kitchen-the-environmental-impacts-of-u.s.-food-waste_508-tagged.pdf
2.2.2. Give a plant-based diet a try!
Issue:
Livestock farming, hence, the carnivore diet, is a major contributor to our carbon footprint as animals cultivated industrially produce excessive amounts of methane, a GHG even more potent than CO2. This industry also requires large amounts of water and land to cultivate food for the animals – 9 000 litres of water to produce 0,5 kg of beef, but only 95 litres to produce the same amount of wheat!
Solution:
Try to limit your meat consumption. We don’t necessarily mean cutting animal products from the diet completely, but, as a starting point, you can commit to a few vegetarian dinners per week. And if you are not the most creative cook, YouTube is always a great source of numerous recipes for plant-based meals.
Did you know that…
If the entire population of the United States decided to cut off meat and cheese for one day per week, it would have the environmental impact of taking over 7 million cars off the road! For better understanding of the carbon footprint decrease potential by just changing diet, 100 g of beef accounts for 15.5 kg of GHG emissions while the same amount of tofu only 0.08 kg!
Sources:
- https://news.stanford.edu/report/2021/05/06/embracing-plant-based-diet/
- https://www.fao.org/3/i3437e/i3437e.pdf
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/feb/04/man-made-greenhouse-gases
- https://www.wwf.org.uk/betterbasket
- https://www.co2everything.com/co2e-of/tofu
- https://www.co2everything.com/co2e-of/beef
2.2.3. Avoid plastic packaging when grocery shopping!
Issue:
Worldwide plastic usage is an alarming issue as it is a major pollutant of the natural environment. Each year, 500 million tons of this material are manufactured on a global scale, keeping in mind that single-use plastics can take up to 500 hundred years to decompose. It has been estimated that if the current trends remain by the year 2050 our oceans will contain more plastics than fish.
Solution:
When going shopping, try to stick to carrying a reusable cloth bag, using your own containers and jars for buying loose products where possible or carrying a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones (an app called Refillcan help you to find places where to refill your water for free). Buying food in bulks is a valid option as well, especially when this food can be easily distributed over your neighbours or community.
Did you know that…
A single-use plastic bag is responsible for 1.58 kg of GHG emissions, which is equivalent to driving an average petrol car for 8 km?
Sources:
2.2.4. Search for organic products!
Issue:
Food industry nowadays relies on the usage of manufactured chemical fertilizers that are predominantly imported from abroad. Moreover, nitrogen fertilizers, the most commonly used in agriculture, come from burning fossil fuels. Both result in a higher carbon footprint of the food coming from non-organic farms.
Solution:
While shopping, look for organic labelled food products. Organic farms are required to fertilize the soil with natural products such as compost and manure, commit to keep the soil healthy by using natural methods like crop rotation and feed the animals with products that are not genetically modified. Farms following these standards also have lower emissions and require less energy. Also looking for fair-trade products come here into consideration as they follow similar principles.
Did you know that…
A football field size area of soil that is farmed organically can store almost 2 tonnes of CO2 more than non-organic one. The Soil Association estimated that if all of Europe’s farmland committed to organic standards, agricultural emissions could go down by 40-50% by the year 2050.
Sources:
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-cut-your-food-carbon-footprint
- https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/why-organic/better-for-the-planet/
- https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/fertilizer-and-climate-change
- https://climate.ec.europa.eu/citizens/climate-tips/adapt-your-shopping-and-eating-habits_en
- https://wfto.com/our-fair-trade-system
2.2.5. Opt in buying local and seasonal products!
Issue:
We are used to having all the fruits and vegetables typical for different regions of the world available in our local supermarkets all year round. However, the longer distance the food has travelled, the higher its carbon emission is. Moreover, the products cultivated locally, but out of season require the help of heated greenhouses, which also leaves their carbon footprint much higher.
Solution:
Consider buying food from local producers that offer products available in a given season. Look for a local farmer’s market as a place for your regular shopping. Additional benefits to that will be giving a boost to the local economy and becoming more familiar with the food native to your region.
Did you know that…
A poll in the UK revealed that more than 9 people out of 10 didn’t know when some of the UK’s best-known produce is in season. Therefore, supermarkets should help us more to shop seasonally by providing more info.
Sources:
- https://stopfoodwaste.ie/resource/5-reasons-to-eat-local-seasonal-food
- https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/are-seasonal-fruit-and-vegetables-better-for-the-environment
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/seasonality-and-dietary-requirements-will-eating-seasonal-food-contribute-to-health-and-environmental-sustainability/08545F71A12EF0FE233E8D1DEFEF227A
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/agriculture/food/11024484/British-public-ignorant-about-seasonal-fruit-and-veg.html
2.2.6. Watch out for palm oil!
Issue:
Palm oil is one of the most popular vegetable oils in the world, however, the expansive cultivation of oil palm trees in Southeast Asia results in deforestation of some of the most biodiverse forests in the world, leaving endangered animal species without a place to live. Moreover, to make way for those plantations, peatlands storing a lot of CO2 is usually burned, which leads to very high GHG emissions.
Solution:
While shopping, search for products containing RSPO certified palm oil. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oilrequires producers to commit to a range of practices limiting the negative environmental impact of this product.
Did you know that…
Converting a single hectare of peatland rainforest into a palm oil plantation can result in releasing approximately 6 000 metric tonnes of CO2?
Sources:
2.2.7. Don’t leave any bit from fruit or vegetable!
Issue:
While cooking, we are leaving a lot of leftovers and scraps coming from fruit and vegetables such as skin, seeds, ends or stems. Since the majority of the population lives in urban areas where not everybody has the access to the compost to throw these leftovers into, there are still ways to make some benefit out of them and avoid food waste!
Solution:
Learn a bit about the nutritional values of various fruit and vegetable scraps, store them and use in smoothies (kale and chard stems or tops of carrots can be used), homemade stock or broth (from vegetable tops, stalks or peels), chips (from potato peels), to flavour a glass of water (with peels of citrus fruits or apple) or to simply dry them (pumpkin seeds, apple) and consume afterwards.
Did you know that…
In the EU there is 89 million tonnes of food wasted every year, representing 179 kg of wasted food per capita which means 0.5 kg of food wasted by a single person every day?
Sources:
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/02/20-easy-ways-to-reduce-your-food-waste
- https://www.nourishinggenerations.org/post/things-to-do-with-vegetable-scraps
- https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our-work/opinions-information-reports/opinions/prevention-and-reduction-food-waste
2.3.1. Buy less!
Issue:
We have been buying 400% more clothes since the 1980s and nearly 85% of our garments end up in landfills, only 1% of clothes being recycled. According to the World Bank, in some countries 40% of purchased clothing is never even used.
Solution:
If you cannot commit yourself to wear something for a minimum of 30 times, don’t buy it. Try to use those clothes which you already own. In addition, there are many easy ways of repairing or upcycling a piece of garment if you’re already bored of them and YouTube is a great guideline for that too.
Did you know that…
Research in the UK says that continuing to actively wear a garment for just nine months longer could diminish its environmental impacts by 20–30%?
Sources:
- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni9gQn5rsLAandab_channel=TEDxTalks
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elU32XNj8PMandab_channel=CBCNews
2.3.2. Swap clothes and buy second hand!
Issue:
To prevent buying new clothes representing an environmentally very unfriendly solution, a good way of extending the lifetime of a piece of cloth is swapping them or shopping in second-hand shops.
Solution:
Search for local second-hand shops or use their online siblings (such as Vinted, Poshmark, ThredUp, Depop or Tradesy). In addition, you can look for swap markets that are usually organized locally. Here, people bring their gently worn, unwanted clothes and exchange them for new items, brought by others. If you don’t have any in your town, the floor is yours to organize one and spread this amazing budget and environmentally friendly initiative!
Did you know that…
Research in the US shows that each person that buys second-hand clothing can prevent more than 230 kg of carbon emissions every year, which reduces one’s water, waste, and carbon footprint by more than 80%?
Sources:
2.3.3. Avoid fast fashion brands!
Issue:
Fast fashion is an approach to produce and sell quickly and cheaply available garments to consumers, while using cheap labour and being extremely harmful for the environment when even organic fabrics are processed with bleach and other toxins. New items are being displayed every third day in fast fashion stores, and most of these “disposable” unsold products end up in landfills being burnt.
Solution:
Buying a maximum of 8 new items a year could already reduce fashion’s emissions by 37% in the world’s major cities. However, it is important to do research on the companies you are buying from (websites like Good On You can help you with that) as the support of ethical, slow fashion and sustainable brands by customers is essential these days.
Did you know that…
According to the World Bank, 20% of water pollution globally is caused by textile processing, making it the second biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet? Another alarming number is that around 25% of the chemicals produced in the world are used just in textiles!
Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni9gQn5rsLAandab_channel=TEDxTalks
- https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CHANGING_MARKETS_DIRTY_FASHION_REPORT_SPREAD_WEB.pdf
- https://issuu.com/uncoverhandbook/docs/handbook11_24
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elU32XNj8PMandab_channel=CBCNews
- https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60382624
2.3.4. Look for fair trade brands!
Issue:
Fair trade certified products and brands, in contradiction to many fast fashion brands, combat poverty in developing countries, ensuring that workers are being paid fairly, working under humane conditions, having sufficient labour rights, as well as encouraging sustainable methods of production.
Solution:
Look for Fair Trade certified brands. Websites like Good On You or Fairtrade Foundation, can help you with decision-making as they collect information about Fair trade brands. Furthermore, buying clothes from companies which treat their workers and the environment well, will encourage more companies to take similar actions.
Did you know that…
According to the estimates of the Fairtrade Foundation, the number of farmers and workers who have benefited from Fair trade has quadrupled over the last 25 years?
Sources:
2.3.5. Donate old clothes!
Issue:
By donating clothes, we extend the garment’s lifetime as well as save them from ending up in landfills and being burnt (at least) for a while.
Solution:
When donating clothes, here are some guidelines to follow: well-worn underwear and bras are considered unhygienic, so don’t give them for donation. Worn out clothes shouldn’t be donated as well as they cannot be used anymore. Last, but not least, donate to places where your garment is truly needed – do research and be considerate who to give your clothes to.
Did you know that…
A study made in the UK says that the majority of fashion purchases are being used 7 times on average before being discarded. Give your clothes a longer life, donate smart!
Sources:
2.3.6. Learn about the concept of Capsule wardrobe!
Issue:
The garment industry belongs to one of the most polluting industries in the world. Taking this into consideration, we should really focus on minimizing the negative impact of our shopping behaviour in fashion stores and consider what we already have in our closets, while searching for new pieces of clothes.
Solution:
You can get inspired by a concept called Capsule wardrobe, whose principle is to stay minimalistic with the amount of clothes (you maybe heard of the rule 33 – the maximum number of items you should have), to possess higher quality pieces, so they will last longer and to keep only the ones that barely go out of style and are neutral in tone, style, and colour, so they are easy to combine with each other. All the unnecessary items can be either donated, being swapped, or put to second-hand stores.
Did you know that…
The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global CO2 emissions, which makes more than the emissions from all international flights and maritime shipping combined? That’s why applying a minimalistic approach in our wardrobes is necessary to decrease our carbon footprint!
Sources:
2.3.7. What to do with jeans?
Issue:
There are over 2 billion pairs of jeans produced worldwide each year, while one pair lasts no longer than a year on average. Plenty of water is needed for its production, not to mention all the herbicides and pesticides contaminating groundwater and kilograms of GHG emissions released during its lifecycle.
Solution:
If you’re a jeans lover, try to look for second hand jeans or jeans made from better materials like recycled or organic cotton or hemp, which are designed for longevity. Furthermore, go for the ones made from 98% cellulosic fibres such as cotton, hemp, viscose or lyocell to increase the chance of recyclability. Denim manufacturers also recommend washing them once in every ten wearing, using cold water and avoiding drying machines.
Did you know that…
In order to produce one single pair of jeans, up to 10 000 litres of water would be needed to grow the required amount of cotton. That equals to 10 years of drinking water consumed by one person!
Sources:
- https://www.ted.com/talks/madhavi_venkatesan_the_life_cycle_of_a_pair_of_jeans?language=en
- https://goodonyou.eco/material-guide-ethical-denim/
- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate
- https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/25-years-of-fairtrade-impact/
2.4.1. Less (hot) water in the shower!
Issue:
Long showers lead to wasting the water just for the sake of our own comfort. In combination with using the hot water, such showers unnecessarily leave high carbon footprint due to heating the high amount of water requiring plenty of energy.
Solution:
Give up on a bit of your comfort and try to reduce the amount of the (hot) water as much as possible. Your skin will say thank you as well for not getting dried out and itchy by having long and/or hot showers too often.
Did you know that…
An average person uses around 90 litres of water per shower lasting 8 minutes. By reducing the daily showers to 5 minutes for one month you could save around 1 000 litres of water which equals the amount of water one person would drink in one year!
Sources:
2.4.2. Wash your hands in cold water!
Brief intro:
Heating the water falls under activities requiring a considerable amount of household energies, leaving a notable carbon footprint. Therefore, frequent (and unnecessary) use of hot water for washing your hands contributes to this footprint as well.
Solution:
As hands are unable to cope with high water temperatures that can kill bacteria, there is no reason to use the hot water for it at all. Instead, use lukewarm or ideally cold water along with a soap.
Did you know that…
Around 15 % of GHG emissions from residential housing in the US are produced just by heating the water?
Sources:
2.4.3. Avoid using AC as much as you can!
Brief intro:
The global temperature is on rise, so is the need to cool ourselves down. However, cooling the temperature down with an air conditioner (AC) is a subject of a huge amount of energy to be consumed. By being more specific, the emissions from room ACs can contribute to as much as 0.5 °C increase by 2100 and that’s a big one.
Solution:
Consider using low-cost but still efficiently enough solutions such as air fans or ceiling fans instead. Another option is to use a dehumidifier reducing the room’s humidity (hence the room’s temperature) at a fraction of energy consumption of an AC.
Did you know that…
A recent study has found that using an air fan with air speed of 1 to 2 m/s with occasional use of AC instead of using AC alone would result in a 76% of annual energy reduction and decrease of released GHG emissions by 4 000 kilotons? These reductions would be even higher by using purely air fans.
Sources:
2.4.4. Reduce heating if possible!
Issue:
The energy we use for heating the spaces we live and work in is one of the highest contributors to our individual carbon footprints. To put it in a global overview, heat accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption and 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.
Solution:
Make sure to keep the heaters turned off in places where nobody is around. Also, thanks to installed thermostatic radiator valves in the households you can easily keep the control over the room temperature, however, it is recommended to stick between level 2 and 3 (out of 5) during cold season.
Did you know that…
According to the International Energy Agency, if the EU citizens decreased the heater temperature by 2°C, they would save up as much gas as is flowing through the European natural gas pipeline Nord Stream?
Sources:
2.4.5. Plug off the chargers when no longer needed!
Issue:
Despite not having your device connected to the charger that is plugged-in, there is still a small energy consumption ongoing that unnecessarily contributes to both your bill and the carbon footprint. The same is occurring for fully charged devices being still connected to the charger. These redundant energy leaks are called the phantom energy.
Solution:
After charging your device, along with unplugging it from the charger make sure you unplug the charger from the socket as well. This will reduce the electric consumption as well as the energy costs.
Did you know that…
The phantom energy costs US households an average of 100 dollars per year and can be responsible for up to 10% of the monthly utility bill?
Sources:
2.4.6. Turn off the lights when nobody is around!
Issue:
When your mum is constantly telling you to turn off the light when you are not in the room, she is most probably worried about the amount to pay in the monthly utility bill. This redundant energy use is also an issue when we talk about possibilities on how to reduce GHG emissions generated by households.
Solution:
Listen to your mum and turn off the light whenever nobody is in the room.
Did you know that…
The lighting currently accounts for nearly 10% of an average residential electricity use in the US. That means there is a potential to decrease the carbon footprint by this simple solution.
Sources:
- Easy but not effective: Why “turning off the lights” remains a salient energy conserving behaviour in the United States https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10123545
2.5.1. Green online research with Ecosia!
Issue:
Surfing the internet produces a lot of CO2 emission through the servers that service providers are using. For example, it is estimated that every google research could result in between 1 to 10 g of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, Google is mostly an advertisement company to make a profit.
Solution:
Download the extension called Ecosia and set it as your primary research toolbar. Ecosia is a non-profit search engine that contributes to reforestation, offering around 80% of their revenue made out of the advertisement service available for tree planting.
Did you know that…
By using Ecosia, the average user can contribute to planting 30 new trees in the global south? Ecosia estimates that it takes around 50 research to have the budget to plant a tree and since every day an internet user does 3-4 research online on average, mostly using Google, one can easily contribute to this initiative as well.
Sources:
2.5.2. Using dark and battery saver mode!
Issue:
Depending on the task operated by our devices, we consume different amounts of energy. Playing a game consumes more battery than making a phone call, and texting consumes less battery than watching a video. This means we can save relevant percentages of the charge of our iPad, laptop and smartphone by influencing the battery drain of our online activities.
Solution:
Choose the dark mode of your apps and websites as dark pixels use less energy than bright ones. The battery saver mode, changing some of your device settings so your battery’s life can be prolonged by 1-2 hours, is also a legitimate option. Apart from that, it is also recommended to keep the brightness down, use ad-blockers or avoid watching videos to keep the device alive longer during the day.
Did you know that…
Using dark mode can save up to one third of the battery, and even more can be saved using battery saver modes in combination with other tools like ad-blocker? It’s estimated that alone, the use of dark mode on a million iPhone X could save up the same CO2 emission as 31 cars!
Sources:
2.5.3. Minimal Web Design!
Issue:
When designing the homepage of your website, it is relevant to avoid animations, videos or images that would require a lot of energy to be broadcasted.
Solution:
The Low Impact website (https://lowimpact.organicbasics.com/eur) does a great job explaining what should be avoided. The most relevant are decrease in usage of videos, the compression of data, loading only the most crucial programming scripts, frameworks and cookies and not loading the images until requested by a user.
Did you know that…
Just by opening the homepage of the mentioned Low Impact website, compared to its own standard version, saves around 14 g of CO2?
Sources:
2.5.4. Save on Cloud Storage!
Issue:
When we save our files through cloud services, they are stored in energy-consuming servers somewhere in the world. These servers need energy to work and therefore produce CO2. Cloud storing could account for up to 3% of the global CO2 emissions.
Solution:
Use cloud storage as a temporary solution for your files and prefer a physical hard disk. Or try to store a low amount of data when using cloud services by removing unnecessary items. You can also do some research to find the cloud providers powering their data centres with 100% renewable energy.
Did you know that…
A study concluded that the energy cost of data transfer to the cloud and its storage there is about 7 kWh per gigabyte, while a personal hard disk requires about 0.000005 kWh per gigabyte to save your data?
Sources:
2.5.5. Save on Email Storage!
Issue:
Like the issues connected with storing data on cloud services, the emails received in your Gmail or Yahoo account requires some physical server to be stored at, hence the energy the server needs to consume in order to run. And the demand after this energy equals the rise of CO2 emissions.
Solution:
Unsubscribe from newsletters that you do not follow, block spam accounts, and delete unimportant emails from your inbox. Don’t forget to regularly check your email box for the mentioned reasons.
Did you know that…
A single text-based email emits about 4 grams of CO2? To put it into some context, these 4 g represent almost 2 % of CO2 that would be emitted by sending a paper letter.
Sources:
2.5.6. Block ads to generate less traffic!
Issue:
Most websites are full of advertisements to maximize the capitalization. These ads, other than being annoying and invasive, also generate a lot of online traffic, hence they play an important role in emitting carbon dioxide, as most advertisements are published as videos or animated images which require a lot of energy from our devices and servers to be shared and played.
Solution:
Install an ad-blocker to generate less traffic. AdBlock is the most popular.
Did you know that…
Using an ad-blocker can save up to 40% of your traffic data?
Sources:
2.5.7. Disable Push Notifications!
Issue:
Most applications send notifications that wake up our mobile phone or trigger a reaction. Avoiding useless notification can help to use your device less and to be more energy efficient.
Solution:
Do yourself a little favour by turning off unimportant notifications — this will reduce your carbon footprint, prolong phone battery life and reduce the likelihood that your phone will distract you.
Did you know that…
The population of the Philippines represents the biggest mobile screen consumers in the world, spending 5h and 31 mins a day using their phone? In comparison to major European countries like Germany, France or Spain, it is twice more.
Sources:
- https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-you-should-and-shouldnt-do-to-extend-your-phones-battery-life/#disable-unnecessary-push-notifications
- https://medium.com/carbon-fingerprint/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-fingerprint-bcc87e03594f
- https://www.comparitech.com/tv-streaming/screen-time-statistics/
2.5.8. Clean up your devices!
Issue:
Devices are full of data from caches, temporary internet files or leftovers of uninstalled applications that are not required anymore for your online activities.
Solution:
Install a cleaner to remove all the unnecessary data occupying space and memory on your device so you don’t have to demand more (physical or online) space. CCleaner is one of the most popular ones.
Did you know that…
If you save and store 100 gb of data in the cloud during a year, the amount of electricity required to accomplish this would result in the emission of about 0.2 tons of CO2? Moving these files to a physical drive would reduce the emission drastically, but firstly don’t forget to clean up your device!
Sources:
2.5.9. Stop changing your smartphone every 2-3 years!
Issue:
It is not a surprise that most of the carbon footprint by either smartphone or laptop is released during their production. In the case of smartphones, production is responsible for around 85-95% of CO2 released during their lifecycle, while on laptops this share is about 70-80%.
Solution:
Considering the environmental impact of the act of buying a new device, always try to find a solution of repairing it and purchase a new one only when your device is really in a state it cannot be even repaired. You would even do a bigger favour by getting a second-hand or refurbished device.
Did you know that…
The GHG emissions caused by smartphones increased by 730% between years 2010 and 2020?
Sources:
2.5.10. Help yourself with green apps!
Issue:
A large study learned over 50% of respondents felt powerless or helpless when it comes to the fight against climate change. Some might feel there are too few options of attack in this fight and the results wouldn’t be visible now anyway. But if we are not sure how else we, individuals and consumers at the same time, can contribute in this fight, we can always help ourselves with the perks of 21st century – mobile apps, that can guide us through our life to be greener.
Solution:
There are plenty of helpful mobile apps that can help in different areas, like food and restaurants (HappyCow, Karma,Olio), beauty (Think Dirty, Beat the Microbead), fashion (ThreadUp, Good On You), everyday life (Ethy, JouleBug) and many many more. Google can help with that.
Did you know that…
The latest data says that we spent almost 7 hours per day looking on an internet connected screen. So, despite doing good deed with using mentioned green apps, don’t forget about your digital carbon footprint!
Sources:
- https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-of-the-climate-crisis-5224130
- Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2542-5196%2821%2900278-3
- https://explodingtopics.com/blog/screen-time-stats
2.6.1. Switch to solid shampoo and conditioner!
Issue:
80 billion plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles get thrown out globally each year.
Solution:
An eco-friendlier hair care alternative is the solid version of shampoos and conditioners. These bars cut out the need for plastic bottles, and most come wrapped in recycled paper or in paper boxes.
Did you know that…
Most shampoos are 80 % water and conditioners can be even more—up to 95% water. In contrast, shampoo bars are mega concentrated, which means that on average, a shampoo bar will outlast two to three bottles of liquid shampoo.
Sources:
2.6.2. Switch to Reusable makeup remover cloths!
Issue:
We are flushing away or binning about 11 billion wet wipes every year as they are the easiest and cheapest way of removing makeup, although causing a very bad environmental impact. Besides the cotton, they contain polyester and polypropylene which breaks down into microplastic, polluting the environment.
Solution:
The first step in cutting down makeup remover products is simply using less makeup. But if we are really in need of removers, a better option is to invest in reusable makeup remover cloths. Their usage is simple: rinsing them in water after every use and washing them only once a week in the washing machine.
Did you know that…
Reusable makeup remover cloths can last 1000 washes or more than five years, depending on the product and brand?
Sources:
- https://www.garnier.com.au/tips-and-how-tos/skin-care/benefits-of-resusable-eco-pads
- https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/millions-of-makeup-wipes-piled-as-high-as-the-eiffel-tower-going-to-landfills-every-day/
- https://thesustainabilityproject.life/blog/2020/04/21/reusable-facial-rounds/
2.6.3. Changing tooth brushing habits!
Issue:
According to National Geographic, most people will replace around 300 toothbrushes during their lifetime. In line with the general recommendation of replacing them every 3-4 months, it means that around 23 billion toothbrushes are trashed annually as most of them still have nylon bristles, therefore using a 100% zero-waste toothbrush is hardly possible, yet.
Solution:
Nowadays, available alternatives are the bamboo toothbrushes (if disposed correctly) or brushes with reusable handles. Consequently, the less plastic toothbrushes we use, the less non-biodegradable waste we produce. Besides that, try to use toothpaste packed in jars instead of plastic tubes.
Did you know that…
If we laid out the toothbrushes thrown away only in the US in a year, they would wrap around the Earth 4 times, since they are not biodegradable, and many are unrecyclable?
Sources:
2.6.4. About menstrual cups and period underwear!
Issue:
The average person uses between 192 and 240 single use pads and tampons a year. Study made in the UK shows that the estimated menstrual waste accounts for around 28 000 tonnes per year, the pads and then tampons making up the biggest portion.
Solution:
An alternative for single use products is period underwear, which lasts around 2-3 years. An even eco-friendlier option is the menstrual cup because it can be used for up to 10 years, requires less water to be produced and produces a lesser amount of waste overall. For further research of brands and products, website Good On You collected a big variety of eco-friendly menstrual products with well detailed descriptions and ratings.
Did you know that…
If all women using pads changed to period underwear, the waste would be reduced by around 17 000 tonnes? And if shifted from tampons to cups, the waste would be reduced by almost 6 000 tonnes annually?
Sources:
- An exploratory study of the impact and potential of menstrual hygiene management waste in the UKhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666790822000404
2.6.5. Eco-friendly razors!
Issue:
Disposable, plastic, single use razors have a very short life cycle since they are recommended to be changed around every 7th shave. Hence, they represent a source of a huge amount of waste.
Solution:
There are several eco-friendly alternatives for disposable razors like safety razor, which is metal and lasts ‘forever’ if treated well. Another option is electric razor or epilator since they are rechargeable and have a long lifespan. Finally, bamboo razors are also on markets with swappable blades.
Did you know that…
According to Statista, almost 160 million people in the U.S. used disposable razors in 2020? That makes almost half of their population!
Sources:
2.6.6. About sheet masks!
Issue:
Sheet masks are typically made of petroleum-based fibres, packaged in a non-recyclable foil packet or non-recyclable coated cardboard, sandwiched between two sheets of non-recyclable plastic, covered in cosmetic chemicals, to be used for 20 minutes. Simply, a lot of waste.
Solution:
The first step in transforming to greener beauty care habits, is reducing, and refusing, asking ourselves, if we really need that product, especially when it comes to disposable one. In case the answer is a strong yes, it’s better to replace it with its eco-friendly alternative, in case of sheet masks, buying biodegradable and compostable ones with organic ingredients for example.
Did you know that…
Only one company’s act of stopping selling sheet masks and other single-use skincare products would keep 1,36 tonnes of trash out of the landfills. This amount of waste was saved by Credo, a clean beauty retailer company that decided to stop selling single-use skincare products in 2021.
Sources:
2.6.7. Avoid plastic packaging when buying cosmetic products!
Issue:
In 2018 more than 120 billion units of cosmetics packaging were produced globally. Most of the footprint of almost all cosmetic products is emitted in the post-consumer era. For example, 5% of the impact of a bottle of shampoo comes from raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, and packaging. The plastic that’s either downcycled, burnt, or sent to landfills to break down over 450 years, accounts for the remaining 95%.
Solution:
Being aware of such facts, one should reduce the purchase of unnecessary beauty products first. When not possible, then try to switch to cosmetic products packaged in reusable containers (like glass jars) or the ones that use post-consumer recycled material (look for FSC label). It is also recommended to use a refillable deodorant as spray deodorants not only create plenty of packaging waste, but also use hydrocarbons and/or compressed gasses notorious for their contribution to global warming.
Did you know that…
If refillable containers were used for cosmetics, as much as 70% of carbon emissions associated with the beauty industry could be eliminated?
Sources:
2.6.8. Look for certificates from independent organizations!
Issue:
Most of us, customers, can be victims of companies’ greenwashing practices, not having clear information about ingredients, sourcing, manufacturing, etc. Definitions such as ‘natural’ are not regulated. Those products can still contain ingredients which are very irritating or harmful.
Solution:
Independent certifying bodies can help to cope with the information chaos. Therefore, look for products with labels e.g., FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) to know that responsibly sourced materials were utilized for the product. Also, certifications from organizations NATRUE or COSMOS ensure a certain minimum percentage of the product ingredients coming from certified organic agriculture.
Did you know that…
Research published by the European commission found out that 42% of green claims in Europe were exaggerated, false, or deceptive? Therefore, be careful when choosing the products that have been promoted as eco-friendly and sustainable!
Sources:
2.6.9. About microplastics!
Issue:
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, less than 5 mm in diameter, used in cosmetics, clothing, etc. They have already been detected in marine organisms from plankton to whales, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. There is currently no law banning the use of microplastics in the EU, but there are some beauty brands which have already stopped using them.
Solution:
Try to avoid products containing polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon. Applications like Beat the Microbead or INCI Beautymay help you in detecting the microplastics in cosmetic products by simply scanning the ingredients on the labels.
Did you know that…
The average person eats, drinks and breathes between 78 000 and 211 000 microplastic particles every year, when the most of them are consumed by drinking bottled water?
Sources:
2.6.10. The issues with toilet tissues!
Issue:
The main source of toilet paper are boreal forests (growing e.g., in Canada or Sweden), which are the most carbon-dense and intact forests left on the planet. Besides the deforestation, another problem is their production, requiring around 140 litres of water per roll.
Solution:
Instead of classic toilet paper rolls, use the bamboo ones (it takes only 2,23 litres to produce one roll) or the ones from recycled paper (these toilet paper rolls should contain at least 20% to 60% of post-consumer recycled content). If possible, install and use a bidet as the volume of water used is far less than the amount of water used during production of toilet paper rolls.
Did you know that…
We chop down 27 000 trees every day just on paper tissues. Buying eco-friendly alternatives is a small act from the consumers’ side, but a huge help for the environment.
Sources:
- https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/eco-friendly/toilet-paper-alternatives/
- https://thegoodroll.com/en-nl/blog/32/how-toilet-paper-waste-hurts-the-environment/
- https://www.treehugger.com/eco-friendly-toilet-paper-bamboo-vs-recycled-5114452
- https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/27000-trees-cut-down-every-20858878
2.6.11. Liquid soap vs. bar soap!
Issue:
Washing the hands takes 6-7 times more liquid soap than solid soap. When it comes to packaging, transportation and disposal bar soaps make significantly less carbon footprint. However, we tend to use 30% more warm water when we wash with solid soap compared to liquid.
Solution:
Overall, solid soaps are more beneficial for the environment than the liquid ones. If we stick to the use of liquid soap anyway, an eco-friendlier choice is buying soap that comes in a recyclable glass bottle and is refillable.
Did you know that…
Apart from double (or even triple) longevity of the bar soap in comparison with the liquid one, also the carbon footprint is in ‘double’ favour of the bar soap? 1.85 kg of CO2 is emitted in production of 1 kg of liquid soap while it makes only half when producing 1 kg of the bar soap.
Sources:
- https://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/feature-solid-soap-liquid-soap-environment-29052020/
- Comparing the Environmental Footprints of Home-Care and Personal-Hygiene Products: The Relevance of Different Life-Cycle Phases https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es901236f
2.7.1. Clothes and Washing – Avoid using dryer!
Issue:
Dryers can use 5 to 10 times more energy than washing machines which are already treated as big energy consumers when it comes to household equipment. Hence, using dryers is pure evil from an ecological perspective, especially when there is a simple and eco-friendly alternative for that.
Solution:
Instead of using a dryer, just dry the clothes in the sun, which will not only save energy and money and leave zero carbon footprint, but it also helps the clothes last longer.
Impact Analysis:
One drying-machine cycle produces around 1.8 kg of CO2. Therefore, by decreasing its usage only by one time per month for one year you could already save up to the same amount of CO2 as 1 tree can absorb during that year!
Sources:
2.7.2. Clothes and Washing – Say NO to fabric softeners!
Issue:
In the long run, fabric softeners are just as damaging for our clothes (hence, shortening their lifespan) as for the environment, since they form a thin coating on the fabric, making it less absorbent and locking in bad odours. They are typically petroleum based, which doesn’t biodegrade easily. Furthermore, certain chemicals in softeners, like fragrances, are harmful for human health.
Solution:
Alternatives for fabric softeners are adding vinegar to the wash cycle that can help soften the clothes or filling a spray bottle with lavender or rose water or essential oil mixed with water and giving the laundry a quick spritz before tossing into the wash. However, the best solution is not using softeners at all. A good quality detergent should do the job softening and preventing wrinkles.
Did you know that…
75% of respondents of a survey in The Guardian agreed with the statement that ‘clean laundry smells like the laundry products used in the wash’, in other words, many people relate clean clothes with the smell of the softener they use?
Sources:
- https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/fabric-softener-why-you-shouldnt-use-it/
- https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/behavioural-insights/2014/oct/09/eco-laundry-sustainable-washing-machines
- https://medium.com/@ethitudeblog/youre-creating-most-of-the-carbon-footprint-of-your-clothes-without-even-realising-it-567a4350ae32
2.7.3. Clothes and Washing – Wash less and use eco-friendly detergent!
Issue:
39% of a garment’s environmental impact comes from washing, drying, and consumer care. Due to the synthetic fibres in garments, microfibers are shed with each wash, contaminating the oceans and our tap water.
Solution:
When it comes to choosing detergent, avoid the ones containing phosphate, formaldehyde, artificial fragrances, or ammonium sulphate – the most harmful chemicals. These ingredients can cause allergic reactions, skin toxin or high die-off of marine animals. Or simply look for eco labelled detergents and wash the clothes only when they are dirty.
Did you know that…
Washing clothes on shorter, cooler cycles reduces microfiber shedding by up to 30%? That translates to nearly 4 000 tonnes of microfibers no longer entering Europe’s marine ecosystems every year!
Sources:
2.7.4. Clothes and Washing – Consider low temperature programs in washing machine!
Issue:
Water heating in the washing machine is responsible for 90 % of the energy consumed. Putting this into a bigger picture, up to 60 % of GHG emissions from laundry in Europe come from heating the water in the washing machines.
Solution:
Choose a lower temperature program when using the washing machine. Unless you need to clean oily stains, colder water will still manage to properly clean the clothes. Some of the modern detergents are adapted to be used for low temperature programs as well.
Did you know that…
Dialling down the temperature could lead to a decrease of GHG emissions by up-to 35 %?
Sources:
2.7.5. Household – Full loads in the washing machine!
Issue:
Using washing machines can be inefficient as people have the tendency to not fully load them. Although modern washing machines allow us to reduce the amount of water to be used for smaller amounts of clothes, there is still a need for the water to be heated and this activity accounts for 90 % of all the energy used by washing machines while working!
Solution:
Wash full loads in the washing machine instead of smaller loads to be more energy efficient.
Did you know that…
Typical US household does around 300 laundries per year (or 6 times per week) resulting in 179mil. metric tons of CO2. Hence, reducing the usage of washing machines would have a significant impact.
Sources:
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/nov/25/carbon-footprint-load-laundry
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19438150903541873
- https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/washing-and-drying-machines-are-polluting-the-air
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/climate/nyt-climate-newsletter-laundry.html
- https://www.energystar.gov/products/laundry_best_practices