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1.1.1. Go economy class (especially) when flying!

Issue:

Flying with business or first class means leaving a higher carbon footprint per km as by choosing standard economy class, as you have more space available that could be alternatively used for another passenger, and more services available that eventually adds on this carbon footprint.

Solution:

As an organization, either when sending participants or hosting them, promote on giving up on the comfort received by using the first or business class, no matter the means of transport being used, and go economy even if the available budget could allow purchasing higher one.

Did you know that…

When having a long-haul flight, using a business class accounts for almost triple the amount (434 g per passenger-km) and first class even quadrupled the amount (599 g) of released GHG emissions than flying with economy class (150 g)?

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1.1.2. Provide bicycles and support public transport usage, not cars!

Issue:

Does your organization use car transportation for shorter distances? If so, then it notably and unnecessarily contributes to emissions of GHG as cars represent the most polluting means of transport on land, if not used effectively.

Solution:

Make a full benefit of your centre’s bicycles or bicycles that your centre can rent locally, by allocating them to activities where the distance to be beaten can be relatively easily managed. This way you can avoid not just using car transportation but also the public transport, especially short-distance buses, that leave a carbon footprint comparable to a car. If this is not possible, offering public transport tickets to project participants or staff is also a valid option in comparison with using a car.

Did you know that…

While a typical car produces about 220 g of GHG emissions per km, with a bicycle this number can get reduced by almost 90 % to only 25-35 g? If we ignore the carbon footprint from manufacturing the bicycle (that is still miles away from manufacturing the car), the only emissions by its usage come from food as the ‘fuel’ that the bicycle rider needs in order to perform.

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1.1.3. Consider online version of short-term projects!

Issue:

Many youth exchanges, training courses or international projects in your organization… that means many flights. Aviation is a major contributor to global GHG emissions and by translating it into one single number we talk about 1.9 % out of all global GHG emissions being caused by aviation.

Solution:

When planning any project, always consider environmental consequences of the decision of having it on-site only for a few days and if possible, go for an online version. We managed during the pandemic, so we already know that it is not that big deal.

Did you know that…

Half of the emissions coming from aviation are caused just by 1 % of the most frequent fliers in the world. Let’s not be one of them! By switching one project consisting of 20 people that would fly around 2 000 km there and back, to an online version every year, around 12.5 tons of GHG emissions (156 g per passenger-km) could be annually saved.

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1.1.4. Make Green Travel as the default option!

Issue:

Aviation represented 2.5% of total CO2 emissions in 2018 and its negative impact on the environment, also in comparison with using long-distance buses or trains, should be well-known by everyone, project participants included. Therefore, the participant should really consider if the flight to the organization is necessary.

Solution:

As an organization, promote the option of green travel when coming to the place as much as possible, or simply make it as a default option (unless the organization is based on an island). Some of the youth centres, when accepting project participants or volunteers, are already having Green Travel as a default option, when they are letting newcomers to arrive by plane only when there is an objective reason for that. While promoting the green travel option, do not forget that there is also a higher budget for the participant’s travel expenses when choosing this option.

Did you know that…

We will still have to wait many years for the first zero-emission passenger aircrafts. Airbus, for example, announced plans to come up with such aircraft by 2035, using hydrogen fuel cells. Until that time, we should really focus on avoiding flights as much as possible.

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1.2.1. Consider energy-efficient equipment!

Issue:

Storing the food in cold, heating the food in hot, illuminating the offices and common areas, washing dishes or clothes in case the washing machine can be found at the organization – such activities require using energy-fuel based appliances and their inefficiency do not just cost a lot but also can unnecessarily burden the environment by leaving higher carbon footprint.

Solution:

When making investments into an organization’s facilities and buying new appliances, always consider the energy efficiency product label. It’s true that energy-saving equipment (with labels A+, A++ or A+++) can be more expensive, but in the long run it will save much more energy, so the costs. The same applies to smaller items such as replacing standard light bulbs by LED diodes that can be supported by installing a motion sensor system to keep the light off when nobody is around.

Did you know that…

LED diodes last up to 25 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs? These light bulbs also generate 63 kg of CO2 per year (when using them 4hrs per day) in comparison with 11 kg caused by using LED diodes! Moving to larger appliances such as the fridge, we talk about 175 kg of CO2 per year generated by the one with A energy-efficiency label in comparison with 89 kg generated by the one with A++ label.

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1.2.2. Do not invest in air conditioners!

Issue:

Air conditioner (AC) is one of the biggest players in releasing GHG emissions. On an organizational level, its impact on the planet’s atmosphere is even bigger. The emissions coming from usage of ACs are assumed to contribute to as much as 0.5°C increase by year 2100.

Solution:

Avoid installing AC systems in the workspace. There are many and cheaper alternative solutions (although not that efficient like AC) for cooling down the temperature like air fans, ceiling fans or even dehumidifiers (decreasing room’s temperature by reducing humidity) that require less energy.

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 kilotonnes? These reductions would be even higher by using purely air fans.

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1.2.3. Greener energies in your organization?

Issue:

Buildings across the globe are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption, emitting around 33% of global GHG emissions. Despite the current trend of building ‘greener’ constructions that rely on renewable energy sources and energy-efficient technologies, your organization may be one of the ones whose building wasn’t constructed in recent years and therefore can be a subject of (high) conventional energy consumption.

Solution:

Before any possible investment into greener energies in your organization, it is necessary to be aware of building capacities and energy consumption and/or carbon footprint reduction potential by different solutions for your establishment. However, we can mention here possible and relatively unexpensive solutions that could be applied in your organization: solar PV panels that are easy to install, shifting to suppliers of renewable energy, recovery, and reuse of rainwater for toilet flush or outdoor area, water flow reducers in the bathrooms or kitchen, or high efficiency boiler.

Did you know that…

Solar panels have an average lifespan of 25 to 30 years, while it takes 6 to 10 years to recoup the initial investment into this technology?

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1.3.1. Aim to reduce your food waste!

Issue:

Food waste is one of the key issues that should be taken into consideration while tackling the problem of carbon footprint we leave with our food habits. 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:

In case your centre is providing kitchen and/or food serving services, make sure there is a dedicated space for food sharing – a shelf or place in the fridge where people can leave meal leftovers they can finish later after the work time or food they bought but didn’t manage to finish and can leave for future guests (a proper marking, like when the food package was open, should be applied here).

In general, we recommend to give regular feedback to/from the kitchen about how much cooked food was being wasted to adjust meal portions for the future, to do regular inventory check-ups to avoid products going bad, freezing cooked leftovers or donating them through apps like Too Good To Go or Olio, or simply being creative with using leftovers.

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.

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1.3.2. Encourage to try plant-based diet!

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:

Trying to limit meat consumption is one of the most efficient ways of minimizing the carbon footprint. Therefore, your organization may want to implement at least one day a week when the staff and the project participants (if there are any) will eat only vegetarian meals. To leave a lesser negative impact, you can even upgrade this to vegan days.

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!

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1.3.3. Avoid plastic packaging!

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 buying ingredients (in case your organization does that), opt for buying in bulk, that will significantly decrease the amount of plastic waste. If you are usually ordering food during the projects, look for restaurants/catering providers that use recyclable packaging for take-away orders. For sure, do not ask for single-use plastic cutlery, cups, or plastic straws. Besides that, letting the project participants know about sources of drinking water around the place, so they don’t have to buy in plastic bottles, is essential as well.

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?

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1.3.4. Consider growing your own food in a community garden!

Issue:

There are many aspects of food products that can make their carbon footprint higher. From plastic packaging to containing unsustainable palm oil. Food products in the supermarkets, even if native to your region, might have travelled for thousands of kilometres to reach your shopping basket. Modern day vegetable and fruit farming usually requires artificial fertilizer produced while burning fossil fuels.

Solution:

If your organization’s office has an outdoor space, consider transforming a part of it into a small garden where you can grow your own produce. It can also serve as a nice spot for the members of your team for taking a break outside. If you don’t have an outdoor area to arrange, you can ask for a piece of land in the community garden of your town and produce your own vegetables, or you can try growing herbs in pots on the shelf in your office. Your colleagues will for sure appreciate fresh mint in their tea or basil leaves on their pasta for lunch. Generally, promotion and support of local and organic farmers is welcome too.

Did you know that…

Research shows that participation in urban gardens reduce individuals’ carbon footprint by approximately 205 kg of annual GHG emissions? In relative numbers, we talk about the decrease of 12.1% in food carbon footprint. But don’t forget that the largest contribution to this reduction is still related to giving up on meat and dairy products.

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1.4.1. 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:

Ask your team members to 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? If your team is composed of 5 members, that sums up to 150 trees! Ecosia estimates that it takes around 50 research to have the budget to plant a tree and since every day on average an internet user does 3-4 research online, mostly using Google, one can easily contribute to this initiative as well.

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1.4.2. Saving energy with dark and battery saver mode and turning devices off!

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. Last, but not least, make sure that all the office devices (including printers or speakers) are turned off when finishing the work and leaving.

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!

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1.4.3. Minimal Web Design!

Issue:

When designing the homepage of the website of your organization or a project, it is relevant to avoid fundamental 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 14g of CO2?

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1.4.4. 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 emission.

Solution:

Use cloud storage as a temporary solution for your file and prefer a physical hard disk. You can also do some research to find the cloud providers powering their data centres with 100% renewable energy. But general advice here is to try to store as low amount of data as possible. For that, your organization can organize ‘cleaning the drive’ actions either on a regular basis or after the project, to not store information and data for a long time online unless it is necessary. For the data to be archived, an external disc can be used as well.

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?

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1.4.5. Save on Email Storage!

Issue:

Like the issues connected with storing data through cloud services, the emails received in your Gmail, Yahoo or in your own organization’s email box 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. Apart from that, avoid CC emailing in your organization that doubles the storage unless necessary.

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.

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1.4.6. 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 CO2, 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 on the devices of your organization 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?

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1.4.7. 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 and project tasks.

Solution:

Install a cleaner to remove all the data that occupy space and memory on the devices of your organization, 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!

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1.4.8. Let green apps guide your daily activities!

Issue:

A large study learned over 50% of respondents felt powerless or helpless when it comes to the fight against climate change. Some of the organizations can feel the same way in case their main activities are not related to sustainable life. However, there is always a possibility to apply some of the green practices in the background of their daily activities and some of the mobile apps can help achieve that.

Solution:

There are plenty of helpful mobile apps and websites that can help in different areas, like digital activities (Ecosia), everyday life (iRecycle, Ethy, JouleBug), food and restaurants (Too Good to Go, Olio) and 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 deeds with using mentioned green apps, don’t forget about your digital carbon footprint in your organization!

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1.5.1. Organize Swap Place at your organization!

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. Therefore, swapping clothes helps to extend the useful lifespan of garments.

Solution:

You can easily organize a swap place at your organization to help extend the clothes’ lifespan. All you need is an empty corner, a shelf, and some hangers. In these markets people bring their gently worn, unwanted clothes and exchange them for new items, brought by other people.

Did you know that…

Research done in the UK says that continuing to actively wear a garment for just nine months longer could diminish its environmental impacts by 20–30%?

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1.5.2. Limit usage of 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! Frequent washing therefore results in high monthly bills and excessive carbon emissions.

Solution:

In case your organization is offering the services of the washing machine, reduce its availability for the clients or the project participants. Having less attempts to wash the clothes will nudge people to be smarter in planning of doing the laundry. Washing machines being available only on certain days or certain times of a day or creating the schedules are the possibilities how to achieve that.

Did you know that…

Considering that one washing machine cycle could release around 0.65 kg of GHG emissions, reducing the number of cycles from 200 times per year in your organization to a half would save up to 70 kg of emissions? Thanks to that, 2 trees could be annually saved from absorbing CO2!

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1.5.3. Prefer eco and low-temperature friendly detergents!

Issue:

In Europe, on average, up to 60% of the GHG emissions from laundry are coming just from heating the water in the washing machines —more than packaging or ingredients. The challenge here therefore is to decrease the water temperature, find the detergents that are able to cope with the colder water and at the same time does not harm the environment by their content. We speak mainly about the ones containing phosphate, formaldehyde, artificial fragrances, or ammonium sulphate – the most harmful chemicals causing allergic reactions, skin toxin or high die-off of marine animals.

Solution:

In case your organization is offering washing machine services, try to provide eco labelled detergents if possible. The extra bonus would be if they would be also effective in colder water, so the users of the washing machine can use low-temperature programs and reduce the amount of energy needed for heating the water during the cycle. Thanks to using cold water, clothes would also release a lesser amount of microplastics into freshwater systems and clothes would last longer. But before that, make sure that the users are aware of this washing setting and such detergents, otherwise, the benefit of them would be gone!

Did you know that…

Dialling down the temperature can lead to a decrease of GHG emissions by up-to 35 %?

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1.5.4. Do not provide 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:

In case your organization is offering washing machine services, the best solution is not using softeners at all. A good quality detergent should do the job softening and preventing wrinkles. If the users of the washing machine would still prefer softener, adding vinegar to the wash cycle can help with softening the clothes or filling a spray bottle with lavender or rose water or using essential oil mixed with water can give the laundry a quick spritz before tossing into the wash.

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?

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1.5.5. 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 this type of equipment. Hence, using dryers is pure evil from an ecological perspective, especially when there is a simple and eco-friendly alternative for that.

Solution:

In case your organization is offering services like using a washing machine, not having a dryer available in the laundry room would be the best solution and clothes would get dried on the racks. This would not only save plenty of energy and money and leave minimal carbon footprint, but it would also help 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 every month during one year you could already save up to the same amount of CO2 as 1 tree can absorb during that year!

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1.6.1. Make a difference with paper in your facilities!

Issue:

You can find single-use paper tissues in many places. The main issue with them is that recycling such products is difficult and costly for several reasons (like lost quality as they’ve been already recycled multiple times or containing low fibres that are difficult to recycle). When it comes to toilet paper, its main source are boreal forests, 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:

Replace conventional toilet paper rolls in the facilities of your centre by the ones made of bamboo (it takes only 2,2 litres to produce one roll) or recycled paper (these toilet paper rolls should contain at least 20% to 60% of post-consumer recycled content). Besides that, try to avoid single-use paper tissues dispensers in the bathroom or kitchen paper towels in your organization, the hands can quickly get dry by themselves.

Did you know that…

We chop down 27 000 trees every day just on paper tissues. Buying eco-friendly alternatives or their reduction is a small act from the consumers’ side, but a huge help for the environment.

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1.6.2. 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:

Organizations mostly apply liquid soaps because of their convenience. 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 the same amount of the bar soap.

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1.7.1. Provide basic utilities and make benefit of leftovers!

Issue:

Before travel, project participants are usually facing the same dilemma – what will be provided by the youth centre, so they do not have to pack it and how to store (and how much to take) some of the items like liquids? The person is sometimes pushed to buy small plastic bottles to fit into aircraft limitations. Furthermore, every extra item taken increases the total weight of the means of transport, hence more fuel is needed, which results in a higher carbon footprint.

Solution:

First, as an organization, try to be as transparent and informative as possible with items that can be provided at the accommodation, so the participants don’t bring the same. In case the youth centre is also a place to accommodate the participants, try to provide necessities (towels, linens) and hygiene products (soap or shampoo), so the participants don’t need to buy it by themselves (and leave the plastic waste behind them like the guests before). There is also a possibility to make a benefit of leftover shampoo and soap from previous guests they left at the accommodation and offer it to newcomers to be used.

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)?

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1.7.2. Organize shopping system for elderly people!

Issue:

Going grocery shopping with a car to bring home a lot of plastic waste coming from food packaging – that seems like a nightmare for people and organizations caring about the future of the planet but at the same time not everyone has either time or physical capacities to be eco-friendly in the context of grocery shopping. Especially older people can be struggling with distances that require more walking.

Solution:

As an organization, part of the activity portfolio can be dedicated to creating a shopping system for elderly people that would allow them to not travel with the car to the supermarket by themselves anymore but the organization would help with finding people who would like go shopping for them on regular basis, retaining pro-environmental principles such as going by walk or bicycle and/or shopping in zero-waste shops as well as helping those who might have limited physical capacities.

Did you know that…

173 kg of packaging waste is being annually produced by an average European citizen? Hence, we talk about leaving 0.5 kg of waste footprint every day. Because the carbon footprint per 1 kg of plastic causes about 6 kg of CO2emissions, every kg saved on plastic packaging would count. And in combination with reducing utilisation of cars, this pro-environmental shopping system would make a real difference!

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1.7.3. Accompany kids/ old people to places of their interest!

Issue:

To make sure children will make it safe to or from school, parents usually drive them directly in place. Using cars as an individual transport is also the case for older people when going shopping, visiting a doctor or family as overcoming longer distances by different means of transport can be difficult for them. The common element here is involvement of the 4-wheel vehicle responsible for releasing a notable amount of GHG emissions that would be better to avoid.

Solution:

Your organization can be involved in helping children or elderly people to accompany them by someone by walk or by combination of walking and using public transport to get to the place of their interest. This is a great opportunity not just to decrease a carbon footprint by reducing utilisation of cars but also to get to know better your surroundings and locals as well as leave a positive mark on the local level.

Did you know that…

For each 100 km saved on roads by replacing a car with going by walking and/or public transport you could possibly save up to 20 kg of CO2? That actually equals to the average daily amount of CO2 emissions per capita in the EU!

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1.7.4. Educate all the stakeholders about the environmental issues!

Issue:

Education plays a key role in addressing and understanding the results of our actions towards nature. It also gives us responsibility for these actions when we are aware of their impact, therefore spreading the knowledge should represent a regular part in organisation’s agendas.

Solution:

Climate action is a complex and huge topic, therefore try to organize your educational activities connected with it in a user-friendly and non-formal way such as organizing interactive workshops, games, discussions, or competitions. There are plenty of subtopics such as food habits, pollution, travelling or upcycling, that can be covered within educational activities individually.

Did you know that…

A large study revealed that 50.9% of respondents feel helpless in the fight against climate change. Therefore, the educational programs should improve people’s understanding of climate change and increase the awareness of tools and ways how one can contribute in this fight and make an impact!

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1.7.5. Create an efficient waste reduction system!

Issue:

On average a person generates 0.79 kg of solid waste per day. Knowing this number, imagine all the waste generated by the staff members or participants of some project in your organization. Monitoring the waste provides answers for such questions like what, why, when, where and how the garbage was generated, hence what are the possible solutions for efficient waste reduction.

Solution:

The most effective tool in your waste management is prevention, hence not producing the waste. Auditing is a tool which helps to solve the problems at the roots. For that reason:

  1. Assign a responsible person or team for the waste management plan and implementation.
  2. Map your existing bins.
  3. Create your own monitoring survey with questions like What specific products are the most frequently found in your waste? or What specific activity is generating the material and when did this happen?
  4. Place recyclables collection cans wherever you have a trash can or wherever it’s needed like at entrances and exits, ends of exhibit aisles or food areas.
  5. Measure the waste and evaluate it based on quantitative indicators (like the total waste generated, sorted and unsorted, expressed as kg per participant-day).
  6. Set your goals based on the needs and activities of your organization (e.g., cutting the total paper waste by half, or reducing waste per participant by 15%).
  7. Create a reward system so it motivates people to achieve the goals.
  8. Educate your employees and project participants about waste reduction and prevention, dedicate them to your goals.

Did you know that…

If the organic waste was sent e.g., to anaerobic digestion (process of bacteria breaking down organic matter into biogas) by the companies and individuals, this would have the potential to reduce global GHG emissions by 3 290 to 4 360 megatons, which equals to 10-13% of the world’s current GHG emissions?

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