For this year’s Earth Day, I wanted to share some of the things I’ve been doing – in business and at home – to decrease my environmental footprint and tread more lightly on the planet. If you’re trying to do the same, I hope this gives you some ideas for easy swaps to try.
Business
For any business with a web presence, which most of us need these days, switching to green web hosting can be an easy way to reduce emissions. After a substantial amount of research I decided on Kualo web hosting*, as it’s a UK business with a dedicated energy-efficient data centre.
At the smaller end of the scale, when I needed some new business cards I made sure to find a supplier that used recycled paper and no plastic packaging. As it was only a £5 purchase, that might sound insignificant, but it would add up if everyone did the same and supported more environmentally friendly suppliers.
I’ve also been delving into the B Corp accreditation standards, which are full of ideas to make any business more sustainable across a whole range of different aspects. B Corp certification is a long-term goal for us, and I don’t think it hurts to start early by considering the impact of every major decision. (Of the companies mentioned in this post, Wild, Ethique, Boody, Oddbox, Allplants and Too Good To Go are all certified B Corps at time of writing.)
Personal
At home, I’ve been investigating more sustainable alternatives to supermarket staples. I have a subscription to Smol dishwasher tablets, which come in the post in a compact cardboard box. I’ve switched to Ethique for solid shampoo and conditioner bars, and Wild for refillable, natural deodorant — both brands can now be found in high street shops as well as via their own sites.
Food is complicated for me at the moment, as how much I’m able to cook waxes and wanes with my health and energy levels, especially since covid. When I’m feeling good and up for a culinary challenge, a weekly delivery of veg from Oddbox is a fun way to get a more varied diet while cooking seasonally and reducing food waste. When I’m struggling and need something easy, I fall back on Allplants vegan ready meals. And I like to mix it up with random end-of-day bags of discounted produce from local bakeries, cafes, and supermarkets via Too Good To Go.
Clothing seems to be a particularly tricky area that requires a lot of research. Some natural fibres are bleached and processed with dangerous chemicals; recycled polyester is clearly an improvement on new plastics, but can still shed harmful microplastic fibres. Some of my current favourite shops are Boody for bamboo basics, Earth Wardrobe for a selection of brightly coloured t-shirts and sweaters, and Asquith for super-comfy yoga clothes.
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