Rise and Shine!

I’m definitely not a morning person, but a few simple swaps can make your mornings more eco-friendly (and a little more enjoyable!).

Make the most of natural light before switching on lamps or lights - waking up to sunshine and blue skies is a great mood booster.

When getting dressed, think layers. Dressing for the weather can help cut down on heating or fan use and it’s perfect for unpredictable British weather. Plus, don't let anyone tell you you can't wear the same pair of jeans twice - you're not lazy - you're saving the planet!

Love a hot shower? Same! You can still be sustainable by choosing refillable or eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner. I use refillable glass bottles to reduce my plastic waste and you can buy eco-friendly products that contain no harmful chemicals and have been created using more sustainable practices.

Three easy changes made and now it's time to head downstairs...

Time for a cuppa...

A nice, easy eco-conscious decision to adopt is only boiling the amount of water you need for your brew. Overfilling your kettle uses more electricity and can lead to water waste. 

You may not have considered whether your tea is sustainable but some tea companies are more environmentally conscious than others. I use Brew Tea Co, a Certified B Corp, which means it has been independently measured and certified for strong social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency across its whole business. Their tea bags are also 100% compostable and their packaging fully recyclable. Plus they taste great!

Let's pack some lunch...

You may not have considered taking your own lunch as a sustainable step, but your trusty Tupperware is a great choice! By taking your own food, you're not only reducing your single use plastic consumption but you have more control over what food you're choosing.

Today I'm going to make my lunch meat-free to help reduce my carbon footprint and make use of some leftovers to reduce food waste.

Not forgetting my refillable water bottle and it's time to hit the road...

Let's head out to work...

When possible, it's much more sustainable to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work but just like all of us, I do have to make some choices that aren't the most sustainable. However, there are small choices I try to make to reduce or offset the impact of my car travel.

When travelling I use Google Maps to select the most eco-friendly route. To do this, select the option displayed with a green leaf or change your settings to select the most fuel efficient route. As you can see, selecting this route saves 21% of my petrol - great for the planet and your wallet!

Choices I made earlier in the day, such as what clothing I was wearing and bringing along a drink prepared at home, means I can limit my use of heating or air conditioning and I don't need to stop or extend my journey to get refreshments. 

Whenever possible, I make each journey multi-purpose and car share.

Like most of our team, I also work flexible hours (meaning I can travel when there is less congestion) and in a hybrid capacity (meaning I only travel to the office twice a week and limit car travel).

Sustainable living doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly - but making the changes we can and by the time I reach the office, I’ve already made a dozen small, effortless choices that reduce my carbon footprint.

Working as a team...

One of the great things about working for Live & Local is the fantastic team I work with every day. And this is no different when it comes to our shared environmental aims. Check out some of the small steps we take daily to reduce our carbon footprint when working.

We make tea in rounds! This may just seem polite, but similar to my morning routine at home, doing this means we boil the kettle once with the right amount of water.

Recycling and composting. At work we have a clear recycling and composting system. This is particularly important in my role in the Engagement Team as I produce the marketing materials for shows. As you can see, we use recycled paper whenever possible and we even updated our printer to ensure we use less harmful toner with recyclable cartridges and produce less carbon day-to-day.

Educating and sharing. As environmental awareness is so important to the team, we regularly share environmental tips, attending training and take part in sustainability focused activities including tree-planting, litter-picking, book and plant swaps! 

We're also a certified Carbon-Literate organisation, meaning we're committed to reducing our footprint and sharing our aims with everyone we work alongside.

You can find out more about all of our green aims here.

Time to head home...

Before leaving, we make sure we switch off any lights, unplug devices whenever possible and all windows are closed to keep in any heat.

Once I'm home, I love nothing more than a relax on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea. We try to limit our screen time for both environmental reasons and to support good mental health, but it's important to remember to enjoy yourself too and I love The Traitors... ...I think I'd be really good at it!

When preparing our evening meal we apply much as the same practice as with all our other meals. Try to eat produce that's in season, reduce your meat intake and if possible, buy organic products or support brands you know are environmentally conscious.

A great tip to reduce your carbon footprint and manage your budget is to plan your weekly meals in advance and do one shop a week. By doing this, you are less likely to waste food and you reduce your carbon footprint by minimising trips to the supermarket.

Time for bed...

Time to relax and recharge for a new day.

Believe it or not, there are small changes you can make even while you're asleep that can help the planet.

If you tend to fall asleep to the tv, set a sleep timer via your remote meaning your tv will switch off after a certain period of time. If you prefer the tranquility of silence, switch your tv off rather than leaving it in standby.

Switch to lamps as opposed to lights and even better if you can switch those lamps to LED or energy saving bulbs.

I make sure to close the curtains to keep heat in and layer up with blankets rather than keeping the heating on.

And I believe most importantly, get a good nights sleep - we need energy to help save the planet!