Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

Counting on … day 209

7th November 2024

Zero waste is an umbrella title that encompasses avoiding plastic and other unnecessary packaging, and other means of reducing waste – which might for example include composting the outer leaves of cabbages and onion skins, or turning apple cores into cider vinegar. 

Going zero waste can revolutionise the way we live as consumers. Even if we can’t achieve a 100% target, we will be altering patterns of thinking both in ourselves and by those who supply us. This blog item reflects our household shift in this direction – https://greentau.org/2022/01/27/eco-tips-zero-waste/

Counting on … day 208

6th November 2024

As well as refillable water bottles and reusable cups, there are shops and providers (eg milk delivery services) where you can get packaging free refills for laundry and washing liquids, sugar, raisins and other groceries, and for edible liquids such as olive oil, wine and vinegar. You can even get refills of peanut butter! (I have yet to find a refill source for yeast extract). 

Our local refill shops include Apple and Bees, Culver and Nelson (both in East Sheen) and The Source in Richmond. Refill shops are often small independent outlets or small chains. It is worth checking on the web to see what is available in your area.

Counting on … day 207

5th November 2024

Food packaging also includes plastic bottles used for water and other liquids. Buying water in single-use bottles can easily be avoided by using a refillable water bottle – it’s also much cheaper! Similarly single-use coffee/ tea cups can be avoided by carrying a keep cup.

NB In the UK we consume more than 2.5 billion litres of bottled water per year and throw away over 7.7 billion plastic water bottles!

And we get through  2.5 billion single use coffee cups each year. Each cup – typically made of paper with a thin plastic layer – has a carbon footprint of 60.9g and that is before it leaves the cafe. Only 1 in 400 will be recycled with the remainder ending up in landfill, further adding to their carbon foot print.

Further reading – 

https://plasticfree.org.uk/get-involved/individuals/
https://greentau.org/tag/keep-cups/

Counting on… day 206

4th November 2024

In addition to the LOAF principles, we can also think about the packaging our food comes in. 

Plastic can sometimes be recycled but not only does recycling consumes energy, waste such as plastic cannot be recycled endlessly – the recycled plastic becomes increasingly degraded – but more worrying is the amount of plastic that escapes into the environment. Micro plastic particles can now be found everywhere across the globe – on mountain peaks, ocean troughs, in the stomachs of fish and even in our own blood.   

It is worth seeking out plastic-free purchases whether you’re buying fruit and vegetables, meats, bread and pastries etc, whether in shops or cafes.

Further reading – https://greentau.org/2024/05/07/counting-on-day-101-2/

Counting on … day 204

31st October 2024

Other ways of eating more sustainably include eating food that is locally -or even home – produced and eating what is in season. Shorter supply chains reduce the chances of food becoming damaged/ lost, whilst by being fresher,  ensures greater retention of nutrients. Locally produced food also strengthens the local economy and community. 

As well as eating what’s in season, we can also preserve any seasonal excesses. Surplus fruits can be made into jam,  and fruit and vegetables into chutneys and pickles. Surplus produce can also be dried, frozen or bottled. 

Preserving tips – https://greentau.org/2021/08/23/preserving-fruit-and-vegetables/

Counting on … day 203

30th October 2024

Whilst the Ethical Consumer’s report ‘Closing the Gap 2024’ shows that meat and dairy consumption is declining in the UK, food waste is not. 

Typically food loss is food that is grown and processed but not eaten – ie food that does not even pass from the farm or factory to the  retailer or consumer. Food waste is food that has reached the retailer or consumer but is them not eaten. This could be food that has not been sold by the retailer because it has become damaged or because more has been ordered than has been bought. 30% of food waste is attributable to the retailers, but 70% of food waste derives from households. 

This can include those parts of the food we typically do not eat such as banana and onion skins, apple cores etc but the majority is food we buy and chose not eat. The most frequently wasted foods include bread, milk, potatoes and chicken. (1) We can reduce this waste by not buying nor cooking more than we will eat, eating up leftovers, and by storing food more carefully. 

For  tips about reducing food waste – 

Eco Tips
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/10-ways-to-cut-your-food-waste
https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/
  1. https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/uk-household-food-waste-tracking-survey-2022-behaviours-attitudes-and-awareness

For more information on what is food loss and food waste – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550920314202

Counting on … day 202

29th October 2024

About 34% of all our greenhouse gas emissions are food related so looking at what we eat and making changes can be – cumulatively – a very effective way of addressing the climate crisis.(1)

80% of agricultural land is used for feeding and grazing livestock, yet produces only 17% of global calories.(2) Reducing the meat and dairy products we eat, not only reduces the emissions linked directly to the livestock, but also frees up land that could be used to grow plant based foods for humans, and frees up land that could be rewilded to boost both biodiversity and natural carbon capture. 

The Ethical Consumer’s report ‘Closing the Gap 2024’ records that this change in diet in the UK has already started, so let’s carry on and boost this trend even more!

Tips for swopping to a plant based diet – https://greentau.org/2021/10/12/eco-tips-11/

  1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9
  2. https://ourworldindata.org/global-land-for-agriculture

Further reading https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-tweaking-your-diet-can-help-save-planet

Counting on … day 201

28th October 2024

From the foreword to Ethical Consumer’s ‘Closing the Gap 2024’, “This report acknowledges  the millions of small changes individuals are making which collectively yield bigger benefits. That can be tweaks to your diet or transport choices, reducing food waste or changing how you heat your home – there’s a cumulative power of many small actions! 

“Another small action lies in the power we all hold to ask companies about their climate obligations. And if you’re not satisfied with their answers, you have the power to take your customers elsewhere.”

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/media-file/2024-10/Climate-Gap-2024 -report-Ethical-Consumer-2.pdf

Counting on … day 200

25th October 2024

There are a multitude of other petitions out there calling for the restoration of nature as more and more people realise the desperately depleted state of biodiversity in both the UK and world-wide.

Last month WWF handed in a petition to all the major political parties with 57,685 signatures to prove that the public want real action from the new government, and all political leaders, to stop the destruction of nature. (1) 

Here are a selection of similar live petitions –

Wild Card has a petition calling on the Church Commissioners to rewild 30% of the estates they control  – currently this petition stands at over 100,000 signatures

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/help-save-nature-by-rewilding-the-church-s-massive-landholdings

The RSPB is calling on the government to provide better funding for nature friendly farming 

https://action.rspb.org.uk/page/156168/petition/1?locale=en-GB

And Rewilding Britain is calling for the government to rewild 30% of British land and waters by 2030

https://act.rewildingbritain.org.uk/
  1. https://www.wwf.org.uk/success-stories/stop-destruction-nature-petition