Make a difference today!
Question: How many planets do we have to live on? So what is your carbon footprint and how many planets do we need to support your carbon footprint?
Here are 10 things you can do now to make a difference:
1. Recycle – put all recycling goods into the orange bags!
Why? SAVES LANDFILL SPACE - Using recyclables as raw materials results in less waste going to landfill, and extends the life of landfills so saving scarce landfill space; saves the cost of purchasing and maintaining new landfill sites; reduces the cost of transporting waste. Do you phone Durban Solid Waste when the orange bags are not delivered? Why not, the bags are offered free?
2. Travel economically / share transport / grab a bike / hit the pavement.
Why? Global transport accounts for 25% of all energy-related CO2 emissions. So on weekends, don’t drive around – go for long walks or ride your bikes! You could tell your in-laws that it's not environmentally sound to visit every week...
3. Turn off office equipment (PC’s, monitors, printers) when not in use.
Why? Many appliances continue to use small amounts of electricity even when they are switched off. Get into a habit of unplugging them. Create a star-chart in the office, to run a competition to see who can go a full week with switching all their equipment off, then a month and by then it will become a habit.
4. Recycle all paper.
Why? Recycling just 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, 26m3 of water, 2.3m3 of landfill space and 4000 kw/h of electricity. All businesses should be doing this. So use electronic banking and receive account statements via email - have you implemented this, as all companies offer this?
5. Recycle plastic bags or use recycle bags for shopping.
Why? Because every piece of plastic that has been manufactured since 1900, is still on this planet! How much more can this planet handle?
6. Reduce meat intake.
Why? 1kg of beef contributes up to 25kgs of greenhouse gases before it is consumed. Meat production requires massive amounts of water – up to 70 000 litres/kg.
7. Avoid leaking taps.
Why? This saves water and money. One drip can waste up to 60 litres of water daily. Audit business premises for leaks. Did you know that by 2030, South Africa’s water supply will exceed demand by 17%.
8. Shower instead of bathing. Limiting your shower to 4 minutes, can save up to 70 litres of water per shower. And redirect wastewater from your bath and shower to your garden or lawn.
9. Boil you kettle once a day and use a flask to keep hot water for tea and coffee.
Why? You have no idea how much energy your little kettle requires. Do this for a month and watch the dramatic decrease in your electricity bill.
10. Peer pressure. If your friends and family are not doing this give them flak!
Why? All of the above.
A special thank you goes to Kerry Dell, Managing Director at Your Earth solutions who helped me compile the list!