Unless you have been living on another planet recently, you will know that environmental and sustainability issues have been a hot topic. Even as recently as the 90′s, not many people really considered where their nutrition tableware or clothing etc came from. It was a case of what do I want and where do I get it. Nowadays however, we cannot afford to live in the same manner, especially if we want to secure a future for the next generation and beyond. A healthy approach can start at home by being considerate about something as simple as your next meal.
Shop Local. We take it for granted these days that we can pop down the local shop and buy some fruits from exotic shores and wines from the other side of the world for example. The fact this produce is sourced thousands of miles away has not long been in people’s consciousness and the impacts are large. Not only does the transport release vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, due to burning fuel and having to use a food and wine cooler to keep the produce chilled all the way, but also local food suppliers struggle to compete with low foreign costs. If you don’t want to see local businesses going under, make sure you support them and shop local as much as you can.
Choose Less Packaging. You only have to take a walk down one of the isles to see how much food packaging is wasted making products look pretty. A single cake might be singly wrapped, inside a little box with a plastic place-holder, which is cloaked in cellophane and transported within a cardboard box, with the other cake boxes. It is often the case that such packaging is completely redundant, so do your bit and try to buy loose or sensibly wrapped goods.
Ethically Sourced Accessories. More than just the food you buy can influence the planet when you eat. All sorts of things from which cutlery is used to which wine gifts you buy others can have an impact and you should think carefully before making a choice. Ask yourself where this ware has come from, is it something that could be made from a more sustainable textile, and is this a disposable product when I could be purchasing a reclaimable one? Disposable chopsticks for example cause thousands of trees to be cut down every day, when a good reusable pair can last a lifetime.
