6 Ways To Live More Sustainably in 2020
17 February 2020
It seems like we’re receiving almost daily reminders of the impact of climate change these days, highlighted by the recent bushfires in Australia.
It can be easy to feel like you can’t make much of a difference to these things on your own, and while the real responsibility lies with governments and large companies, you can still do your bit by living more sustainably this year.
Here are some small ideas to help change your lifestyle and live more sustainably in 2020.
Consume Less
While a lot of the focus is on shopping more sustainably and opting for more eco-friendly produce and goods, the very best thing you can do is to lower your consumption overall.
Of course, this can be easier said than done, but the policy of reusing and recycling will go a long way to lowering your environmental footprint and helping you live more sustainably.
For example, try to repair things rather than buying a replacement, especially when it comes to tech and as difficult as it may be, try to think about the importance of what you need compared to what you want, whether it be shopping for clothes, or your weekly grocery shop. If you don’t have the skills to make do & mend then YouTube is full of useful tutorials, from sewing through to basic DIY.
Carbon Offsetting
Another huge contributor to climate change is travel emissions, with around 11% of our personal emissions coming from aviation.
Of course, the easiest solution here is to not travel by air at all, but this simply isn’t an option for many of us, especially those who travel frequently for work.
If this is the case, one of the best things that you can do is to invest in a carbon offset scheme, which allows you to put money into projects to reduce future emissions, usually at a cost of about £8 per tonne of CO2.
If you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint but still want to holiday in the UK, one of our holiday parks could be the perfect getaway for you and your family.
Use Public Transport
A very simple one, but the more you can make use of public transport, the lower your emissions will be.
Even if you don’t have access to great public transport in your local area, consider walking where you can, or maybe buying a bike instead. The less time spent in the car, the better!
Go Veggie
Ok, so you maybe don’t need to go quite this radical if you don’t want to, but the industrialised meat industry is a big contributor to climate change, so cutting down on your meat consumption can have a big impact.
It doesn’t have to be a drastic change to your diet and even choosing to have one meal a day without meat, or one meat-free day of the week will help reduce your footprint.
In addition, cutting down your meat intake will also help you to save a little money and is healthier too (so long as you keep up a balanced diet).
Avoid ‘Fast Fashion’
There’s been a growing awareness of the environmental footprint of the fashion industry, especially the world of ‘fast fashion’.
It may make shopping for clothes easier and cheaper, but it’s claimed that fast fashion emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Try to cut down on the number of clothes that you buy and definitely try not to get into the habit of buying more than you need, with the intention of trying them on and sending back the ones that you don’t want, which, it goes without saying, is not great for the planet.
Instead, consider shopping at a local vintage or thrift store, where you can unearth all kinds of treasures at a fraction of the price, and live more sustainably.
Shop Local (or Grow Your Own)
Aside from helping out your local economy, shunning the big supermarkets and shopping with local traders such as butchers and greengrocers is a much more sustainable choice, as your food is less likely to have travelled as far to get to your basket.
If you want to go one step further, why not consider trying your hand at growing some of your own food at home?
You can grow all kinds of vegetables and herbs in your own garden and it’s probably a lot easier than you think.
These are just a few ideas to help you to live more sustainably in 2020. They may seem like small steps, but if everybody does a little bit it really does add up.
Here at Pure Leisure, we put a lot of effort into making sure we are doing all we can to support the environment, with each of our parks being part of the David Bellamy Award system.
We also encourage all of our guests and owners to save energy where possible and recycle as well as giving guests the opportunity to donate towards a different charity project each year.
We also have our very own Nature Reserve at our Fell End park, with just under 30 acres dedicated to providing a protected natural habitat for all sorts of wonderful flora and fauna.
Why not come and see the work we do for yourself by booking your next staycation at one of our Pure Leisure parks?