One Small Green Step

One small green step, one giant leap for our planet

2020, the year no one predicted (thank you Covid-19), the year of surprises (thank you again pandemic) and the year that changed how we approached our day to day lives (change is good). 2021 has certainly started with a thud with lockdown 3.0 and with it has come a massive shift in people’s attitudes. One particular hot topic/trend that has built and gained so much more momentum over the last few years is the amount of waste we produce and the impact it has on our environment and planet.

We have always tried to be environmentally minded and eco-friendly in our day-to-day actions; switching the lights off when not in use, recycling into the correct bins, using reusable shopping bags when shopping for groceries (before we were charged 5p or is it 10p a bag?), and we loath food wastage in the house. However, since starting The Seed Card Company, who’s ethos is all about zero waste, sustainability and being plastic-free, we have all become even more eco-conscious. For example not buying plastic toys and reading the packaging on anything we buy to see if it is sustainable, recyclable and/or biodegradable. 

Yes, we should be thinking more about what we do, how we do it and the impact it has, but that does not necessarily mean everything has to be dramatically adopted and changed overnight. What we have learnt (and we have to say Sir David Attenborough is the champion on this), is if you just adopt one new eco-habit, or change one approach to something you already do and if everyone did this, then together we are all doing something to play our part to protect our world – sounds very superhero like! You don’t have to suddenly be a vegan, have solar panels on your roof and/or drive an electric car (well you will in 2030), we just need to do one thing differently, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, to be more eco-friendly, greener and sustainable in our approaches and day-to-day lives.

Companies have to be actively demonstrating that they are ticking one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals so why as individuals can we not do the same? Just one new habit or even one new habit every month for 2021 (that might be pushing it, but when you adopt one new eco-conscious habit, you get the bug to do more, it’s contagious in a good way!). So, to help you ponder what this one small green, eco-friendly and eco-conscious change and/or habit will be in your life, meet Trevor, our resident plant pot environmental extraordinaire who will run you through the five R’s to help get the thought process of going.Hey folks! Here are the 5 R’s to help you go greener and help plants likes me!

Refuse – everyday items are given out that we simply do not need. An example is my niece goes to nursery (a cute greenhouse down the road) and is given her dirty clothes in a nappy bag (plastic!!!), so my sister wrote a note (on a leaf) to the nursery and asked for the dirty laundry to be placed in a laundry bag she had placed in my niece’s school bag. Simple, quick and she refused the use of single use plastic. You can often refuse things easily as there are so many eco-friendly alternatives around.

Reduce – declutter, clear out the junk! Know what you have, to know what you need to buy. Tins of food in the cupboard being pushed to the back by newly bought ones and then to realise you already have three tins of chopped tomatoes and have bought three more and two are past their use by dates - stop wasting! It will not only save you a few quid but help the planet too.  Clothes tucked into a drawer that you never open and have not done so for a year… clear them out. Let someone else enjoy them. Once you have had the clear out you will appreciate what you have and know the items you do buy going forward will be of need and value. 

Reuse – oh this one is about being smart. The hot topic at the moment is single use plastic, a big no no! Think about the items you use and if they can be used again, if not, why? Then think about what green alternatives there are out there (because I promise you someone else has already thought about it) and use this. These purchases are long-term green investments. Bags for life being a super simple option to start with. 

Recycle – a very easy one to adopt in your day to day and seriously it does make you feel good when you do actually do it. Different bins for different items, glass, plastic, card/paper and food. This was is a really easy one and something you folks should already be doing in some way. 

Rot – My fave! Feed me your food waste, it is soooo good for me! You can compost in the smallest of places, so don’t be thinking you’ll need a huge compost bin with solar panels and Wi-Fi (here is a little guide to help from Gardeners’ World). It makes for great soil, so feed it to the likes of me and my friends and watch us thrive. Landfills won’t thank you though!

Bam, there are the 5 R’s. Not that hard to implement and do your bit so, before I start sounding like a nagging plant, I’m out!