6 minute read
7 Steps To A More Sustainable Future
Sara Thomson, founder of The Leith Collective and ‘One Step Greener’ UK ambassador, on the small changes you can make to help tackle climate change
The planet is in crisis. The earth’s temperature is rising and the resulting flash floods, raging storms, and devastating wildfires are nature’s way of telling us we need to take action. And so all eyes will be on Scotland from 31 October as we play host to COP26, during which time key figures from across the world will unite to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
On the agenda are targets for switching to wind and solar power, reducing emissions, ending coal power, phasing out polluting vehicles, making agriculture more sustainable, tackling deforestation, and supporting developing countries. These are hugely ambitious goals and ones that ultimately lie within the hands of those in power. So what can we the people do at an individual micro-level to affect change?
It’s simple – demand more! As conscious consumers, where we choose to spend our money matters. Switching to supporting eco-friendly local businesses not only gets us one step closer to net zero, it also sends a clear message to businesses everywhere of the importance of environmental responsibility.
I’ll be attending COP26 this year as one of 13 specially selected ‘One Step Greener’ UK ambassadors. I’ll be sharing my personal approach to tackling climate change and advising businesses and individuals how we can all work towards a greener future for all. In the meantime, here are seven simple steps to sustainability you can adopt now.
1. Offer to others
We need to challenge the ‘throwaway mentality’ of modern consumerism and start reimagining one person’s trash as another person’s treasure. Stop and think before you throw anything out – could someone else make use of it? If the item is still in good nick, set up shop at a car boot sale or list it on an online marketplace and make some extra cash. Or donate it to a charity shop and get double the feelgood factor knowing that you’ve not only saved something that was destined for landfill, but you’ve also helped raise money for a good cause in the process.
2. Make do and mend
The fast fashion industry is the second biggest polluter after the oil industry. It consumes more energy each year than flying and shipping combined. Toxic chemical dyes and synthetic fabrics are causing untold damage to the ocean. And that pair of jeans you’re wearing took a staggering 2,000 gallons to create. The alternative is to love a little longer. Invest in quality pieces made to last or update your wardrobe with pre-loved garments. Have a rummage at Armstrong’s Vintage Emporium, Herman Brown, or Those Were the Days (pictured right) where you can find original retro clothes that are easily 50 years old yet still going strong.
3. Repair and resell
Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever but sadly the materials used to create our phones, tablets, and laptops will remain exactly the same long after the gadget has stopped functioning, with many plastics taking hundreds of years to decompose. It’s time to raid your drawers of defunct gizmos and take them along to the Edinburgh Remakery on Leith Walk where they can be repaired, refurbished, and re-sold. The longer we can keep them in use and out of landfill, the better.
4. Bring your own
It pays to be prepared, as most tote bag-wielding shoppers quickly learned when the plastic bag charges were first introduced. But we can take things a step further by bringing our own containers. Zero waste shops like The Good Store, Weigh To Go in Leith and The Refillery in Newington (also soon to open in Waverley Mall) offer an eco-friendly alternative way to shop for groceries – simply bring a tub or purchase a glass bottle in store, fill, return, and refill. For sustainable household cleaning supplies check out RealFoods where you can fill and refill your bottles with brands like Ecover and Faith In Nature.
5. Waste not want not
The less distance goods have to travel, the less emissions produced along the way, so keep it local. Southside residents should head along to Dig-In Bruntsfield, a community-owned not-for-profit greengrocer that supplies locally sourced produce. They receive daily deliveries of freshly baked bread from Bakery Andante in Morningside and Breadshare Community Bakery in Portobello. But even better, they offer a 30% discount on yesterday’s bread and have a reduced basket for produce that would still be great in a soup or stew. Like this idea of saving perfectly good food from an unnecessary fate in the bin? Stop by Edinburgh’s Shrub Coop which repurposes surplus food from supermarkets and businesses around Edinburgh or download the Too Good To Go app and reserve a ‘magic bag’.
6. Get picking
There’s a saying, ‘Leave nothing but footprints’ but it’s time we go one step further and aim to leave beaches, woods, parks, and fields even better than when we arrived. That’s why I carry a bag and a litter-picker whenever I take my dogs out for a walk. Saving the planet is hungry work but thankfully local pizzeria, Civerinos Slice, offers kids free pizza slices (and awesome psychedelic t-shirts!) as an incentive for Portobello picking.
7. Go and grow
Give Mother Nature a helping hand at replenishing lost biodiversity by planting your garden with bee-friendly wildflowers and get a taste of the good life by growing your own fruit and veg. Even Edinburgh tenement dwellers can get in on the action with window boxes and kitchen herb pots. Those with bigger ambitions should check out Edinburgh Garden Partners, a scheme that can put you in touch with someone who has difficulty looking after their garden. Or search online for a local Guerrilla Gardening group and help transform neglected public areas through rebellious acts of secret seed-bombing and community cultivation.
COULD YOU BE AN EVERYDAY CLIMATE LEADER TOO?
In the lead up to COP26 in Glasgow, the UK Government is calling on people from all walks of life to join the ‘One Step Greener’ movement on social media by sharing how they are doing their bit for the environment, championing climate leaders in their communities, and inspiring others to follow their lead. You can also nominate people in your community to join Sara Thomson in becoming ‘One Step Greener’ Ambassadors, who will have the chance to showcase their stories at COP26 in November. Those nominated could be family members, friends, colleagues, community leaders or entrepreneurs: anyone who is taking action to tackle climate change and inspiring others to follow in their green footsteps. “This is a great opportunity to tell us about what you, or someone you know, is doing to be one step greener,” says Sara. “It could end up with you joining us to help tackle climate change at COP26.” To nominate someone you know, visit together-for-our-planet.ukcop26.org before 1 October when nominations close. Ambassadors will be announced on 7 October, 26 days before the crucial summit begins.
