Climate change is in the news almost every day. But, as individuals, what can we do about it, and what does being sustainable look like? These are questions that more and more people are asking themselves. In this guide, we aim to provide some answers. We’ll explain the practical actions individuals can take to be on track with the global goal of halving emissions by 2030. The guide though is not just for individuals. It is also for people at companies who see the need to help employees understand climate change and how they can be part of the solutions. That’s because at companies around the world people are asking themselves the same question– how can I help my colleagues cut their carbon footprints to increase awareness and knowledge about sustainability? From green teams to sustainability departments this guide is also for those people inspiring others to take action. The steps we’ve included are based on cutting a tonne from your carbon footprint as this is what’s needed to see the scale of emissions cuts that are needed. We’ve got ten different ideas, and individuals in wealthy countries should try at least one every year. Some are large, one-off, changes, and others are about making a series of smaller shifts that add up to something bigger. There’s something for everyone and cutting a tonne can also save money. The time for action is now and this guide will help you plan what to do, and how to do it, so you can be part of the solution that is so urgently needed.

Part1-  Cut a tonne, the Collections

Cut a tonne idea 2

Refuse, Reuse, Recycle

Refuse -  Many people in wealthy countries feel they’ve got too much stuff and that whenever they buy something, whether it’s in the supermarket or high street, it’s covered in plastic. To reduce the amount of plastic you use, try a better packaging supermarket shop where you don’t pick up any packaging that cannot be recycled. Finally, avoid all those single-use plastic water bottles by switching to refills.

Reuse - Not buying new also saves carbon. If you’ve got old clothes and toys, you can take them to the charity shop so that others can reuse them and buying second hand will mean you’re extending the life of clothes. There are great apps to help you do this. Repairing your clothes is a simple way to reuse what’s in your cupboards.

Recycle -  Recycling saves carbon because it takes less energy to use recycled materials than to start afresh with new resources that need to be dug out of the ground. This is especially true of metal which is why it’s so important to recycle all metal.

The aim though is to recycle everything you can from metal to plastic, paper, and glass.

However, often people forget that those big items, like appliances, and those small items, like mobile phones, contain lots of valuable materials too. The first thing is to make them last as long as possible, for example by not upgrading your mobile phone to the newest model. Then don’t forget to take old appliances to your local recycling centre and recycle mobile phones too.

And finally, don’t forget it’s also important to recycle food waste by composting or using local food waste services if available. No food waste is best, but you’re always going to be left with peelings and bits that cannot be eaten, which, if sent to a landfill, release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

Did you know?

Recycling a metal drink can takes 95% less energy than making a new one , and if we recycled every can, we could power two million more homes every year. a powerful greenhouse gas.