10 Ways I’m Reducing My Carbon Footprint in 2022

“Stop waste. Stop waste of any kind. Stop wasting energy, stop wasting food, stop wasting plastic and stop wasting time. This is a precious world, and each of us can use our actions and our voice to save our planet. We must try as if our very future depends upon it.” — Sir David Attenborough

Indivivual homes may only produce a little print, but when we add them all together as a collective it becomes one huge dionsaur sized print! So, if each home only reduced its carbon footprint by 10% this year it would still make a huge difference to the ecosystems not just locally, but around the world!

However, the question I initially had was how do I reduce the carbon footprint of my home?

10 ways to reduce your carbon footprint…

Well, first things first in order to reduce your carbon footprint you need to know what your current footprint is. The WWF has produced a footprint caculator to help you work this out!

1. Establish a Goal

I was shocked to score over 100! This is what prompted me to take action and change my ways. I plan to try to reduce my home footprint by at least 20% each month over the next three months. We all have the power to make a positive change through the daily choices we make. The question is are you willing to join me and reduce your footprint in 2022?

2. Eating more plant-based stuff

Due to my concerns over animal wellbeing and the high environmental cost of production, I plan to eat more plant-based foods. Reducing meat and dairy consumption are one of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprints. It also has the potential benefit of improving health too! For me, I am introducing meat-free Mondays.

3. Switching off electrics

I hold my hand up for leaving things on standby, but starting from now I only run what is needed. I set my electrics on timers and have invested in a smart meter that tells me exactly how much energy I use on a daily basis. This also helps me to save some money on electricity bills too, especially as the prices rise!

4. Going paperless

I have now gone completely paperless when it comes to bills and bank statements. I also registered with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS). In doing so I have been able to reduce the amount of junk mail coming through my door. If I see an interesting PDF or want to proofread a document I now have a motto “Think before I print!” Do I really need this on paper when I can read it from a screen?

5. Face masks

With dozens of people around the world ditching face masks, this is starting to become problematic to our wildlife. Pictures are appearing in the news of birds and animals being strangled by face masks, which to me is just heart-breaking. I have started to use washable facemasks, where I can. There are also now many incentives to recycle disposable face masks.

6. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Instead of buying new, I have started to up-cycle furniture for my home and workspace. I recently had a big sort out and donated what I no longer needed to charity.

7. Reducing Water Waste

Did you know that the average person can use up to 150 liters of water a day! A five-minute shower equals 45 liters of water used. I set a timer for 2.5 minutes. By halving this time I have made an impact not just in water saved, but the fuel used to heat it too, although on hair washing days it’s a little more difficult! We have also installed a ‘save a flush’ bag that we got from our local water company. Other things like remembering not to leave the tap running when you brush your teeth and watering the garden with rainwater (if possible).

8. Grow a garden (or window garden) that attracts the bees

Now that the garden centers are open once again after lockdown we are planning to grow some flowers in the spring that will attract pollinators and create a compost bin for any food waste. We also grow our vegetables from tomatoes to strawberries and even vegetables.

9. Travel habits

Taking fewer but longer trips, traveling by train, bus, ferry or bicycle is on the cards. My family and I have been guilty of driving to the corner shop in the past. As some of us have got used to working from home the question is if a meeting is an hour or less could it be digital to save travel?

10. Shopping habits

I try to shop locally and also consider the packaging. One of the biggest issues I have in my household is waste. I don’t know about you, but with everyone home, it has increased significantly during the lockdown and working from home periods. When I look at the packaging I think can this be recycled? I am now less inclined to buy something wrapped up in plastic packaging.

© Trisha Dunbar