3 Eco-Friendly Changes To Make Right Now!
We are the Bristol Gulls. We’re participating in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in December 2020 - but - we’re going to be doing it as sustainably as possible. This includes us building our very own eco boat with Rannoch Adventure and teaming up with partners to make sure all of our items we take on board are low-waste (such as Davy J and Sea2see who both use recycled marine waste to produce their products).
Not only do we want to take on this challenge as sustainably as possible, but we also want to make sure we are having that same take on everyday life.
We’ve put together 3 easy changes you can make in your life to be more eco-friendly!
1. Ditch Single-Use Plastic:
Single-Use Plastic is suffocating the Earth. Only about 10% of the plastic produced is recycled. Even then recycled plastic usually has to have chemicals added to it to be used again. The other 90% of the plastic that ends up in a landfill will degrade into tiny particles and chemicals that usually end up in the ocean!
The switches you can make here are almost endless. There is so much single-use plastic that can be avoided. Anything from your carrier bags after a big shop, your fruit and veg that is wrapped in a non-recyclable plastic film and water bottles that you buy when you need a drink. All of these things can be easily swapped out for a reusable item such as a reusable carrier bag, fruit and veg from a local market that is unwrapped, and water bottles you can fill up time and time again.
2. Try Bamboo:
Bamboo is an astounding grass. It helps rebuild eroded soil, is biodegradable, and can be found growing in many different types of climates. Bamboo is taking on plastic head-on. It’s a super-strong material that can be used for many different purposes. In Hong Kong and other places around the world, you can even see this material being used as scaffolding in place of metal and steel beams.
Bamboo product is popping up left and right. Here are some of our favourites! BAM Bamboo Clothing makes super soft and sustainable clothing that we love. Some other bamboo products that are great to switch out with plastic items in your life are toothbrushes and even refillable water bottles (to take your ditch from plastic to the next step!)
3. Plant Some Plants:
Plants are magical beings. They inhale carbon and exhale oxygen. With all of the carbon emissions heading into our atmosphere right now - one of the best things you can do is plant some plants.
Some indoor plants you can have in your home to remove carbon include the Lady Palm or philodendron which also purifies toxins from the air in your home.
If you want to have some plants outside you can’t go wrong. Depending on where you live you want to make sure you’re choosing the right plant for that climate. Trees, grasses and anything with roots (plants store carbon in their roots) will make a difference.
When you’re living your day to day life it’s hard to step back and think how each and every action will affect the world. But, the truth of the matter is that it will. Every conscious decision you make to be more eco-friendly will have an impact on all life on this planet.