With the increasing popularity of hybrid working, more people are choosing to stay at home during the working week. Less travel leads to a lower carbon footprint, which is great for the environment.
However, for those who prefer to work in the office and continue to make the daily commute, there’s some easy steps you can take to make the journey more eco-friendly.
Take your own coffee cup
Grabbing a coffee from a local café in a morning is a common habit of many commuters, which is great for supporting small businesses. However, whilst a lot of coffee shops are beginning to use recycled materials for their cups, single-use cups and lids are still in circulation. These single use items, which ultimately end up in landfill, are causing harm to the environment.
You can make a huge difference by taking your own eco-friendly products, such as a reusable coffee cup with you, which provides a great way to help reduce waste and lower your carbon footprint.
Many coffee shops are more than happy to fill up your cup, for a cheaper price too!
Travel smart
Diesel and petrol fuelled transport, such as cars, produce high amounts of carbon, not only to manufacture but also to run, which consequently, leads to huge amounts of greenhouse gasses being produced. Therefore, if you can, a great way to instantly lower your carbon footprint, in addition to staying fit, is to either cycle or walk into work.
If this isn’t an option however, another great way to lower your carbon footprint is to take public transport. Whilst buses and trains do produce carbon, they transport multiple people, meaning there’s less cars on the road and less carbon being produced.
Car shares are also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Ask a fellow colleague who lives nearby, if you can share lifts to and from work, this will help to split the ‘carbon cost’, as well as saving money.
Make Food at Home
Whilst a grab and go breakfast from a café is a nice treat once in a while, food and drink packaging is currently in the top 10 worst ocean polluters, according to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, as the majority cannot be recycled due to their thin and flimsy nature.
It’s encouraged therefore to pre-make your breakfast and lunch and take them with you in a reusable and plastic-free Tupperware container. You can find great alternatives to the traditional plastic lunchboxes, such as those made from rice husk or stainless steel.
Hold on to waste
It’s easy and most convenient to throw away your rubbish in the closest bin you can find, whether that be at the bus stop, train or tube station. However, it’s best to hold on to any rubbish until you reach the correct recycling bin, this way you can ensure it is disposed of correctly.
Taking the time to recycle helps to give products a second life and discourages single-use plastic. Many offices will have recycling bins, but if not, try and hold on to your waste until you get home, or perhaps suggest the office implements a recycling scheme.
Whether you choose to go into the office full time, or prefer the hybrid approach, it’s important to keep in mind the effects everyday habits can have on the environment. Taking the time to incorporate even just a couple of these changes will ensure for an eco-friendlier commute.
