What steps do you take to reduce your carbon footprint?

[Wayne]

As I've gotten older, I've become more aware of my environmental footprint - especially since buying my first car.

I'm looking for easy ways to reduce my carbon footprint - so far, I've taken the following steps:

• Working from home more, reducing my travel (even before Covid - though Covid now basically means I work from home all the time).
• I don't buy single use plastic bottles of water anymore (I bought a refillable water bottle from Chilly's which is amazing).
• I buy 100% recycled toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap?
• I buy my laundry, dishwasher and cleaning products from Smol.

The things I am really bad at that I need to work on are:

• I take showers that are too long (need to reduce my water usage).
• I could probably use my heating a little less.
• I could probably reduce my meat intake (I probably eat meat in some form 6 out of 7 days a week).
• I don't recycle enough (it's quite difficult as I live in an apartment, but I could do more in this area).

And there's probably loads more areas.

What about you guys - what steps have you taken?

[menime123]

I haven’t ever really taken steps actively to reduce my footprint, but it can’t be huge - I don’t drive, haven’t taken a flight in 16 years and have always tried to buy local produce. One of my resolutions for 2021 is to try and only buy British grown foods, as I see no reason why my food should be imported from the other side of the world.

[jio]

I don't drive (and that's really hard in Cy because our public transport s*cks) and I reduced the unnecessary use of paper at work...

[aRat]

• I don't drive but use public transport to go to work
• I don't use basically any paper at work
• I do it raw with my BF instead of using plastic like condoms

[ludichris]

✓ I've been using a bicycle as my main form of transportation since 2013, I occasionally walk if the journey is less than 1 mile.
✓ I don't fly anymore and travel domestically using the rail network.
✓ I usually carry a bottle of water with me and refill it when necessary.
✓ I have greatly reduced the amount of meat I consume each week and no longer buy raw meat.
✓ I shop for clothes at places that sell old stock and try to buy things that would be going to waste otherwise where possible.
✓ I always opt for paperless correspondence.

[Wayne]

✓ I always opt for paperless correspondence.

I also do this one, but also to help mitigate the risk of fraud.

[Wayne]

• I do it raw with my BF instead of using plastic like condoms

I hate that this made me laugh.

[RayRay]

Car: we sold our car and didn't have one for 12 years. But as it is almost impossible to live completely without a car, we bought one again. We use it as less as possible. I walk to my work and to the supermarket (or go by bike). So it can happen that weeks go by without using the car.

Flights: we used to go on holiday by plane five times a year. Our last trip was in April/May 2019. So it's almost two years since we last took a plane. The plan is not to go on holiday anymore by plane. Don't know yet if we can keep this promise though.

Vegan: we are not vegans, but we don't eat meat every day.

All in all I am very aware of our environment. I don't leave on any lights if it is not needed. We think about what we eat, how (often) we travel, how we use energy and water. We never throw food away. I try not to throw stuff away if anyone can still need it (I bring it to a second hand shop or sell it on MarketPlace). I only buy new clothes if I really need it. At school I have three rubish bins (for paper, plastic and other stuff) so I teach the new generation to seperate garbage. Most importantly: we don't have children and don't intend to put children onto this earth.

[ludichris]

Most importantly: we don't have children and don't intend to put children onto this earth.

I think our great planet would still be great if more people heeded this advice, especially irresponsible people. I would highly recommend animal children to such people as a good alternative.

[theMathematician]

- I live in a small town, so not using the car is not an option for me.
- I have got a carnivore diet, but I try to limit my meat consumption by rusing vegan substitutes by times.
- I love paper, but I try to use it responsibly (which means not to throw it away after just one quick note, there's a reverse side after all).
- I don't fly.
- I don't use much water (daily showers are harmful for the skin anyway).
- I use clothes as long as they basically got holes in them.
- Hell yeah, I'm gonna have children one day ^^.
- I do use plastic bottles for my hydration, but we've got a good recycling system in my country.
(I don't mind picking up bottles whenever I find them somewhere outside of my house.)

[RayRay]

- I live in a small town, so not using the car is not an option for me.

We live in a small town too. Still managed to go without a car for 12 years.

[theMathematician]

We live in a small town too. Still managed to go without a car for 12 years.

A couple of years ago, I used public transport as well. For frequently used directions, it's been no problem. For everything else, it can easily be a nightmare. I once travelled by public transport and needed 3 hours to reach my target place with multiple stops when I had to change the train or bus inbetween. If I had gone by car, I would've needed like 40 minutes. After that experience, I told myself never to waste that much time again and to think consciously when it's better to use public transport and when the car.

[RayRay]

A couple of years ago, I used public transport as well. For frequently used directions, it's been no problem. For everything else, it can easily be a nightmare. I once travelled by public transport and needed 3 hours to reach my target place with multiple stops when I had to change the train or bus inbetween. If I had gone by car, I would've needed like 40 minutes. After that experience, I told myself never to waste that much time again and to think consciously when it's better to use public transport and when the car.

I know what you mean. That's why we bought a car in the end. I had to travel for hours to get to my family. My brother lived 3 hours away if I went by public transport, which meant I had to travel six hours on one day to see him at his place and never could stay long or there would be no way I could get back.
I did move to the place where I work, so I can walk to the school where I work. One of the best decisions I ever made. It saves me so much time on a daily basis.

[theMathematician]

Interesting point actually, RayRay : Is it better to find a work close to your home or move close to your work? I feel good in my environment, but I don't know what I'd do if I found either work or a partner far away. There's a reason why some people have long commutes after all.

[RayRay]

Interesting point actually, RayRay : Is it better to find a work close to your home or move close to your work? I feel good in my environment, but I don't know what I'd do if I found either work or a partner far away. There's a reason why some people have long commutes after all.

I went to six different primary schools and five different high schools. So when I went to college I had moved so many times that I didn't really care where to build my own life. I only knew for sure that I didn't want to move as many times as my parents did.
But I do know (thanks to all the moving around) that I can live a good life anywhere. So for me, it was like: Where can I find a great job? Something that can make me happy for years to come?
I think it's easier to find a job you love and go from there, than choose the place where you want to live and find your "dream" job nearby. But maybe it's easy for me to say as I didn't really grew up in one place so I don't have a strong connection to one place.

[theMathematician]

It's exactly the other way around for me, so I definitely feel strongly connected to my region.