Back in May 2022, I wrote about completing a Sustainability Basics course. In that post, I pledged to publish a Sustainability Policy by September 2022. Little did I know that just over a week later I'd have a serious accident, which slowed everything down. I admit that nine months is a pretty significant delay, but in the meantime, I began to feel I was getting close to a burnout. Slowing things down – again – was in order.
I am happy to finally announce that I have now published my Sustainability Policy, which can be found on my website in both English and Polish.
Business travel offsetting
In the Policy, I have listen actions I've taken to reduce my company's emissions, as well as things I'm still working on and those I can't change at the moment. I think it's important to be transparent and clearly communicate where I am on my sustainable journey.
The most tangible action I have pledged to take is to offset my business travel emissions each year. I explain this is more detail on the Policy page, but to summarise: for each tonne, I will donate the equivalent of 185 USD to the Scottish organisation Trees for Life.
Small changes for a more sustainable freelance life
Here are some ideas for making your business (and life) more eco-friendly:
🍃 Go (fully or mostly) vegan: Meat and dairy are most environmentally unfriendly food industries, so it's a good idea to lower your intake of those. A healthy, vegan lunch all or most of the week will be beneficial both for you and for the planet.
🍃 Ditch the car: Ever heard of the 15-minute city concept? It's an idea that "everyone living in a city should have access to essential urban services within a 15-minute walk or bike" journey. Of course, not all of us are living in spaces designed like that, but try to see if there are any short car journeys you could make by bike or foot instead. Or, if possible, swap the car for a train or bus.
🍃 Check your shopping habits: If you love a good deal on clothes, electronics or other gear, take a long hard look at your habits. Are you an emotional shopper? Do you buy things only because you want them, rather than need them? If so, it might be high time to address those shopping issues of yours – both in your personal and business life.
🍃 Shop at a low-waste grocers: I used to think that refill shops are very expensive, but I started to get bothered by all the plastic waste that each of my shopping trips generated. So I did a little research of my own. I made a list of cupboard essentials I use, like rice, porridge oats, raisins, etc., and went to my local supermarket and a refill shop to compare prices per 100g. I was shocked. More often than not, the supermarket was way more expensive! If you have a similar shop in your area, why not wander about and check those prices for yourself?
This is not a finite list, so I'm sure you have other ways to lead a more sustainable life. If you feel like it, why not leave a comment with some of your business and personal suggestions?
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