If you’re not a Facebook follower you may not have seen our latest ideas – we’re posting one a week as part of our support of IoM UN Biosphere:
Sustainability idea #6
Got something you no longer want but is too good to throw? Before you are tempted to take it to the tip, consider whether it can be “freecycled”. There are loads of online groups where you can offer items for free – and if you end up at the tip, put it in the public browsing section rather than the skip. Each freecycled item means less resources are wasted buying new or throwing away usable objects.
Sustainability idea #7
Choose unpackaged produce wherever you can. Say goodbye to wasteful and unnecessary packaging. Buy loose fruit and veg over shrink-wrapped and find out where you can take containers and buy from bulk dispensers.
Choose Fairtrade. Fairtrade certified goods ensure that small farmers and producers in developing countries get a fair price for their crops – and they also get the extra Fairtrade premium to help them make their businesses and communities more sustainable. We’ve just started Fairtrade Fortnight for 2019, which has a special focus on ensuring cocoa farmers earn a living income but you can learn more about how Fairtrade supports sustainability more generally through this video.
https://youtu.be/i2em5C5pJtw
Sustainability idea #9 Don’t feed fast fashion.
The average consumer now buys 60 per cent more clothing compared to 15 years ago, yet keeps each item only half as long. As an industry, fashion is responsible for 20 per cent of global wastewater and 10 per cent of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping. Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally, with around 2,000 gallons of water needed to make a typical pair of jeans. No-one need go naked but choosing fewer, high quality items that last or buying second hand is a more sustainable option. The UN will shortly be launching a UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion. More info can be found here http://web.unep.org/environment…/putting-brakes-fast-fashion
Sustainability idea #10
Fix it, don’t throw it! Our consumer lifestyles mean we often just replace an item when it stops working but many things can be easily mended and given a new lease of life. Learn the simple skills to repair – or make use of places like the Isle of Man’s own Repair Cafe in Port St Mary.
