Carbon Footprint - What is it? And how to reduce it!

It's the first month of our #MeldForThePlanet campaign, and we’ll be talking all things Carbon Footprint. Have you ever wondered what the phrase *actually* means? Look no further, we've got you covered! 

 

A huge amount of our daily activities cause greenhouse gas emissions (like driving a car or using the shower). These emissions strengthen the greenhouse effect, causing climate change. The amount of emissions we produce individually is known as our carbon footprint. Think of it like the stamp we leave on the earth as humans (an unavoidable but albeit not very nice stamp..) Want to know your personal carbon footprint? Calculate it here! 

At Meld, we offset our Carbon with Vita Ireland which means our collections won't leave a nasty stamp on the environment. But what is the best way, as consumers, we can ensure we're doing our best? Keep reading! 

It's worth noting the majority of this pollution is made up of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. The main polluters are large oil and gas companies, so we absolutely can't blame ourselves here. But it's still important for us to be aware of our own actions and how we can make small changes to reduce our footprint. So here are 3 super simple suggestions!

1.  Change to LED lighting! By doing nothing except installing LEDs in the home, it is possible to reduce your carbon footprint by a whopping 6 tons per year (not to mention the financial gain)!
2. Eat more veg and shop local! Look for in season veg and if you are eating meat, choose organic if possible. Overall, animal-based foods tend to have a higher footprint than plant-based. If you keep it local, you also avoid emissions from transport.
3. Layer up and grab a cuppa' tea instead of turning the heating on early! It sounds simple, but would you believe its estimated that 19% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from warming up the places we live and work?

 

And there you have it! What are your tips to add to this list? We'd love to hear!