World Sustainability Day is an annual event that takes place on the last Wednesday of every October. The day was created to remind the community of the importance of caring for and protecting the environment. For us, sustainability is vital to our business practice as well as in our personal lives. We're celebrating World Sustainability Day this year by sharing what sustainability means to us...
Why is sustainability important to you?
Amy: Because there is no planet B.
Leona: I think we owe a meaningful future to all the other wonderful creatures we share our planet with.
Bee: Sustainability is important to me as I hate waste. As earth dwellers we have a responsibility towards our fellow man and our fauna and flora to preserve for the future. Our resources are dwindling, and climate is changing and our social landscape is in need of a good kick up the backside. This all sounds very bleak but I believe if enough people and business care about these three important elements we can turn things around for the better and secure a future for generations to come.
Bella: It is important to make sustainable choices now and in the future, otherwise we cannot maintain our earth's ecosystems, or continue to function as we do.
What is 1 sustainable swap you have made?
Amy: I’ve recently given up dairy and try to eat completely vegan as much as possible.
Leona: I try really hard to avoid buying toiletries or beauty products that come in plastic packaging. Refillable options are great, as well as products that come in glass jars or tins!
Bee: I shop in supermarkets as little as possible - avoiding where possible packaged food including fruit and vegetables. I buy these loose at green grocers and farm shops.
Bella: Using bags for life or paper bags instead of plastic ones.
What advice would you give to someone looking to live more sustainably?
Amy: I think changing your diet is one of the simplest ways to make an impact. There are so many delicious alternatives that you don’t need to feel like you are missing out on anything and it’s lots of fun to try out new recipes and flavours.
Leona: Even if there is only 1 change you can make - make it! If we all change the way we live just a tiny bit, we can help to make a difference. Also, write to your MP to voice your concerns about the climate emergency (you can find a great template here.)
Bee: Make little swaps like the one above. Take a good look around your kitchen and see what you can get from refill shops (they are popping up allover). Reuse glass bottles and try avoid buying plastic (even if it says it can be recycled) as much as possible. Vinegar and Bicarb are the most important store cupboard ingredients I have - as a combination they clean almost anything!
Bella: If you want to make a difference, where to start can always be tricky! Taking action now either in a big or small way will have a positive impact.
Who is your environmental hero & why?
Amy: I’ve recently started following @earthlinged on Instagram and really enjoy his fact busting of all the propaganda touted by the meat and dairy industry.
Leona: I think any individual who is trying their best to combat climate change is a hero to me. It's not easy fighting what can often feel like a losing battle, but we are stronger together.
Bee: Wangari Muta Maathai (1/4/1940 - 25/9/2011), A Kenyan, was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace prize. In 1977 she founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental NGO, focused on regenerating the Kenyan landscape through environmental conservation. She was a champion of Woman's rights and went on to be the first woman in East and Central Africa to become a Dr of Philiosophy. Amongst her many achievements include writing 4 books, charing the National Council of Women of Kenya for 81 - 87, she is one of the founders of the he founded the Nobel Women's Initiative and was named as a UN Messenger of Peace in 2009. One of her famous quotes "Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven't done a thing. You are just talking. We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all" is something everyone should practice!
Bella: My sustainable hero has to be David Attenborough. He has inspired me by bringing the natural world into my home and has made me more aware of the world around us.