Reduce Reduce

12/07/2022

BIG DIFFERENCE!
We don't need to spend money to be waste- or plastic-free. But you wouldn't know that by looking at the shiny instagram ads and shop fronts selling us everything we never needed to live an ethical low-waste life. Is it really better to buy some mass-produced reusable item than to but second-hand or use what we have? My cutlery in the drawer in my kitchen works fine at home, so why wouldn't it work as well when I go for lunch at the farmers market? As for those supposedly compostable bio-plastics...much better to avoid them by bringing along a cup or container from home.

RP Brenna Quinlan

11/06/2022

REDUCE

Rethinking environmental problems starts with REDUCE. Transportation is a good example: before we try to convert existing demand for planes, cars, ships, etc. to sustainable fuel sources, how can we reduce their demand in the first place? How can we design our cities and culture to need them less?

14/11/2021

As we look back today on how generations of people in the most privileged parts of the world came together and sacrificed so much to secure a better world for their children and grandchildren, why not also look forward and think of what we can sacrifice to secure a better world for ours?

Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
Support causes that put sustainability first.
Buy second-hand where possible.
Insulate your house.
Avoid flying.
Cut down your meat & dairy intake.

It's a very different war, but it's the same cause. Play your part.

30/09/2021

Animal farming is undeniably linked to elevated greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem destruction. The less we consume animal products (and that is different from saying give them up completely!) the greater the positive impact on the environmental systems that we all depend upon.

For tips about your possible retreat from meat, visit our website :-)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/commentisfree/2021/sep/30/less-meat-is-good-for-us-and-the-planet-why-are-politicians-shy-to-say-so

A Guardian investigation reveals exploitation is rife in the meat industry, while also being a major source of greenhouse gases. Yet we still subsidise it

29/09/2021

It's nice to see an expert clearly explaining why humanity needs to reduce reduce...

"Sustaining our life-support systems means doing less of almost everything."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/29/green-growth-economic-activity-environment

It is simply not possible to carry on at the current level of economic activity without destroying the environment, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

25/09/2021

Yesterday, there was another global climate strike and associated marches in over 80 countries. These are (mostly) young people standing up for their future forcefully and urgently. The protestors want nothing more than a secure future, and the chance to live as comfortably as recent generations before them.

Will those who hoard the power, resources and influence start to change? Let's hope so.

(These pics were from the climate march in Luxembourg)

13/02/2021

Using your power of choice as a consumer is just as important as any lifestyle changes you might make!

Individual accountability is essential for grassroots movement, but when it comes to carbon emissions, there’s no way out but system change.

08/02/2021

Happy 2021! It's taken us a few weeks to get back into the swing of content creation, but here are some words about getting around. They will be followed by further words about cars. Transport is a massive chunk of our footprint so it's worth thinking about... x

https://www.reducereduce.com/blog/the-facility-of-mobility

How can we balance our travel needs with a sustainable future? Here we look at two key ways to focus your personal goals in this area.

11/01/2021

The bottom line is this:

Economics can be confusing, but there’s one thing we know for sure: capitalism is unsustainable. You cannot have unlimited economic growth on a planet with limited natural resources.

13/12/2020

Here's a quick general list of more sustainable Christmas gift ideas, to get your caring sharing juices flowing :-)

Happy holidays!

https://www.reducereduce.com/christmas-giving

There are loads of simple, powerful, and above all fun ways to show someone you care over the Christmas period. And it doesn’t all need to centre around shopping…

07/12/2020

Plastic packaging is so ubiquitous that it's easy to think we can't make much of a dent in how much we get when we buy our groceries.

True, going "plastic-free" is really, really difficult. But there are loads of little things we can change about how we buy food that will reduce how much we're ending up with at the checkout.

Our family has spent two years practicing - read the full article to find out :-)

https://www.reducereduce.com/plastic-plastic-plastic

It’s everywhere. It’s made of oil. It’s convenient. It’s not straightforward to recycle. How could we avoid plastic packaging? Here we take a look at a typical trip to buy groceries…

23/11/2020

Some great explainers and advice here, at the time of the year most strongly associated with buying loads of stuff. Even if you don't "buy nothing" you can at least be more aware of the wider picture, and maybe tweak your shopping as a result.

As always, REDUCE!

This year, we’re challenging you to Buy Nothing on Black Friday, with a small asterisk: if you must purchase gifts, choose to support small and locally owned businesses, particularly those owned by women and POC. bit.ly/buynothing2020

20/11/2020

It takes a bit of time and effort to perfect the technique, but it is possible to get worthwhile shopping done in ALDI without taking home any single-use plastic...

Especially if you can convince yourself to forego one or two things you might quite really want ;-)

Plastic-focused blog post and tips coming soon!

09/11/2020

It's nice when you notice sustainable choices appearing in your local supermarket.. This is a toothbrush made from recycled plastic, in recycled compostable packaging!

Is this better than a bamboo toothbrush? At this point I have no idea. Any thoughts?

A step in a better direction, but when this toothbrush is surrounded by at least a hundred fresh plastic ones all wrapped in more fresh plastic, there's a long way to go..

07/11/2020

Tweaking our eating habits is a simple way to reduce how much of the planet our food needs use up.

However little or much you're prepared to change your menu, we've put together a list of suggestions to hopefully inspire or challenge you, with short explanations and links to further information.

It's food for thought, so make sure you chew well (and other eating puns)...

https://www.reducereduce.com/you-arent-what-you-eat

In short: eating animal products is not a problem… it’s that we eat too many of them. Read our list of options for reducing your animal intake without necessarily reducing your enjoyment.

02/11/2020

Are you: (a) a man? (b) someone that knows a man? If so, this article is for you.

Over the last decade, studies have repeatedly shown that men are worse at leading non-sustainable lives. What's with that?

An actual real man gets to grips with this problem in our latest blog entry - https://www.reducereduce.com/blog/men-why-are-you-so-bad-at-this

Any advice for men out there who may be struggling to change their ways - leave a helpful comment for them :-)

Research carried out over the last decade consistently shows an “Eco gender gap” - women are more engaged in environmentally friendly practices than men. How can men be brought up to standard?