KEY TOPICS ON SUSTAINABILITY By Lauren Hursthouse
The definition of sustainability from the Oxford Dictionary is: “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”. Sustainability is not just a social responsibility, but a corporate responsibility also. With more and more evidence emerging about climate change and what we are doing to our planet and ecosystems, this article looks at three key topics on sustainability and how we, as consumers, can make a difference. 1 - Shop Local:
6. Buying local is better for the planet
Shopping locally might not be the first thought that you have when it comes to buying your weekly shop but it definitely has its benefits when thinking of more ways to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. Not only does it reduce waste from packaging but also from the fossil fuels used in transportation and so is healthier too!
8. You get to meet your farmers when shopping at local markets 9. It can help you save money Additional resources: https://brightonjournal.co.uk/top-5-benefits-of-shoppingsmall-and-local/
Depending on where you live, the following ways to shop locally may be available to you:
www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/reasons-to-buy-local
• Local farmer’s market
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/eight-reasons-toshop-local-this-week-to-help-the-high-street-bounceback
• Local greengrocers (for vegetables and fruit) • Local eco shop with refillable/reusable container options for foods such as nuts, grains, pasta, shampoo, bodywash, laundry detergent.
https://www.ecowithem.com/ 2 - Palm Oil:
Top reasons to shop local and become a “Locavore”:
What’s in your peanut butter? Have you looked at the ingredients of one of our favourite breakfast/snack/sandwich fillers? Well, it may shock you to realise that a lot of peanut butter jars can contain unsustainable palm oil. Actually, palm oil is in nearly everything – it is in close to 50% of the packaged products we find in supermarkets: everything from pizza, doughnuts and chocolate, to deodorant, shampoo,
1. Locally sourced food will be fresher due to less transport time 2. There is usually much less packaging involved 3. Buying local helps the local economy 5. You know where your food has come from
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