10 Things You Can Do Today to Combat Climate Change

With global leaders coming together in Glasgow to discuss what humanity is going to do next in response to the climate crisis, it's important that we as individuals don't forget that we can also have a huge positive impact.

In this post, we've gathered together ten suggestions for things that you can do today to tackle climate change. Don't rely solely on the politicians to come to an agreement - you can play your part too.

One common theme in all of the suggestions below is that these changes aren't just good for the planet, they're much better for you too. Many of the ideas will help to improve your everyday lifestyle, your health & fitness and your bank balance.

Reduce, reuse and recycle (in that order)

We've all heard this before, but this is still one of the easiest and probably the most basic way to do your bit for the planet. It's important though that we do things in the right order:

1. Reduce: At the point of buying anything, think carefully about whether you really need it, particularly if that object is either made of plastic or wrapped in plastic. If you do need that thing you're buying, see if there are ways of reducing the plastic. For instance, don't buy a plastic carrier bag, refuse plastic accompaniments like cutlery, buy alternatives that aren't already wrapped in plastic etc.
2. Reuse: Be careful about what you're throwing away. Consider whether you can pass items on to others, either for free or buy selling them. Facebook, eBay and Gumtree are all great for getting rid of stuff you no longer need without sending it to landfill. If you're crafty, see if you can upcycle your item to transform it is something more useful.
3. Recycle: Try to recycle as much stuff as possible using recycling bins or your council's curbside collection. What you can recycle varies depending on your location, so use a service like Recycle Now to find out what's recyclable and where to recycle it. Don't be put off if something requires a bit of extra effort to recycle. Putting that bit of extra effort in makes a huge difference.

Use reusable bottles and cups

Paper coffee cups are usually not recyclable and repeatedly buying drinks in plastic bottles is not sustainable. Solve both of these problems by investing in good quality reusable bottles and cups.

Most coffee shops will give you a discount on your hot drinks when you use a reusable cup, so you'll normally end up get your money back.

The quality of reusable bottles and cups varies considerably. It's always better in the long term to spend as much money as you can afford on ones that are good quality as they will last longer. Metal insulated bottles and cups are a good shout as they're sturdy, they won't stain and they'll keep hot drinks warm all day and cold drinks deliciously chilled.

Eat less meat or stop eating meat entirely

Meat production is a major contributor to global carbon emissions. Meat-heavy diets are simply not sustainable and in many ways, the production processes themselves are cruel and inhumane.

Introducing a more plant-based diet will not only help to reduce global carbon levels, but will also have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing.

Making changes to your diet should be done incrementally so that you can monitor how it affects you. Start by dedicating a few meals a week to being entirely plant-based. If all goes well, try dedicating an entire day a week to plant-based food, then continue to add more small incremental switches.

Vegan food is currently enjoying a real renaissance, particularly in the UK. More and more companies see the future of the food industry as being plant-based and are investing in developing new products. If you consider yourself a foodie, it's an exciting time for trying new things.

Start using plastic-free toiletries

All those single-use plastic bottles of shampoo, shower gel and hand soap add up quickly throughout the year. Tackle this problem by replacing them all with bars of soap instead.

Dedicated shampoo bars, conditioning bars, shower gel bars, hand soap and even deodorant bars are now inexpensive, are often made using natural ingredients, are vegan and usually last considerably longer than their bottled counterparts.

There's sometimes a bit of trial and error initially while you find particular brands you like, but once you've switched to using soap bars, you never go back.

Buy fewer new cheap clothes

Cheap clothes are often irresistible, but they're also totally unsustainable.

Consider this; if you're paying a fiver for a pair of jeans, how much do you think the person who made them is getting paid? What are there working conditions like? What corners are being cut in terms of sourcing raw materials and limiting emissions? How far has that pair of jeans travelled to get to you? Truthfully, considering how cheap they are, how long are those jeans going to last?

Cheap clothes are a con. Their poor quality means you end up paying more in the long run and the planet and local communities also suffer.

Reduce the number of new clothes you buy and instead, buy second hand or source clothes made from recycled textiles.

Stop using plastic bags entirely

Mandatory plastic bag charges were introduced in England in 2015 and since then, the use of single-use plastic bags has plummeted. That said, it's still far too common to see people buying plastic bags in shops.

Save yourself some money in the long run and make a positive impact on the planet by investing in good quality reusable canvas bags. They're now really easy to come by and, quite often, companies and organisations will provide them to you for free.

Once you have a few long-life bags stashed away, don't forget to take them with you when you go shopping.

Cook more and reduce the takeaways

It's never been easier to order food to be delivered directly to you. A few taps on your phone and you're eating delicious meals in no time.

As difficult as it seems, we can't keep doing this.

Many restaurants now provide their food in biodegradable packaging, but far too many are still using single-use plastic. And we haven't even mentioned the inefficient usage of fossils fuels to get your food delivered to you.

Save money and the planet by reducing the number of takeaways you order. Buying ingredients and cooking meals from scratch at home will always be cheaper, healthier and better for the planet.

Drive less

This one's an easy one. Don't drive as much, particuarly if you have a vehicle that runs purely on petrol or diesel.

Taking public transport is much more fuel efficient and walking/cycling is better for both your health and the future of the planet.

Obviously, it's not possible to replace your car on every journey you make. Just try to start thinking about possible alternatives next time you need to get somewhere.

Feeling cold? Put on an extra layer first

As we head into Winter, many of us will start reaching for the thermostat to crank up the heating. Before you do so, check whether it's possible for you to put on an extra layer of clothing first.

If you're already layered up and you're still cold though, then please do ensure you're comfortably warm by putting up the heating a bit.

Buy sustainable gifts

For many of us, gift-buying season will soon be upon us. Often the pressure of buying nice things for our loved ones masks the need to be mindful of the types of things we're buying.

It's still very possible to buy really lovely gifts for people and simultaneously care for the planet.

Simply try to avoid buying too much plastic and avoid buying things just for the sake of buying something for someone. Don't be afraid of asking people what they'd actually like and then try to find a sustainable, environmentally-friendly version of that something.

These are just a handful of tips for you to start thinking about, but there's still so much more that we can all do to ensure our impact on the planet is reduced. Being conscious of sustainability and the environment should no longer be an after-thought. It should be a part of everything we do.

The things we do to tackle climate change in our everyday lives don't just have a direct effect, they also have influence on our friends and family and on the decisions that companies make. Leading by example does have a domino effect and every small thing you do makes a difference.