News & Blogs

The Pandemic and our Planet – is there a silver lining?

When most of us around the world went into lockdown early this year to combat the rising Covid-19 cases, what did the experience teach us? The pandemic has brought out the best in many of us. Is it possible that even as we examine our relationship with each other, we can extend this concern to our planet and become better stewards of it?

Disposal methods – Which is the current least harmful to the environment?  

We are inundated with the ubiquitous disposables especially foodware and packaging and because of their everlasting negative impact on our environment, suppliers, users and takeaways get questioned all the time about their sustainability. It’s a great question and there are no simple answers.  

The various disposal methods include incineration, recycling and the landfill; and they all have their pros and cons. So which is the least harmful method to the environment given the current situation? The answer to this complex question lies not only in the type of disposal method but the type of waste.

Sustainable packaging is packaging that, over time, reduces its environmental footprint. The Sustainable Packaging  as defined by the GreenBlue® project is packaging which:

• is sourced responsibly,
• is designed to be effective and safe throughout its life cycle,
• meets market criteria for performance and cost,
• is made entirely using renewable energy, and once used,
• is recycled efficiently to provide a valuable resource for subsequent generations.

In summary: a truly closed loop system for all packaging materials.

Climate change was one of the top three environmental issues  facing Britons in 2019, our hottest decade and Climate Action is the theme for Earth Day 2020.  A study in 2013 found that 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is occurring and greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause.  And suddenly, we have clearer skies and reduced carbon emissions  because of the global lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reduce your Plastic Footprint

Calculate your plastic on-the-go footprint

In the last blog we talked about the urgent need to be socially responsible in order to combat COVD-19.  Similarly, we have another contagion which we have nursed and encourage all these years and which is causing great and lasting undesirable impact and harm to our planet to combat – plastics!

Since we use plastics in almost every part of our lives, we may not be ready to break up with plastic altogether, but there is some low-hanging fruit that can make a big difference in reducing the amount of disposable plastic in our lives.

We are faced with a new virus COVID-19 that affects the lungs and airways, our very lifeline!  This is the time to learn and know what belonging to a community is. All of us are in this battlefield and victory will only come if all of us without exception do our part. It is a global pandemic and each of us, each family, each community, and each country needs to do its part to stop the pandemic. Coronavirus knows no borders or ethnicity. We are so connected that if any of the stakeholders let up, the pandemic will not stop. Globally there are now almost 500,000 cases and more than 22,000 deaths. In the UK we now almost 10,000 cases and 477 deaths. 

This blog is meant to collate all the salient facts that have been disseminated so far about this health crisis.

What does freedom mean to you?

Whilst we cannot understate the importance of human slavery, which is what My Freedom Day 2020 is about, we could also examine our ‘slavery’ to other negative things such as plastics and plastic packaging! 

When we choose between the plastic and eco-friendly packaging are we exercising positive or negative freedom in our choices?

Wishing you a Sustainable Valentine’s Day, aka a sustainable loving relationship  with your partner and the planet. 

Cuddle together to share body warmth; shower together to save water; plant a tree together and write love pledges on a sticker at the base; coo sweet nothings over a home cooked organic meal while sipping organic wine in the glow of bees wax candles!