Raw acts of kindness

1 2 3 4 5 - Rawside help sustain your sustainable office

In the last decade or so, consumers have become far more conscious of the impact of their choices. Ultimately affecting the decisions going into our consumption habits, becoming eco-friendly is no small feat.

We vote with our purchases. From supporting independent businesses and buying locally to endorsing single use plastic and buying from vastly profiting large corporations which outsource their factories - it’s up to you to cast the vote for your future.

While you mull the ethics of your entire history of purchasing in the back of your mind, take a look at the 5 ways you can begin to declutter and discover simplicity..

5 way to clean up your act

1. Analyse where your clutter comes from

Your working week might look different day to day, but the clutter you accumulate is relatively the same. From paper print outs and pens to salad containers and soggy teabags, office waste becomes a collective noun.

Spend a week with your normal consumption habits and quietly tally up your waste at the end of each day. Single use plastic is rapidly consumed, going from one hand, emptying the contents, then into the other hand before descending into to bin.

Ok. You want to buy the pack of bananas or office bourbons; it’s not your fault supermarkets continue to plastic wrap products like its Christmas eve. But you can take control.

At the end of the working week, analyse your consumption, where did the clutter come from? What recurred the most, or what do you feel could be swapped for a better alternative? This flows well to number.

2. Honesty is the best policy

While recording your waste might seems like dirty work, be honest with your consumption level. Think outside the box – some of your waste might be recyclable while others are not. Wash off food residue and flatten to fit more rubbish in one load.

Its ok if you forget your reusable coffee cup in the line at Pret, we’ve all been there. Individual consumption might only seem like a small level of impact, but cumulatively, everything adds up.

So be honest, we are all in this together.

3. Recycle your attitude

Throwaway culture should be as disposable as the action itself – throw away your ineffective attitude and be part of real change. Adopt a passion for the products you buy and how to contribute to change. Becoming plastic free is a major milestone, but what steps can we take to the destination?

Discover what you use most of, whether that be that a water bottle, facial wipes or salad tubs and begin to limit your consumption there. Do your research and find out what alternatives are available for your favourite things.

4. Opt for sustainability

Opting for sustainability can be as easy as moving your outstretched arm slightly to the left and choosing the bamboo straws as opposed to the luminous plastic ones. But sustainability comes in different shapes and sizes. From straws to furniture, waste includes the micro and the macro. It only takes to visit a landfill in the flesh, to fully comprehend the vast sprawl of waste within waste.

Opting for sustainability might seem daunting, all life changes are typically met with some form of resistance, but how you embrace those changes says a lot. It’s becoming easier to choose sustainable alternatives - from refill shops to recycled materials, change where you can.

Remember the last thing you were passionate about? Did you want to tell everyone? Share your sustainability to anyone and everyone! Word of mouth is extremely powerful, so convince those around you to join in the change.

5. Small changes, big difference

Start small. Break things down. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Get tips from friends or research easy swaps you can do without noticing a difference. “It’s only 1 straw” – said 8 billion people. Can your ‘1 straw’ be something a whole lot better instead?

From switching to energy saving light bulbs (you’ve not already done this?!) to buying bin bags made from recycled water bottles, the decisions you make or products you buy do affect change.

Are you ready?