Exeter Marketing Agency, Media Street Share Their Top Tips For Being Sustainable

Sustainability. The buzzword of the minute, but are we actually making the best choices towards a greener planet? We are constantly exposed to horror stories about the impact that large corporations have on the environment which causes us to pin the responsibility on them, but there isn’t enough emphasis on the impact of individuals. Sustainability is a worldwide issue that affects everyone and the various misconceptions surrounding the topic result in not enough individual change, but we each need to take responsibility and do our bit to help the planet. 

What is Sustainable Living?

“Sustainable living is the practice of reducing your demand on natural resources by making sure that you replace what you use to the best of your ability. Sometimes that can mean not choosing to consume a product that is made using practices that don’t promote sustainability; and sometimes it means changing how you do things so that you start becoming more of an active part of the cycle of life.” – Conserve Energy Future

So, what can you do to help make a difference? Exeter marketing agency, Media Street shares some top tips below.

Switch To An Alternative Diet

There has been a huge rise in the popularity of alternative diets in recent years, with many people opting to become vegetarian and vegan in order to help the environment. Whilst there has been a huge shift in diet for many people across the globe, more needs to be done to publicise the effect that eating meat can have on the planet. For a rough idea: 660 gallons of water are required to make one beef burger.

If you don’t feel that you can give up eating meat or dairy completely, why not try doing it for a couple of days per week, or cutting out a couple of ingredients from your diet? If everyone made a small change like this, we could significantly reduce the effect of agricultural practices on our environment.

Invest in Faux Leather

Many people who opt to switch to a vegan diet then choose to roll these choices out into their shopping habits also, which results in more people opting to buy faux or vegan leather. When it comes to buying faux leather, there are three types you can choose: PVC, PU and water-based pleather. Out of these, only water-based pleather actually biodegrades, making it the most sustainable option, but it is the most expensive choice. However, if you are going to make choices in your lifestyle that are designed to help the planet, you need to be willing to invest a little more into it.

Change Your Shopping Habits 

Another change you can make is switching to ‘slow fashion’. Fast-fashion – the fashion industry as we know it – is a huge contributor to the pollution of the planet, only coming second to oil. As people become aware of this, the popularity of sustainable clothing is increasing significantly, but what does this mean?

Sustainable fashion works to encourage less purchases to be made and to get people to re-wear and repair the clothes they already own to increase their longevity. For those that are looking to buy more pieces, there is an emphasis on encouraging people to buy products that are made from recycled materials in an ethical way. Due to the care and time it takes to source and create these sustainable pieces, there can be more of a cost involved but again, it’s worth it!

Sustainable tip: why not donate your old clothes/clothes you never wear to charity? Charities are always looking for clothes to sell to help contribute to their causes, and it’s a great way for you to recycle your clothes and give back to important causes.

Plastic Bag or Paper Bag?

Neither – get a reusable one! Carrying a reusable shopping bag with you is a great way to cut back on the amount of single-use bags used, and therefore produced – and they don’t take up much space in your bag or boot of your car.

Sustainable tip: If you do have to buy a bag, try and shop in places like Co-op and Aldi as they are using bio-degradable and fully compostable bags.

Do Your Bit To Help The Planet

The above tips are only a few of the small changes that individuals can make to do their bit, but every little bit helps to contribute to sustaining the planet. As people learn more about sustainability, we are likely to see more individuals doing their bit to help – and it really doesn’t take a lot from each individual to see huge changes for the environment as a whole.

How Does Media Street Work To Combat Sustainability?

Here at Media Street, we are passionate about doing our bit to help the planet, and we have listed some of the ways we’re sustainable below:

• Cycle to work – a number of our staff members cycle to work every day (rain or shine!)
• Plants – we grow lots of plants here at Media Street – both inside the office and in our garden
• Energy-efficient offices – our offices utilise AI and sensors to ensure that we are only using energy when we need to
• Recycling – an easy one but it makes a difference!

So, whether you look to enforce your recycling habits, cut out meat, remember your reusable bag or even start cycling to work, remember that each and every small change you make will contribute to improving the environment as a whole.

Work With A Sustainable Exeter Marketing Agency, Media Street!

Media Street is an Exeter-based full-service digital agency, working with clients of all sizes across the UK and Europe. If you’re interested in a new website or an integrated marketing strategy, get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you.