Some of our daily routines are so ingrained we do them on autopilot – often not even aware we’ve done them (how many times have you wondered whether you’ve actually locked the front door?). But when we’re not consciously aware of what we’re doing, we’re also less conscious of the impact it has on the environment. And this can be particularly true when we’re taking a routine break, doing something we’ve done hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. So here are seven easy tips to help you make more mindful choices. And these small changes won’t cost you a thing – apart from a bit of attention.
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1. Wash your hands more wisely
When you give your hands a quick scrub-up before lunch, pay a little more attention to your taps. Are they still running as you soap and lather? A running tap wastes approximately six litres of water per minute and, according to research from University College London, you should wash your hands around six to 10 times a day (for 20 seconds). So switching on your taps only for the initial soak and final rinse, and turning them off while you’re scrubbing could help you save a staggering 12 litres of water per day.
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2. Read a library book
As well as being free to borrow, library books are destined to have long lives, being read thousands of times by different readers, reducing the need to print thousands of copies, using ink and paper and creating carbon emissions. If you’d be disappointed if your local library closed down, consider using it and promoting its benefits to your friends and family in the area. A library is one of the easiest ways into a sustainable sharing economy – so why not borrow a book on your lunch break?
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3. Keep sustainability in mind on your coffee break
Make sure you only boil the water you need. Photograph: Miodrag Ignjatovic/Getty Images As a nation, we’re enthusiastic advocates of hot drinks and a chocolate biscuit to dunk in them. But who isn’t guilty of boiling a little too much water for their tea from time to time? Keep sustainability in mind by using only the quantity of water you actually need for your drink and try switching your kettle off just before it boils, as this can help save energy. Have a break with KitKat and discover the good behind your break through Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme, which takes an innovative, family-centred approach to improving the livelihoods of cocoa farming families within the cocoa supply chain and the local environment.
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4. Drink from a reusable bottle or coffee cup
You hear about this everywhere, and for good reason. If just one in 10 of us refilled our reusable bottles once a week, we’d make a significant dent in the number of single-use drinks cups and bottles we use. So why not use your reusable bottle or cup when you can, and remember to recycle single-use items whenever possible.
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5. Opt for a meat-free meal
Look, we’re just talking little habit-swaps here, not life overhauls. We’re starting with just one meal – whether it’s lunch or dinner is completely up to you. And if it’s lunch you decide on, bringing food from home or buying out, it may well be cheaper to go meat free too. According to research, eating one less burger a week would reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking your car off the road for 320 miles, which surely makes your veggie option seem even tastier.
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6. Have a crack at fixing a broken item
Try your hand at repairing something – there may be a community group that can help. Photograph: Nikola Stojadinovic/Getty Images Rather than throwing something away, why not try to repair it yourself? If you’ve already thought about binning it, then you haven’t lost anything if you mess up the repair job. If it works, then you’ve learned a new skill, saved your treasured item from going in the trash, and earned bragging rights. There will likely be a community repair group or cafe in your area where volunteer “fixers” will teach you how to fix things up and reduce consumption (and save you some cash) in the future.
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7. Clear up your inbox
How many mailing lists are you on that bombard you with emails that end up in your bin folder? It’s time to unsubscribe. There are bulk unsubscribe tools such as Trimbox, which highlight all your marketing emails and can remove you from the lists of those you choose. Or you can do it manually – the point is, do it. Also if you’re in the office with colleagues, why not have a face-to-face catch up and save on all those back-and-forth emails. While an email typically creates less carbon emissions than a paper letter, it does still add up. For instance, a standard written email generates about 4g of carbon emissions, so sending 102 is equivalent to driving one mile in your car. And if you attach an image, the emissions shoot up to 50g per email. Clear your inbox – and your mind.
Using your daily breaks to try to be more sustainable is easier than you might think. By incorporating small actions such as the ones we’ve highlighted, we can all do our bit without sacrificing enjoyment, time and money. Every mindful choice adds up and can help make our world that bit brighter.
Learn more about KitKat’s work to improve cocoa farmer livelihoods through the Income Accelerator Programme at kitkat.co.uk/breaks-for-good