June 5th is World Environment Day, a time to appreciate our surroundings and reflect on how we can protect nature for the future.
This article shares simple, inspiring ways to think about sustainability starting with one key idea that embodies World Environment Day: take time to notice and value nature around you.
Appreciate Nature
Picture from the University of Salford Community Garden
As the new Graduate Sustainability Communications and Engagement Officer motivation to live sustainably comes from appreciating the smallest parts of our natural world. Watching bees, noticing plants swaying in the wind or even the tiny creatures that share our pavements on busy city streets can remind us why sustainable action matters.
Small Actions
Photo from James Yarema
It can sometimes feel like we need to take big action to have an impact, which can feel demotivating when considering the scale of climate change. Breaking things down to realise what small actions we can do to create and impact, for me that was realising the impact of recycling.
For two years I was a waste management officer for Devon County Council. There the value of recycling became apparent. Recycling a can of aluminium takes up to 95% less energy to recycle than it does to produce from raw bauxite (the raw material (global deposit locations). When an aluminium can is put into the recycling bin it is sent to a processing company where the metal can be recovered.
Aluminium is valuable. A ton is worth £800-£1,200. Bauxite is a finite resource. The small action of putting a can in the recycling bin can have a big impact.
Realise your impact!
Photo by Mayur Gala
It can also help to think about the practical impact of our actions. For example, using a reusable cup 10 times over a week can save around 0.209kg of carbon emissions, the equivalent of boiling a kettle 13 times (my own calculation from assuming boiling a kettle is 0.015kg CO2). There are many other ways to reduce your carbon impact such as opting for more sustainable travel, having a 'buy less mindset' and reducing energy consumption at home/offices.
There are also £2 coffee cups available at Eat and Drink and every time you bring your reusable cup, it saves 20p too!
You can calculate your own reusable cup carbon savings here: KeepCup Impact Calculator | Measure Your Reuse Impact UK.
Find a Community
Picture from the University of Salford Community Garden
If you are interested in nature, the environment, preventing litter on your doorstep or love gardening, find others who share that passion.
Through my role as waste management officer for Devon County Council I discovered volunteering opportunities like repair cafes and community fridges which give a real sense of community. Volunteering for community projects, especially if you are new to a city can help you meet others and feel good while doing it! Check out the benefits of volunteering.
If you are interested in gardening, love nature and like growing your own food come to the University of Salford Community Growing Space. It is a great place to meet others while helping nature.
There is also a biweekly litter pick which helps keep the University of Salford clean and prevents habitat destruction. The event dates can be found on the Environmental Sustainability website. These events are open to students, staff and the local community.
Community fridge
A community fridge is run by volunteers who take surplus food that would have otherwise gone to waste and freely share it with others. You can check out your local community fridge here: Community Fridge Network
Repair cafe
A repair cafe is somewhere you can take items to be fixed by volunteers, often for a small donation. I even had my jeans repaired at one! There's one in Salford: Salford Boothstown Repair Cafe and we're looking at setting up an on-campus repair cafe, so get in touch if you're interested!
Act local, think global
Acts like gardening or litter picking may feel like small actions but they have an impact. Litter picking on the University of Salford campus helps Hedgehogs thrive. Hedgehogs are in decline across Europe and a simple act of litter picking might just mean a better outdoors for their habitat.
There are many ways to live sustainably but motivation can often be the biggest challenge especially in the trying times we see on the news. One simple approach is to focus on your local area or your own "patch." By making positive changes in your community you're contributing to a bigger global impact. No one is alone in this because every positive action creates an impression on others. The more of your friends, family and classmates engage in activities like community gardening the more inspiring it becomes and it a good way to take a break!
If you want to keep up to date with sustainability on the University of Salford campus sign up to our newsletter where you can get all the updates around opportunities and events to get involved.