I specialise in sustainability because I want to do my bit to make a difference.
And that goes beyond the projects I work on. I also try to reduce the impact of my business. Even though it’s just me.
Accountability and transparency are vital for this, which is why I’m sharing my sustainability policy.
It’s not perfect.
It’s a work in progress.
But then, aren’t we all?
What I’m doing now
Business
- My business bank account is with Starling, which doesn’t invest in fossil fuels
- Most of my office equipment is second hand (including my monitor, keyboard and mouse)
- I very rarely print anything out, and if it’s necessary, I make sure to print on both sides of the (recycled) paper
- I endeavour to say no to projects that go against my values
- I walk to the co-working space where I’m working while renovating our house
- My website is 100% wind-powered with web hosting from Green Hosting
- I don’t send unnecessary emails and no longer have images in my email signature to minimise my digital footprint
- I unsubscribe from newsletters that I don’t read
- I’ve taken the Ethical Move pledge, committing me to market my services in a transparent, responsible, and honest way
- I turn off my monitor, plugs and lights when not in use
Personal
- I am vegetarian and eat very little dairy
- I mostly travel by train, bus or foot and I try to travel by rail rather than fly
- I buy food from a zero waste shop and alternate between an Oddbox and a local organic veg box for vegetables
- I buy second-hand or look for local sustainable brands for clothing and homeware
- My husband and I are doing an eco-retrofit of our Victorian terrace house, including hemp insulation and moving away from gas
- I use renewable energy at home
- I use a reusable water bottle and try to avoid buying things in plastic to cut down on plastic waste
What I plan to do
- Start donating to an environmental charity or tree planting scheme for each invoice – I’m still doing my research to find the best one
- Switch to a fossil-free pension plan
- Declutter my email and cloud storage to reduce my digital footprint