Yes, you can make a difference in as little time as an hour! Here’s how…

Committing to a greener lifestyle takes dedication, time and research. But even the smallest of tweaks to your daily life goes a long way in helping the Earth. Although your lunch break may not strike you as the best time to go full eco-warrior mode, we say it’s as good a time as any. Here’s how to get started.

12pm

Your stomach is growling and has been all morning, and now it’s finally time to eat. But what you consume and how it’s packaged is the first thing to consider when you’re trying to tread lightly on the planet. Let’s begin with those single-use plastics that seem to get everywhere. “A pre-packed lunch is always going to be the most eco-friendly option, as it helps to avoid the disposable plastics which are used for many on-the-go lunch options”, says Dean Willshee, managing director at Wilshee’s Waste and Recycling (willshees.co.uk). “When shopping for your lunch, try to pick ingredients that have been grown as locally as possible, and avoid those that are wrapped in excessive packaging.” This is where it pays to be a keen organiser. Tupperware (or any other BPA-free lunch box) and reusable cutlery will be your new best friend. Batch cook your lunches either at the weekend or prepare an extra portion alongside your dinner – store in the fridge and away you go. Now the packaging is sorted, let’s focus on the food. A vegan diet is a great way to reduce your impact on the environmentand don’t just take our word for it. Research shows that without meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75 per cent – an area equivalent to the US, China, European Union and Australia combined – and still feed the world. “Increase the amount of plants you eat per meal – experiment with delicious beans, pulses, hummus, soups, vegetables and salads”, advises Gudrun Cartwright, environment campaign director at Business in the Community (bitc.org.uk), a charity which helps over 700 companies on responsible business issues, including environment and sustainability.