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Shop Now4 ‘Sustainable’ Habits That Aren’t Actually Good for the Planet
Are you trying to adopt more sustainable habits? The biggest challenge can be knowing what’s actually sustainable and what isn’t. Here are 4 ‘sustainable’ habits that aren’t that good for the planet.
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Washing dishes by hand
Before you put on your marigolds, stop. You might think that washing your dishes by hand is the most eco-friendly option. However it may surprise you that it’s not. According to the Energy Saving Trust, hand washing dishes accounts for 4% of an average home’s water use. A dishwasher accounts for 1% of the bill. This is because newer, more efficient machines reuse water rather than piping in fresh water. A better proposition than a running tap where you could be wasting 9 litres of water per minute.
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Buying every sustainable item under the sun
Next up on our list of sustainable habits that aren’t actually good for the planet is buying every product that’s labelled ‘sustainable.’
Before you go through your drawers and cupboards and throw away anything that isn’t sustainable, do you really need to?
Yes, the bamboo toothbrush and sustainable kitchenware is a great idea. What’s not is throwing out perfectly good items all in one go and adding to the mountain of landfill waste.
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Falling for ‘green’ marketing
We all want to feel like we’re doing the right thing. So we buy anything that has ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ on the label. However, buyer beware. Unless products are certified as being sustainable, natural, or organic, they probably aren’t as eco-friendly as you think . It’s easy to get swayed by the buzzwords, so we’d recommend doing your research on brands and their products before you buy.
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Recycling whatever, wherever
Recycling is one of the sustainable habits we all try to adopt. But the fact is, it’s not easy to get right. There’s the different rules depending on where you live, and don’t even get us started on the different types of plastic!
While recycling properly can be tricky, recycling any old thing in any old bin is really not great for the planet. Are you one of the people who tells themselves ‘at least I’m recycling’ while you dump something in the recycling without checking the label?
Many of us are guilty of that, and it’s causing a big problem for recycling companies. Figures from Recycle Now show that 84% of households put one or more non-recyclable items in their recycle bin.
Top of the list of items that contaminate recycling are drinking glasses, foil pouches, and toothpaste tubes. Putting non-recyclables in with your recycling can mean that an entire load of recycling is rejected and sent to landfill.
Our top tip for avoiding recycling mistakes is think before you throw, and check the rules on your local council’s website.
For more interesting articles on recycling and sustainability, check out the rest of our blog or check out some of our most popular articles:
- How to track office recycling
- A Guide to Battery Recycling
Or check out our most popular recycling bins
- Two Compartment Outdoor Recycling Bins
Sources:
https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/dishwasher-vs-hand-washing
