February is already here and we’re comfortably into the stride of 2020. Dry Jan has come to a close and Veganuary is complete. But, if you’re also looking to make some longer-term changes this year which are not only attainable but will also make a positive impact on the planet, we have a few low-maintenance suggestions for you.

Too Good to Go

Too Good to Go is a London-based App providing an innovative solution to food waste in the capital. Restaurants and cafes post any surplus food, which would otherwise go in the bin, and individuals can download the app before reserving their favourite ingredients or dishes. Saving you money on your dinner, saving delicious produce from waste and adding a bit of variety to your week night meals.

To get started, visit the App Store to download.

Amazon Smile

Making a difference with Amazon Smile is extremely low maintenance. Shopping on the Amazon Smile website is identical to the experience of using the online retailer’s usual site, aside from the fact that with each purchase, 0.5% of the order retail value is donated in funds to the charity of your choice. For maximum eco-impact, elect a charity such as GreenPeace, Rainforest Alliance or Plastic Soup and effectively fundraise for them as you shop.

Once set up, Amazon Smile requires very little attention and, if you shop with Amazon often, can accumulate a significant donation. Depending on the cause you choose, the money can be used to invest in green technology, plant more trees and protect our eco-systems.

Mossy Earth

It’s widely understood that the three most effective ways to reduce your impact on the environment is to go vegan, not have children and stop flying long haul. If you struggle with the latter, Mossy Earth is a great option.

For many of us who have family abroad or need to travel for work it can be difficult to halt flying completely. As part of the broader work Mossy Earth does to protect our eco-systems, they also offer a carbon offsetting tool. You can declare the lengths of your flights and pay in the region of £3 per flying hours to counter this. With these funds, the charity plant native trees in their rewilding conservation areas.

Visit the Mossy Earth website now to start offset your flights now.

Ecosia 

The Ecosia model is very simple. It’s a search engine which ploughs all profits back into planting trees across the globe. With the majority of us searching the internet for both work and leisure every day, choosing Ecosia could rapidly raise profits for the organisation to reduce CO2 emissions. 

It’s also worth noting, all servers run on 100% renewable energy. To make the switch, add Ecosia as your primary search engine.

Words by Ellie Weston