Preserving the environment is a major issue that each of us faces.
It's not always easy to think about, but on our scale it is possible to adapt to consume differently and limit our carbon impact.
Since there are no small gestures when it comes to the environment, the Algo team has come together to offer you 5 simple tips and actions to implement every day to preserve our beautiful blue planet a little more.
Limit your energy consumption
Besides saving money, limiting your energy consumption is obviously one of the major things you can do to live a healthier daily life.
In fact, we don't necessarily know it, but an electrical device that is switched off continues to consume energy!
The phone charger that we leave plugged in or the television that is switched off and remains on standby are devices that contribute to excess electricity consumption , which can reach up to 10% of a household's monthly consumption!
To remedy this, the ideal is to unplug electrical appliances that are not used in our absence in order to limit our energy consumption.
Lighting is also an essential element since, according to ADEME, it represents 12% of electricity consumption (excluding cooking, heating and water).
The solution is simple: use lamps with lower wattage, because 100W bulbs are not always justified depending on the brightness or size of the room.
Demonstrating energy sobriety is what some energy suppliers advocate. For example, elmy , a green electricity supplier , the idea is not to push its customers to consume but to engage as many people as possible in the energy transition, while allowing them to control their electricity consumption.
Limit food waste
This may seem like a prerequisite, and yet food waste in France represents an average of 37kg per inhabitant per year!
To better understand the impact of food waste, it is necessary to keep in mind that the production of a baguette of bread represents 1000 liters of water and that of 1kg of beef can reach 15000 liters of water !
While sometimes we cannot help but “throw it away,” it is potentially possible to reduce the amount of food we throw away.
In fact, many products that we consume on a daily basis have the “ best before ” label, meaning that these products can be consumed without risk to health even after the estimated use-by date has expired.
Another possibility is to freeze the food that we cannot eat so as not to throw it away.
And it is possible to freeze a wide range of foods!
From meat to fish, including yogurts and cooked starches: a significant quantity of food can be frozen and protected from waste.
Favor public transport (when possible)
It is sometimes tempting to use your car for a walk or a short trip.
However, transport represents 31% of greenhouse gas emissions in France.
It is possible to use alternative modes of transport for short journeys such as cycling or public transport if possible!
A 5km car journey emits around 1kg of CO2 , which is already not insignificant.
So to reduce our impact linked to our journeys, there are solutions such as using carpooling or choosing to use modes of transport that emit less CO2, such as the train rather than the plane .
CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions have an undeniable negative impact on air quality and global warming; this is why our mode of transport can have an impact on our daily ecological and environmental impact .
Opt for more responsible decoration
When decorating your interior, it is also possible to pay particular attention to the decorative elements that you will apply and implement.
Did you know that carpets, tapestries, furniture, candles, etc. emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which have a harmful effect on health and the environment?
In fact, these elements release into the air elements invisible to the naked eye that we ingest and which can ultimately have adverse effects on our health.
Because the air inside our homes is 10 times more polluted than outside and we spend an average of 22 hours in enclosed spaces, it is important to choose items that release as few VOCs as possible, thus preserving the quality of the air inside our homes.
To meet this challenge, we have the solution, since we have developed the one and only algae-based paint , freeing itself from petrochemicals and their derivatives.
Buy differently
Firstly, it is mainly about avoiding buying products containing unnecessary plastic packaging whenever possible.
Indeed, it is not uncommon to see over-packaged products on the shelves of our supermarkets.
However, these additional packagings are not useful for the product!
This is the case for yogurts packaged in plastic pots and contained in a cardboard box, sometimes even when they are sold in two units.
The origin of your daily essentials is also an important issue.
Some fruits and vegetables can travel several thousand kilometers before being consumed in France, thus generating a considerable carbon footprint and contributing directly to the production of greenhouse gases and global warming.
Purchasing certified organic products is also one of the options available to you for living healthier lives. Indeed, consuming organic products means supporting a more environmentally friendly farming method. It also means enjoying healthier products. To stock up on groceries, you can visit an organic store or, if you don't have one nearby, shop online at organic stores.
For example, we discovered the online organic store La Fourche , which aims to make organic products more accessible, whether geographically via delivery or financially by offering prices up to 50% cheaper . La Fourche offers more than 3,000 carefully selected organic and sustainable products, a wide selection of bulk products, a participatory brand that creates its products with consumers, and 100% recycled and recyclable packages with zero plastic. And if you're wondering how delivery is eco-friendly, you should know that the carbon impact of delivering dry products is 4 times lower than purchasing them in-store.
