Covid-19 & Sustainability

Can we create a positive opportunity for change in this time of uncertainty, fear and negativity?

NOTE: The Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts for many families all over the world, so for many people this is not a time where they are able to see this period as an opportunity or may be unable to engage with changes. I completely respect that, but if you are in a position where you can approach this time in an open-minded way, then this may be a great time to commit to changes for our planet.

In the last nine months, we have witnessed society change at a rate and scale not seen before for our generation. While this has of course come out of necessity to protect health, it has shown us the possibilities at our disposal to move to a more sustainable society where we are able to pull together to combat environmental issues including climate change.

Firstly, there is a physical side to the coronavirus pandemic and sustainability. A new demand for domestic PPE such as gloves and face coverings combined with an increased demand for medical PPE has led to increased consumption of these materials. Previously, litter on the streets was mainly plastic bags and food waste, but now discarded disposable masks are a visible sign of the impact of the pandemic on our streets. While medical PPE is obviously necessary in a healthcare setting, disposable items for everyday use don’t have to be. Reusable face coverings made of fabrics like cotton are shown to be efficient at filtering air particles and are just as good as disposable ones for use when carrying out mask-dependent activities like shopping or using public transport. Therefore to cut our covid single-use waste problem, we should look to using reusable items where possible and trying to reduce our disposables consumption, while of course following the applicable safety measures (e.g. washing your face covering after use). Also, making your own mask can be really fun to sew and it makes the experience a little more tolerable if you can pick a cute design!

The second point surrounding covid-19 and sustainability is the opportunity that it presents for us to make change. Never before have we seen society pause in this way. Earlier in the year, we saw planes stop flying as regularly, roads quieten and people staying local. In response, we saw wildlife return to our urban areas, air quality improve and CO₂ emissions fall, reduced by 19% by April compared to 2019 (The Guardian). This was a significant impact on our natural world, showing us that we are able to stop doing these damaging and polluting activities if we have to. So now the next hurdle is turning ‘have to’ into ‘want to’. During lockdown, many of us reconnected with nature as we were staying at home and in our local area more often. We were able to truly observe the changing of the seasons, the regular visitors to our gardens and homes. And this is highlighted in Natural England’s People and Nature Survey, which revealed nine in ten adults said protection of the environment is important to them personally. So maybe now the awareness is there…. and its time for action.

We have the opportunity to decide now – do we want to go back to the consuming demands of life pre-pandemic? Or do we want to use this to transition to a new society, one where the planet is our priority, people help their neighbours, the real heroes in our community are celebrated, and our lifestyle is more sustainable? I think you can guess where I’m headed here………………………………. This decade is a significant one for our planet. Action has to be taken now to prevent climate change from causing irreversible impacts. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals are targeted for less than ten years time. So now is the moment where we ‘build back better’ – not for just for us, but for our home.

This is all very overwhelming and big call for action stuff, so what can we do as individuals about this? Life is complex and uncertain at the moment, but there are some simple things you can do to contribute…

• Take a moment to think but over the last few months – what didn’t you do that you normally would? How did it feel not being able to do that? Is it an essential part of your life? For example, if you normally holiday abroad every summer, were you still able to have an enjoyable time this summer by going on a staycation? Do you still feel like you need to travel every year to go on holiday, or could you mix it up by just travelling abroad every two/three years?
• How much waste do you produce? Being at home constantly really highlights what we are producing and where we cause the most waste. Did you end up with a lot of food waste, or maybe your plastic recycling bin was full after only a couple of days? Locating where and what produces the most waste in your home can help to pick the areas in your lifestyle that may need changing to become less demanding. For instance, could you create a compost heap to help you recycle your food waste that you can’t use? Or many you could try buying one less plastic packaged meal and instead cook that meal from scratch?
• What have you got in your house which you had forgotten about but can now utilise? Many of us made use of extra time this year to have a spring/summer/ongoing clean and sort-out of our homes. If you found a secret stash of things you’d normally buy but didn’t realise you had stored away, now is a great time to review what and how much you buy, and maybe see where you can reduce your consumption.

The general message here is, if you are in a position to do this, use this time to be curious! Question the different parts of your home and lifestyle, see where you could implement changes and have a go at bringing more sustainable elements into your life. If the pandemic taught us anything, its that the health and happiness of ourselves and those we love is all that matters. The lessons you have personally learnt during 2020 will show you what needs to change and how your priorities and consumption pre-pandemic may have altered or become redundant to your lifestyle and mindset now.

If you’ve made it all the way to the end of this post, hats off to you my friend! Stay safe, take care and when you’re ready, use this time to motivate and fuel your path to creating positive changes.🌍