Shifting perspectives: A new attitude towards recycling

Karl, Office Manager at One Tree Travel, shares how his perspective towards green initiatives is shifting and what he has done to adopt a more eco-conscious approach day-to-day.

It ends up in the same place anyway...

 

I have always been sceptical about green initiatives. Can one person really make a difference? I took a lazy approach to simple tasks such as recycling, using the excuse ‘it ends up in the same place anyway’. Having discussed this with colleagues, friends and family, it seems this is more common than I first thought. Although my efforts alone aren’t going to save the planet, this blog post presents an ideal opportunity to share how my views have changed since the launch of One Tree Travel earlier this year, and how I have upped my green efforts in hope of inspiring others to do the same.

A new attitude towards recycling 

I have always been dubious about recycling and have never had access to a designated bin in my accommodation. However, after a recent house move, I have my own recycling bin – hurrah!

 

Now… why was my recycling bin almost empty every collection day? This was down to laziness and a lack of understanding. Reflecting on a team meeting, I started to wonder why I didn’t bother with recycling, what is my excuse exactly? I decided to make it as simple as possible, identifying what can and cannot be recycled. We placed notices from our local council throughout the office with a detailed list of items you should recycle, and those you definitely shouldn’t. To this day, I am still baffled that crisp companies don’t change packing to a more environmentally friendly alternative that can be recycled in a typical household bin.

 

Recycling isn’t the only change I am trying to implement as I’ve recently started carrying a foldable bag in my rucksack every day. I am young enough that a ‘bag for life’ has been the norm for quite some time, but like a lot of people reading this, I never remember to take one with me. I have started switching electronics off at the wall when I am not using them, investing in better energy efficient lighting, and shopping local where possible – usually heading for the charity shops before buying new!

 

Keep an eye out for our regular posts, where our team will share their journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

 

Karl at One Tree Travel 🌳