How To Reduce Your At-Home Carbon Footprint - British Vogue

5/20/2020 How To Reduce Your At-Home Carbon Footprint | British Vogue
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https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/simple-ways-to-decrease-carbon-footprint 1/13
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© Photography Anna Palma / trunkarchive.com
ARTS & LIFEST YLE
6 Surprisingly Simple Ways To Decrease Your

Carbon Footprint
B Y E M I LY C H A N
20 APRIL 2020
Staying at home doesn’t mean our individual CO2 emissions have dropped to zero. Vogue
explores some of the hidden contributors to climate change, and the easy changes we can
make to be more green.
We all know that flying is bad for our carbon footprint — but what about all the
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Netflix shows we’ve been binge-watching while under lockdown? Increasingly,
research shows our digital habits are also contributing to the climate crisis, due to
the massive data centres and servers powering the internet. In fact, the Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is responsible for two per cent of
global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UNFCCC — making it just as
harmful as the aviation industry.
Streaming is a major factor, with one study finding that five billion plays of the
music video for 2017’s Despacito used as much electricity as five African countries
put together in a single year. “A lot of people are so unaware of the environmental
impacts of streaming,” Beth Webb, host of BBC documentary Dirty Streaming: The
Internet’s Big Secret, tells Vogue. “It’s really about understanding how the internet
works in terms of energy [and] just how environmentally consuming it is across
various stages.”
Read more: “Waste Is A Design Flaw”: Stella McCartney & Gabriela Hearst
Discuss The Future Of Fashion Sustainability
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But using the internet, which has been struggling to cope with the huge increase in
usage during the coronavirus pandemic, is by no means the only surprising
everyday activity contributing to our carbon footprint. Here are six things most of
us are guilty of, and the ways we can reduce their impact on the environment.
Sending emails
Carbon footprint: 0.004kg per email
Emailing is a major part of all our lives, but have you ever considered the impact of
all the unnecessary exchanges we have on a day-to-day basis? According to
Professor Mike Berners-Lee, one regular email leads to 4g of CO2 to be produced,
while one with a large attachment has a footprint of up to 50g, because of the
electricity needed to send, receive and store your emails. That may not seem like a
lot, but considering all the emails we send globally, it adds up.
What can we do? A recent study by energy company OVO suggested that if every
adult in the UK sent one less “thank you” email, it would save nearly 16,500 tonnes
of carbon a year.
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Streaming Netﬂix
Carbon footprint: 0.42kg for a one-hour programme
Catching up on your favourite Netflix shows is the ultimate quarantine activity, but
one that also contributes to your carbon footprint. One study suggests that 420g of
CO2 is emitted per every hour spent watching films on online streaming platforms,
while Netflix revealed in February that its global energy consumption increased by
84 per cent in 2019.
What can we do? Watching in standard definition, rather than high definition —
which uses up to five times the energy — is an easy way to lower our individual
impact. (Netflix already said in March that it is reducing its video quality in Europe
to reduce the pressure on internet providers during the coronavirus pandemic.) Not
leaving your favourite series on in the background is another way to reduce your
footprint.
Eating cheese
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© Photography Getty Images
Carbon footprint: up to 6.75kg for a 500g block of cheese
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Most of us are aware of the environmental impact of eating meat, but the
production of dairy also leads to significant carbon emissions. Cheese is a prime
example of this, producing between 8.8kg to 13.5kg of CO2 per kilogram — that’s
more than chicken, which has a footprint of 6.9kg per kilogram of meat.
What can we do? Aside from cutting down on cheese altogether, another way you
can reduce the impact of your dairy habit is opting for a lower-fat, less-dense cheese
such as mozzarella or ricotta.
Buying new clothes

Carbon footprint: 33.4kg for a pair of jeans, or 15kg for a cotton T-shirt
With the fashion industry contributing an estimated 10 per cent of global

greenhouse gas emissions, it’s clear we need to think about our clothes when
reducing our environmental impact. Fabric production and consumer care
(washing) are the main contributors to the overall carbon footprint of clothes: a pair
of Levi’s jeans can lead up to 33.4kg of CO2 being emitted over the course of its life,
for example, while a cotton T-shirt can have emissions of 15kg.
What can we do? We should all consider washing our clothes less, as well as
buying fewer garments. Meanwhile, extending their life for just nine months can
reduce their carbon footprint by around 20 to 30 per cent, according to WRAP —
that means opting for vintage and second-hand clothes is also a more conscious
choice.
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Using hot water
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© Photography Getty Images
Carbon footprint: 875kg per household a year
Saving water isn’t just about conserving H2O; water consumption also leads to high
CO2 emissions, due to the energy needed to supply, treat and use water. A River
Network study estimated that five per cent of the US’s total carbon emissions come
from water use, while a report by the Energy Saving Trust suggested that hot water
usage produces 875kg of CO2 per household annually.
What can we do? To save both water and energy, we can cut down the length of
our showers (the biggest use of water in our households), wash our clothes at 30°C
(which can save up to 40 per cent electricity over a year compared to higher
temperatures, according to the Energy Saving Trust), and fill our washing machines
and dishwashers to full capacity.
Household waste
Carbon footprint: 313kg per household a year
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Did you know that every time you throw out your rubbish, you’re adding to your
carbon footprint? That’s due to the energy needed to produce those items, as well as
the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced when the waste ends up in landfill
and incinerators.
What can we do? Food waste is the biggest contributor to household waste
emissions, meaning it’s crucial that you avoid bulk buying during the current
pandemic and compost any leftovers. Recycling can also have huge CO2 savings,
particularly for materials such as aluminium and plastic. According to the EPA, the
US eliminated 181 million tonnes of CO2 from household waste in 2014 simply by
composting and recycling — that’s the equivalent to taking 38 million cars off the
road.
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5/20/2020 How To Reduce Your At-Home Carbon Footprint | British Vogue

© Photography Anna Palma / trunkarchive.com

ARTS & LIFEST YLE

6 Surprisingly Simple Ways To Decrease Your

© Photography Getty Images

Carbon footprint: up to 6.75kg for a 500g block of cheese

Buying new clothes

With the fashion industry contributing an estimated 10 per cent of global

Using hot water

© Photography Getty Images

Carbon footprint: 875kg per household a year

More from British Vogue:

S U STA I N A B I L I T Y E A RT H DAY A RTS & L I F EST Y L E # G ET YO U R G R E E N S

A RTS & L I F EST Y L E

© 2020 Condé Nast

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