Overcoming our Brain: The Psychology behind a Plastics Challenge
If you have ever started a diet, or told yourself you are never eating sugar or chocolate again, you will know how tough it can be and how all you think about is the forbidden items.This can be the same, if you try to make changes to your lifestyle for the environment, like going vegan or plastic-free. In this blog, we will unpack the psychological factors at work and how undertaking a month challenge like […]
How to create a sustainability policy and action plan with your clients
Are you a freelancer or a consultancy that is eager for your clients to embrace sustainability but not sure how to win them over over or communicate to engage them. Perhaps they say they want to ‘go green’ and you want a framework and structure to follow. So where should you begin on your sustainability planning From the get-go, it’s essential that you discuss sustainability measures, so you have a good lead time and […]
Back to the office: A moment of change for behaviours and habits
Are you and your team returning to the office full or part time this autumn? Why not use this ‘moment of change’ to embed pro-environmental habits around low-carbon travel, waste reduction and recycling? Why our brain loves habits and routines You may not realise but thinking requires a lot of energy, so our brain tries to minimise it as much as possible. Yes, that’s right! Our brain is wired for shortcuts, which is why it […]
Zero Waste Week Office Challenge
For your zero waste week, why not have some fun in the office and set some challenges to reduce waste.A week long challenge encourages people try things out. At the end of the week you can look at what people are happy to keep working on or developing. First of all what is waste? Well according to the 2008 Waste Framework Directive, Waste means any substance or object which the holder discards, intends […]
Good reads, listens and apps for campaigners and communicators
Following a request from a workshop participant, I wanted to share some good reads, listens and apps for the Christmas break and new year’s resolutions. Reading I either try and buy books secondhand or listen on audible but should you need to buy new here they are on Bookshop (rather than Amazon). I have created a recommended list for environmental communicators and campaigners. My top reads for thinking differently and hope would be: My […]
Overcoming sustainable event overwhelm
by Livvy Drake When you think about making an event sustainable, does your mind start to whizz: waste, travel, water, plastic – where do you even begin? What do you prioritise? What sustainable materials do you choose when they cost so much more? This can be pretty overhelming when you also have to get your event live, sell tickets and keep your clients happy. Read on for three tips for reducing sustainable event overwhelm. Firstly what does ‘being sustainable’ […]
Littering: Why this sign won’t improve littering
From a behavioural psychology perspective here are three reasons why this sign simply acknolwedges the reason people litters rather than trying to change them.
The steps to achieve pro-environmental behaviour change?
Would you like to affect more change in your work or personal life around pro-environmental behaviours? Find out the four steps to take to achieve this.
How to create a sustainability policy and action plan with your clients
by Livvy DrakeHave your clients asked you to make an event ‘sustainable’, halfway through a project, without any clear definition of what this means leading to confusion and extra work? Or perhaps you want to deliver more sustainable events and overcome your client’s barriers to this? You are not alone, so many freelance and agency event managers have been using lockdown focus on sustainable events. In Mid-April, The Sustainable Event Alliance Hackathon, attracted 500 […]
Is Plant-based PPE the vaccine to COVID-19 litter?
With the increase in PPE usage around the world, latex gloves and single-use masks are now the latest form of plastic littering. So we investigate if plastic-free or plant-based PPE is the solution to plastic pollution, and what questions you should ask when you see a new product on the market. PPE litter is being reported everywhere as individuals discard after shopping trips or masks fly on the wind, and with concern about their […]
5 reasons stats and facts alone will not achieve behaviour change
Here are five reasons why knowledge or education alone is not enough to change unsustainable habits!
Are Bioplastics a Load of Waffle?
If you are wondering if compostable or bio plastics are the right thing for your business, or if you should accept them at the lunchtime takeaway counter then read on! As the world seeks to get a handle on plastic pollution and the issues of our single-use throwaway culture, compostable and bioplastics are being presented as the solution to plastic pollution. And with terms like bio or compostable, which we all understand to be as […]
7 Tips to Improve Recycling at Work
Are you the person that is forever re-sorting the recycling at work and pulling coffee cups out of the paper stream? It can be easy to blame people for not doing the recycling ‘properly’ in the office but maybe there are some limitations with the set-up. Check out these tips: Why your bin system could be the problem 1. Remove the under-desk binAs humans we look for the easy option and the short cuts, so […]
Tips for engaging your team in your sustainability policy and strategy?
By Livvy Drake As businesses look to what the future holds and how they remain a ‘sustainable’ and viable business, we are advocating bringing the team into discussions and strategies on what a sustainable future, policy and strategy would look like, for people, planet and profit. By adopting sustainability an organisation is focused on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. As […]
13 Facts you Might not Know About Plastics
It seems to be in the news all the time – plastic in the oceans, in the food chain and now falling in the snow in the arctic. As this becomes a topic on everyone’s lips here are some facts that you might not know about plastic. You can share these around the office while you fill up in your water bottle or reusable glass! 1. Plastic is made from oil and the organisations linked […]
What to include in a sustainability policy
Would you like to have a sustainability policy that is engaging for your staff and customers? Read on for our tips on how to do this and what to include. Here at the Sustainable Sidekicks, we are not fans of the short four-paragraph sustainability or environmental policy. You know the one, that just states the problems that an organisation acknowledges without any specifics on they will be addressed. Of course, a business may well have […]
Making behaviour change in the workplace easy, attractive, social and timely
Wondering how to encourage people to recycle better at work or to change people’s habits for using single-use takeaway packaging every lunchtime? Here is a quick insight into some behaviour change principles, summed up in a simple acronym. EAST that you can use for workplace behaviour change. So before you send another angry email about the recycling contamination or invest in thousands of reusable coffee cups, read this. One of the most valuable […]
From animal activists to buff bodybuilders: what the vegan movement can tell us about mainstreaming environmental products and behaviours
Here are four behavioural science reasons that veganism has moved from the peripherals of society to the past-time of gym enthusiasts which can provide insights for others targeting mainstream audiences with environmental messages and products. by Livvy Drake (Head Sustainable Sidekick) As a vegetarian since birth, sometime vegan, and now a flexigan (flexible vegan), for the environment; I’ve been fascinated to see the mainstream crossover of the plant-based diet. Looking at it through […]
Employee climate perks the antidote to flight shame
Is flight shame a conversation that is happening in your workplace, or something you are experiencing but with your current holiday allowance you aren’t sure how to address this without advocating “staycations” this year, which you know won’t appeal to everyone? Read on for a solution that has benefits for both employee and employer and some reality checks on overland travel objections, all without the need to guilt-trip anyone. Carbon impact of flights Firstly lets […]
Every Day’s a School Day- Learning on the Job
Embarking on a sustainability journey can be a steep learning curve in industry lingo, concepts and processes that may be unfamiliar to you. Plus there can be some uncomfortable lessons in navigating greenwash. This is exactly why we set up the Sustainable Sidekicks online learning platform to make adopting environmental business processes and practices accessible and easy. When we conducted research on how people wanted to learn, they asked for short lessons, real-world examples […]