How sustainably do we live?
The sticker on the letterbox of the apartment block is large. It reads «Advertising OK». «I'd remove it,» says Christoph Meili, looking round. «All those colourful advertising brochures tempt you to buy something you don't actually need.» And that's bad for the environment and your wallet.
Life cycle assessment expert Christoph Meili is employed by WWF and is a guest of the Brügger family in Schwarzenburg BE on this day to check out the areas in which the family can live and save even more environmentally consciously while walking through their home and cellar.
The Brügger family are Tanja, 42, Samuel, 44, Remo, 11, Joel, 8, and Schnurrli the cat. They live in a 4.5-room flat, enjoy holidays in Switzerland, go skiing in winter and cycling in summer.
«We go to great lengths to protect the environment, but I think we can certainly do more,» says Tanja Brügger and invites the guest inside.
Up the stairs, unlock the door and into the parlour. Where the energy consultant is greeted by brightly lit spotlights. «Super. These LED spotlights use five to nine times less electricity than halogen spotlights or light bulbs,» he says. Everyone sits down around the large family table, there is tea and coffee and initial information from the life cycle assessment expert.
Mobile - without your own car
There are four areas in which it is worth reviewing your personal behaviour in terms of sustainability and changing it if necessary: Food, mobility, housing and consumption. Behavioural changes in the areas of nutrition and mobility are the most important and those in which households can achieve the most.
Neighbours and colleagues sometimes find it surprising that the Brügger family manage without their own car. «How does it work in the countryside?» Tanja and Samuel Brügger are often asked. The couple think it works pretty well. The nearest S-Bahn station is a ten-minute walk away and the nearest supermarket is five minutes away. There are two Mobility stations in Schwarzenburg, and if the need arises, Tanja Brügger borrows her parents' car. They also live in the village. And what do they do on holiday? «We discover great places in Switzerland. If we want to go further afield, we take my parents-in-law's car,» says Samuel Brügger. To Italy by the sea, for example. The last time the Brüggers travelled by plane was eleven years ago.
300 grams of meat per week - no more
«Doing so much on foot, by bike or public transport is probably our greatest achievement in terms of sustainability,» says his wife and laughs. And the biggest weakness?
«Our meat consumption,» the couple agree. «Samuel is a bricklayer, he works as a foreman on building sites and needs a lot of energy.» How can you get it from plant-based products? Christoph Meili has some good tips: Pasta and potatoes provide valuable carbohydrates, while pulses, nuts and soya products (such as tofu, soya flour or soya milk) provide a good portion of protein, calcium and iron. From an environmental point of view, it is not a question of giving up meat completely, but of reducing consumption to around 300 grams per person per week.
«A cow has to eat 5 to 20 kilos of feed, often wheat, soya meal or rice, to produce 1 kilo of meat,» Christoph Meili points out. Seitan, a product made from wheat or spelt protein, comes closest to meat in terms of flavour, if well seasoned, and consistency. But it's not just the quantity that matters, but also the quality: when it comes to meat and sausage products, make sure you choose organic products! Of course, quality has its price. You are what you eat - that's why it's better to save money in other places than on food, says the eco-balance expert. And: «A third of our food ends up in the bin, that doesn't have to be the case,» says Christoph Meili, opening the fridge and pulling out a Tupperware tin. «This is yesterday's pasta, we'll fry it with vegetables tonight,» says Tanja Brügger. The consultant nods approvingly. He is also happy about the sausage. The production process utilises leftovers from meat production. Nevertheless, the expert advises people to choose plant-based sources of protein as often as possible.
He considers the family's soda streamer to be a sensible purchase. Christoph Meili: «You don't have to lug heavy PET mineral water bottles home every week. You can save yourself this packaging waste and transport madness with the excellent quality of tap water in this country.» Christoph Meili also advises consumers like the Brügger family to use the hob instead of the oven wherever possible, as this saves 90 per cent energy!
«We do that,» says Tanja Brügger happily, «and heat the water, for example for pasta, first in the efficient kettle and then in the pot. Does that help?» Christoph Meili: «It just saves time. When you transfer the water from the kettle to the pot, the energy saved is unfortunately lost again by heating the pot.»
Ventilate for five minutes three times a day
Speaking of heat: the house, which was built in 2007, is heated with an environmentally friendly wood chip heating system. The family doesn't like it too warm, preferring to put on a warm jumper rather than exceed the recommended room temperature of around 21 degrees.
«This is where I sleep!» Remo shouts proudly and opens his room window as he walks round. Shock ventilation - preferably three times a day for about five minutes - is more efficient than leaving the window ajar for hours on end. This refreshes the room air completely without losing much heat. Remo already knows this. You should also switch off electrical appliances completely when you're not using them. They also consume electricity in stand-by mode. Christoph Meili has a valuable tip: «In my home, I have devices such as modems and televisions, whose channels could change if you switch them off completely, in a separate power strip, and all the others in a second one. I switch the latter off completely when I don't need the connected devices.»
Tanja and Samuel Brügger are delighted with the professional tips and have lots of questions. Together they go down to the basement, where each tenant has their own small cellar room complete with washing machine and tumble dryer. «Unfortunately, there's not much space in our laundry room. What can I do in winter so that I don't have to use the tumble dryer so often?»
Pre-treat stains with a stain remover
On nice winter days, there's nothing to stop you drying your laundry outside too - it just takes a little longer, says the expert. «If the laundry is hung up indoors, it should be ventilated more frequently so that the increased humidity disappears from the flat and mould doesn't form on the walls.» Whether outside, inside or in the tumble dryer, it is always worth ending the washing programme with the spin cycle. This makes drying much quicker. Also important: pre-treat stains with a stain remover and, if possible, only wash the laundry at 20 or 30 degrees.
Christoph Meili's gaze falls on a pair of mended children's trousers. The Brüggers also try not to replace items so quickly, but have them repaired when they break. «I use my smartphone until it stops working or can be repaired,» says Tanja Brügger.
You can hardly do much better than that, says the eco-balance expert. What does the family plan to do after his visit? Eat less meat and organic meat, tell friends and colleagues about their wonderful holiday to show them that nearby regions are also worth a visit - and of course: remove the advertising sticker from the letterbox!
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Tips for more sustainability