Tips for more sustainability

Being sustainable, made easy! Here we have put together the best tips and tricks for you to do more than just help the environment.

Photo: Marvin Zilm / 13Photo

Top tips on nutrition

Seasonal, organic, regional: experts advise not to skimp on food - for the sake of your own health and the animals. Sustainable farming methods also protect the environment. The attributes «seasonal» and «organic» are more important than «regional». Products can also sometimes come from Europe
- Avoid flying goods only!
Avoid food waste: draw up a weekly cooking plan before you go shopping. And: The best-before date (unlike the use-by date for fresh produce) says nothing about the actual shelf life. Check (taste, smell) whether food has actually spoilt before disposing of it.
Reduce meat consumption to 300 grams per person per week.

Leave the car at home. Instead, cover as many distances as possible on foot or by bike. If the journey is too far, use public transport, carpooling or car sharing such as Mobility.
Holiday trips: The distance to be travelled and the means of transport to the holiday destination are the most important factors, followed by the way we go on holiday. The sustainable organic holiday resort does nothing for my eco-balance if it is in Brazil. Therefore: Book a holiday in Switzerland or in a nearby country. What's more, it's better to take one long trip (to a holiday destination) than lots of short trips.
Do you want your own car? Before buying, check how big it really needs to be for me/my family. And: Electric vehicles are more sustainable than petrol cars.

Reduce heating requirements, optimise thermal insulation and wear warm clothing.
Reduce electricity consumption. Use few and energy-efficient appliances. Disconnect unused appliances from the mains. To do this, collect all devices on a power strip whose transmitters can be moved by the power interruption, all other devices on another strip - and switch these off when not in use.
As a general rule, only replace appliances when they can no longer be repaired. Exception: particular power guzzlers such as tumble dryers or freezers! From an ecological point of view, it is worth buying new appliances earlier if they are inefficient.

Only buy favourite items, offer rarely used items for hire, unsubscribe from advertising.
Buy second-hand clothes/furniture and sell your own things second-hand.

You can find these and other tips at www.wwf.ch/umwelttipps or in the WWF advice app at www.wwf.ch/app

A family tests: How sustainably do we live?