Earth Day 2021

When it comes to Purpose, we often ask our clients what they are doing to impact the world positively. As GOOD, it is equally important to ask ourselves this question and commit to making small changes that have a big impact on the planet.

This year, we asked everyone at GOOD to pledge to make at least one sustainable swap in their life. Here is a roundup of some of our staff’s recommendations to hopefully inspire you to make some changes this Earth Day.

Daniel Webb, Business Director 

Carbon Offsetting: It’s not the solution, but it helps rid me of a fair bit of eco-guilt and means I don’t resent myself when I do something too bad. I pay a small amount each month into ‘ecologi.com‘ (previously Offset Earth). You get access to your digital forest and can track where each and every tree is planted across the globe. All the projects you fund are Gold Standard development projects so you can trust it’s happening.

Lizzie Russel, Copywriter

Lots of clever people agree that going plant-based is one of the most powerful things you can do for our planet. But for many, the allure of cheese and chocolate is just too strong. So I’ve put in 5 years of extensive eating to source some delicious solutions:

Cheese:

Applewood vegan smoky cheese alternative. Smoky, creamy, melts like a dream.

The ‘I am nut okay’ artisan cheese range – refined flavours for a classy cheese board.

Chocolate:

Cadbury Bournville is accidentally vegan.

Vego chocolate – don’t be fooled by the awful packaging, it tastes like solid Nutella. Or if you’re really feeling fabulous, treat yourself to a box of Booja Booja truffles!

Meaty meals:

Vivera plant mince – stick it in your spag bol and enjoy all the meatiness, with no grisly surprises.

The widely acclaimed ‘Beyond meat’ burgers will have you second-guessing if you’re eating the real thing.

Helena Farrell, Planner

Beeswax wraps: I swapped from clingfilm to beeswax wraps to store leftover food. Not only do they look lovely, with a variety of colours to choose from, I never have to attempt the near-impossible task of tearing clingfilm off of a roll again.

Annie Moreton, Strategy consultant

Conditioner: Fabric conditioner is a sneaky baddy. Essentially, you’re leaving a fatty film on your clothes, making the fabric less efficient, actually more prone to harbour smells you don’t want. They also coat your machine with goo over time and contribute to ‘fatbergs’ in drains and sewers. Profitable though! Kick them out with the magic of distilled vinegar. Sounds weird, but try it. Distilled vinegar is the clear vinegar you can buy in any supermarket. Tesco own brand is 40p for 500ml (plastic bottles though –  it’s a trade-off). I use about a ¼ cup per load, a bit more for towels. Here’s some useful hints including making a perfumed version, but I’d rather smell the world not be the smell.

Extra tip: Vinegar works well as hair conditioner, especially if you steep herbs of your choice in it for a nice aroma. Because hair conditioner is just a fatty film too, which we have to use shampoo to remove, which strips our hair, so we condition it….that’s one for next time.

At GOOD, Earth Day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on what we do as a Purpose-driven Agency. We have a number of initiatives that we are very proud of, and are always seeking new ways to be more sustainable. We have already pledged our commitment to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. We are an ISO 14001 credited company and we have cultivated initiatives that allow us to reduce our environmental impact such as reducing paper usage, increasing levels of recycling, providing staff and clients with green modes of transport.

All our commitments are defined with clear key performance measures and performance is tracked and monitored and adjustments made quarterly.

Today gives us all the perfect opportunity to sit and reflect on our life choices, choices we make as a company and who you align yourself with. We should all strive to live purposeful and the most sustainable lives we can, so that future generations get the privilege to experience the life we all have.

So I will leave you with this,

What sustainable swap can you make in your life?