JOHN’S CHALLENGE

1 Reduce plastic bags:

“My wife and I both work, so we tend to have food delivered. Over the past couple of years, I’ve discovered a few different options that are more sustainable. I’ve opted for places that deliver my fruit and vegetables in paper bags. I’ve got two kids, and we get through a lot [of food shopping]. I make sure I leave reusable bags in my car. During the 5-day challenge, I did one large shop and four small shops. If I took plastic bags, I would have used 10 for the big shop and two for each of the small shops.

How much did I save? 18

plastic bags.

2 Go meatless for 5 days

“I’ve gone ‘flexitarian’ – a slightly annoying way of saying that I don’t eat much meat anymore. When I do, I try to make sure that it’s sustainably sourced, organic and fair trade. There’s a massive trend for plant-based meat substitutes. I had a plant-based burger for my dinner [at a restaurant]– I couldn’t tell the difference. “I also had pasta and vegetables, falafel. I didn’t miss the meat at all and felt healthier for [it]. “Previous to reducing my meat intake, I had two meat meals a day, and approximately 175g of meat per meal.”

How much did I save?

1.750kg of meat.

3 Eat local, buy local:

“I made the choice to buy seasonal and local products. It’s even better when they’re ‘ugly’ products that nobody is going to buy – they’re cheaper and they taste the same.

“In five days, I bought the following local produce: 500g tomatoes, 250g courgettes, 200g apples, 200g beetroot, 250g pasta – a total of 1,400gms.”