A Sustainable Future

I joined Mindshare USA towards the end of 2018, transferring from our London office to New York. One of the things that surprised me most (besides the amazing view from the WTC 3 office) was the amount of plastic waste that was brought into the building, and how seemingly ‘small’ things that were happening in the UK office, such as people bringing their own water bottle and mug, rather than using single use disposables, was just not being done. I was therefore keen to figure out how we could improve our sustainable practices and waste less.

Within my first few weeks, I received one of our newsletters with a list of sustainable changes that we can make to easily reduce waste. I thought, 'YES, this is exactly what we need in the office!' So, I reached out to Jodi Greenstein (our sustainability champion, based in LA) who had kindly added her contact details to the newsletter and within no time, I was put in touch with the rest of the Mindshare Sustainability team. We're a group of people dedicated to making a difference, starting off in the office, with initiatives such as reducing/removing single-use plastics; and has since developed into how we can have an impact outside of the office as well. Such as the launch of #ChangeTheBrief, a new approach to marketing designed to encourage behavior change in the face of the Climate Crisis; and alongside WPP and other agencies, the Carbon Calculator which is a tool aimed at benchmarking & reducing the carbon footprint of media distribution.

Two and half years on, and still as relevant, I want to reshare the list of actions and ideas that sparked my interest on how we can all get involved in a more sustainable future.

• If you're able to, make a monthly donation to a climate action charity such as Charity:Water, where 100% of your donation goes straight to those in need of water. It has technology in place to keep you updated on how much water each of its projects is producing, based on your specific donation, and how many people are being helped.
• Reduce your paper and plastic usage – take reusable totes and mesh bags to the farmer’s market and grocery stores. Try and buy nuts/rice/cereals from the bulk section, too. Take your own water bottle everywhere you go, so you don’t need to buy water or use disposable paper cups. Invest in metal, glass or bamboo straw, or just simply pass on using a straw. Recycle your plastic food storage containers and replace them with glass containers and mason jars.
• Conserve water – For example, turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth, minimize the time from when you turn on the shower to when you get in it, run the dishwasher once it is full, or only wash your clothes once you have a full load.
• Reduce food waste – 40% of our food is thrown away. Try composting your food waste, or other tips such as taking home leftovers from a restaurant, being mindful of what and how much you purchase at the grocery store or even try one meatless day a week.
• Recycle – designate a box for bottles, cans, paper, etc at home. Research what other items can be recycled in your neighborhood, too. Last week, I learned that you should properly recycle contact lenses because 3 billion contacts end up in our waterways each year and they contribute to microplastics in our ocean which harm fish and enter our food supply. Bausch & Lomb created a recycling program and list where you can bring your used blister packs, top foil and contacts. 
• Mindfully consume – There are various ways to sustainably stop. Try consignment, thrift, and second-hand stores. Another great tip is signing up to your local Buy Nothing FB group. You can also look at what particular products you're purchasing, such as household cleaning items, and switching to more sustainable brands.
• Try search engine Ecosia – It invests the ad revenue from your search into planting trees around the world. It is completely transparent and runs off 100% renewable energy.
• Donate your used goods – Someone’s trash can be someone else’s treasure! There are so many places to donate to, whether it's local, posting on neighborhood social groups, sending them to thrift stores, etc.

Einstein warned: “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” So let’s change the mindset.