Gray Hop Guides: Ways to be eco friendly

Some top tips from your favourite Gray Hoppers

At Gray Hop HQ we’re passionate about the planet and being eco friendly, and we love it when we meet and get to work with people who are the same. But it’s not always that easy to be eco friendly as a business, or as an individual, especially when you’re on the go and at meetings, so we thought we’d share our top tips with you…

It’s probably obvious but…use less paper! 

Although we love a notepad and pen, because sometimes being traditional is best, we try really hard to not use too much paper and we rarely print anything out. In fact, we don’t even have a printer. Instead, we always take laptops to meetings and share our ideas digitally, where possible – kind of a given considering we are a digital company, we suppose. 

Personally, we also always opt for online statements, bills and documents, and anything else a company might want to send us through the post – hold the paper please! We even write shopping lists on our phones.

We’re big recyclers too

Sometimes using paper is unavoidable. For example, we have to keep receipts for business expenses. So we always make sure we recycle – we’re just too good. We also make the effort to check packaging is recyclable when we’re out and about and need to buy lunch or anything else. 

Top tip – rather than choosing a bottled drink, buy a can. Cans are recycled more than plastic bottles (50% vs 10%) –  a lot of plastic bottles end up in the ocean polluting the sea – and they don’t contain BPA, so they are also meant to be better for your health too. Win win!

Tap is best

Whilst we’re out and about it’s easy to get dehydrated, and it’s the same for anyone else who goes out for the day. When thirst hits, we all tend to run to the nearest shop and reach for a bottle of water, or something else just as refreshing, but something we’ve started doing is carrying reusable bottles.

Not only does it reduce our use of plastic, helping to reduce our impact on the environment, but tap water also tends to be free at most coffee shops, restaurants or anywhere else you might visit, so it helps to save our pennies too.

No meat passes these lips

Something that is not a surprise to anyone who knows us is that we are both vegans, and by being vegan, we do not consume or purchase any animal products. This helps us to reduce our impact on the environment as the production of meat, dairy and other animal products has a hugely negative impact on the climate and the environment.

However, we know it’s not easy for everyone to become vegan, but reducing your consumption can help too, so why not give it a try! Whether it’s for a day, a week or even a month, you might be surprised, and there are some easy swaps you can make including:

  • Swap the milk in your tea or coffee for a plant based alternative – oat and soya are the best for the environment 
  • Love chocolate? Switch to dark chocolate, although double check they haven’t snuck milk in to your favourite brand
  • Choose a dairy free butter – they basically taste the same 
  • Choose plant based meat and cheese alternatives – they’re widely available so there are no excuses!
  • Switch out your standard mayo for a dairy free version, where available, or trust in the nation’s favorite tommy k