Eat more plant-based foods

Eat more plant-based foods. Vegetarian and vegan diets have much lower greenhouse gas emissions, estimated to be 62 - 75% less than diets consuming 100g or more meat each day. 

Buy local and seasonal food 

Find out where people are selling local produce in your area, and see what's on offer. Buying local means fewer travel emissions associated with your food and often means that you'll also be buying more seasonal produce, which is often tastier too! You could sign up for a local fruit and veg box that gives you excess or 'ugly' produce that may otherwise go to waste. 

Check which fruit and vegetables are in season - it's more likely they'll be sourced at the right time of year. 

When shopping, check the country of origin on labels. Food products in our aisles are often transported to us via air, sea or land and the journeys result in emissions from fossil fuels.   

Buy more sustainable seafood

If you eat fish, use The Good Fish Guide to choose more sustainable seafood. It allows you to check whether the seafood you are interested in has been caught sustainably, and suggests swaps where it hasn't been.

If you live in Cornwall, Cornwall Wildlife Trust have also developed the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide, which has great advice on sustainable seafood choices. 

Reduce your food and plastic waste

Reducing how much food you throw away will save you money and make a difference to your carbon footprint. 

We have lots of tips to help you get started, from storing and preserving to freezing food. Take a look at our guide to reducing food waste. 

Another waste product we can tackle is plastic packaging. It can be really tricky to avoid, but there are some ways to reduce the amount of plastic packaging you avoid. When food is sold locally, it doesn't need to be packaged in plastic to be kept fresh during a long journey, so try looking for local suppliers. If you do buy food in plastic packaging, check the label. Most supermarkets now recycle soft plastics - simply collect them up and take them in to your local supermarket. 

Try growing your own food

There is nothing better than eating tomatoes picked from your own garden or allotment! You don't need a lot of space to try growing food. You can even grow some fruit and vegetables in pots. Strawberries, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and french beans are all suitable to be grown in pots (along with many others!). It's so satisfying growing your own food. Why not give it a try? 

Take a look at some guides to growing food!