Our Power, Our Planet -small, everyday choices that can help turn the tide

The challenges facing our planet can feel enormous, but our daily habits hold more leverage than we often realise. From what’s on our plate to the cup in our hand, here are four meaningful changes you can start making today to celebrate 2026 Earth Day.

Use Your Food Bin

The UK discards 9.5 million tonnes of food waste annually, contributing around 5.5% of national greenhouse gas emissions. At Recorra, we produce energy from food waste through anaerobic digestion, and it is estimated that if all of this food waste was sent to anaerobic digestion it could provide enough electricity for 32,000 homes and heat for 8,000 homes. It also produces fertiliser, closing the loop on a circular economy. Reducing waste in the first place is always the priority, but when you do have scraps, make sure they go in the food bin.

Bring Your Own Cup

The UK throws away 7 million disposable coffee cups every single day. Most people assume these can go in mixed recycling, but the plastic lining requires specialist technology to separate, and lids are often made of polystyrene. Without a dedicated collection stream like Recorra’s coffee cup service, they end up in general waste. The fix is simple: bring a reusable cup!

Rethink What You Eat and Drink

Your dietary choices account for around 66% of your water footprint, largely because animal agriculture is extraordinarily resource-intensive. A single 4-ounce serving of chicken requires 492 litres of water to produce. By choosing plant-based meals, you cut out the middleman – consuming crops directly rather than feeding them to animals first. Swapping meat just one day a week saves the equivalent of 789 bathtubs of water over the course of a year.

Start with easy swaps that don’t sacrifice flavour: chickpea tuna mayo, lentil bolognese, or scrambled tofu are crowd-pleasers that also save money. From there, experiment with tofu, tempeh, or jackfruit to recreate your favourites.

Make a Pledge

Systemic change starts with individual commitment. Consider pledging to one concrete habit: buying second-hand clothing (synthetic fibres shed microfibres — 70% of ocean microplastics come from textiles and fishing gear), reducing meat consumption, or simply carrying a reusable cup everywhere you go. Small promises, consistently kept, add up.

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This is a guest blog from our waste management partner Recorra. Visit their website to find out more about what they do.