Over the past 18 months, I'm sure like me, you're wanting to be more mindful with your purchases, resources and your time. I've been looking at ways we can be more sustainable in our homes, and I'd like to introduce you to some really awesome brands who are on a mission to make sustainable homewares more available.
Last month I attended a webinar as part of the Enterprise Nation 'Women in Business' series, and discovered this amazing tech brand by Alisha Zhang - Accio
Image credit Accio Home
Accio was born from a desire to create beautifully-designed smart products, that are simple to set up and use, and won’t cost the Earth.
What I really liked about smart home tech brand Accio - it is easy to understand and simple to use. They also offset their emissions by planting trees too!
In this series I will focus on different areas in the home. If you're renovating, one of the things that can be overlooked is the lighting - and if you're looking for simple changes you can make to your existing home, this is a really quick win.
Lighting can make a huge difference to how your home looks, feels and also those bills! Being able to adapt your lighting to the task you are doing, is also really useful.
I learned recently that;
Every year an estimated 2 million tonnes of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling (WEEE) items are discarded by householders and companies in the UK - hse.gov.uk
I really think there's a lot we can do when we're thinking about making those all important home improvements, and making more sustainable choices. After discovering Accio i wanted to find out more about the brand and Alisha's thoughts on Sustainability, and she kindly agreed to share her thoughts and words of wisdom.
Image credit Accio Home - Mood Collection
What is sustainability to you?
Sustainability for me is preservation and continuation. It is the ability to maintain the beauty of wildlife, nature and resources, for future generations to enjoy the same things we take for granted now. To be sustainable on an individual level means making small changes to our lifestyles, some examples are buy less, reuse and recycle, eat less meat, travel by bike and public transport rather than car and share information with friends and family. As a business owner, I ensure that my products are built to last and not transient, so as to have as little impact on resources as possible.
Is sustainability a trend?
There is no harm in sustainability being identified as a ‘trend’ because trends are successful in gaining wide spread awareness and maximum media exposure. However, it needs to transcend beyond a short lived phenomenon. There needs to be a paradigm shift. Preserving our planet should be the basis of every decision we make and how we live our lives.
What's the best way to determine if something is made sustainably or not?
It’s tricky, there are hundreds of smaller processes involved in the manufacturing of a product. I think the most straightforward way as a consumer is to see how transparent the company is when it comes to showing the product’s life cycle. There are a few questions you can ask: what is the lifespan of the product? Have the materials been responsibly sourced? Is the product energy-efficient? Can you reuse, recycle or even upcycle the product?
How does your brand aim to be a sustainable brand? Do you have a policy?
I am and will always run Accio in line with my personal life values. Sustainability is a core part of Accio’s mission. Some product-orientated measures we are taking - our smart lights are all LED, 90% more energy efficient than regular halogen bulbs. Every product arrives in recyclable, zero-plastic packaging. These bulbs are built to last with a lifespan of 15,000-30,000 hours, lasting 10 years, which means less to landfill. Our products will continue to work with any app upgrades; no built in obsolescence! Here is a blog about Accio and sustainability.
If you're new to sustainability, where should people start?
Start small, and make changes to your own lifestyle. Easy ways to start include reusing what you already have and buying less, eating less meat and walking/cycling/taking public transport rather than the car. Learn about it by reading more on the topic from credible sources and make informed decisions. Talk with your friends, family and other people to share information, tips and ideas. Simple changes at home and little wins from us can lead to a huge societal change.
What single thing can people do to be more sustainable in their home?
For me, it is eating less meat and going plant based - meat has a huge carbon footprint.
Any further reading or resources you would like to share?
Podcasts - Sustainababble
Instagram - @earthrise.studio; @sealegacy
Books - How To Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates; How Bad Are Bananas? By Mike Berners-Lee; What We Need To Do Now For A Zero Carbon Future by Chris Goodall
Image credit Accio Home - Filament collection
Thank you so much to Alisha, the founder of Accio for sharing her words of wisdom, and some excellent resources too. There are certainly many aspects we can consider when trying to shop more sustainably.
If you're new to Sustainability how will you start your journey to making your home more sustainable?
If you do decide to upgrade your lighting, (choose Accio of course!) you might be interested to know I recently discovered in B&Q - they are now offering an Instore recycling facility for electricals! You can find out more details here
I hope you find this series helpful, and I look forward to sharing more awesome brands in this 'shop more sustainably' series. If you'd like to share any other brands which others might be interested in - please do get in touch.
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