Reduce your carbon footprint

We are often unaware of how environmentally unfriendly we are and take everything around us for granted. When we buy something in the supermarket or go somewhere by car, we don’t realize that many steps have been taken to arrive at, for example, fuel or the plastic packaging around your product.

To make these types of products, we need raw materials and energy. The most common raw material for the most common items is petroleum. Various fuels are produced from petroleum through refining, such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel, LPG, etc. Petroleum is also used to make plastics that are used for items such as packaging and plastic articles. Part of the oil is still extracted in the North Sea and after the oil is extracted the exhausted fields are used for CO2 storage. In addition, much of it is imported mainly from OPEC countries.

After watching an episode of klokhuis about the human footprint I started to think more consciously about how we can keep our footprint as small as possible and what I as an entrepreneur can contribute in this. And no, preventing complete CO2 emissions is not realistic, but we can ensure a reduction and enough trees around us to absorb the emitted CO2.

In this blog, we provide more information about how much CO2 we produce and tips on what we can do to reduce it. In addition, we cover what Modipro is doing to be environmentally responsible.

CO₂, or carbon dioxide, is a colorless and odorless gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It plays an important role in the Earth’s climate and life. Humans and animals exhale CO₂, while plants use it for photosynthesis, producing oxygen.

However, human activities such as burning fossil fuels (such as oil, gas and coal), deforestation and industrial processes increase the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. This contributes to the greenhouse effect and climate change because CO₂ traps heat, thus warming the earth.

Sustainable solutions, such as reducing emissions, saving energy and planting trees, help restore the carbon balance and combat climate change.

On average, a tree absorbs between 10 and 40 kg of CO₂ per year, depending on the species, age, growth rate and environmental factors.
To absorb 1 kg of CO₂:

• A mature tree (fast grower, such as a young oak or ash) needs about 10 to 40 days.
• An average tree absorbs about 25 kg of CO₂ per year, so it would take about 14 days.

We can do more than we think. To reduce the amount of CO2 we have some tips:

1. Take the car less often. For every 3km of driving, you can save 1 kg of CO2.
2. Buy local products such as potatoes, vegetables, meat and fruits from the farmer or village butcher. This way your produce does not have to go from the farmer to the auction/distribution centers first, and then to the supermarket. Also, buying directly from the farmer is often cheaper and you have better quality produce.
3. Look at where your products come from and buy products with a Dutch origin as much as possible. That way you know that the transportation to get the product to the supermarket was minimal.
4. Reduce the number of plastic containers. For example, if you buy vegetables, bring your own bag, also you can ask the butcher to put the items in a bag you bring yourself. Per plastic bag you will save 0.03 to 0.06 kg of CO₂.
5. If you need products from the supermarket, order them online and have them delivered. Yes indeed, delivery. In addition to most supermarkets driving around with electric vans, they are a lot more efficient in delivery. Instead of everyone having to go to the supermarket separately, the grocery delivery person can supply several households with groceries in one trip. In addition, it is also a lot easier and you do not have to search all the shelves.

To minimize our carbon footprint, we looked at business processes, packaging materials and methods of transportation.
Thus, our strategy:

• Custom-made productssourced and/or manufactured locally whenever possible.
• Package small materials as much as possible in recyclable paper containers and outer packaging.
• Dolocal transport, where possible, ourselves. This prevents the product from having to go to the carrier first, only to be delivered to a nearby address.
• Where possible, to work with letterbox packages so that we can avoid the risk of a non-home situation.

You cannot change the world overnight however you can make a difference by being aware of your carbon footprint and reducing it. If you buy from Modipro, then you know that we do everything we can to save as much CO2 as possible. This way you contribute to CO2 reduction because the trip to the hardware store is not necessary and you save fuel.

If you have any questions as a result of this article, please contact us via the contact form or email to info@modipro.nl