Zero Waste Week: Our Ethos
With our closed-loop sustainability loop in place, we’re vigilant about reducing our farm’s impact on the environment. This Zero Waste Week, we’ve enjoyed finding out about more ways in which everyone can reuse and recycle.
The Movement
Founded in 2008 and commencing annually during the first full week of September, Zero Waste Week is a social movement looking to help businesses, communities, and individuals align their waste practices with the needs of the planet. This involves encouraging an increase in both recycling and reuse, and a subsequent reduction in landfill waste in order to prevent harmful greenhouse gases which pollute our atmosphere.
While the premise of ‘zero waste’ may be unrealistically achievable for many, we believe the tag’s purpose is to encourage and inspire people to educate themselves and create a subsequent motivation to improve their waste disposal methods. It’s about creating a collective moral conscience and driving to reduce waste as far as possible.
Our Efforts at Eversfield
Where do things go when we throw them away? If food waste is sent to landfill, it will decompose into the soil and air, creating methane, a destructive gas which has been found to link to climate change. This doesn’t sit right with us at Eversfield Organic, so we abide by our Closed-Loop Sustainability System. The basis of this idea is that we don’t outsource for farm resources to sustain our soil. Instead, we utilise natural livestock manure to organically fertilise our pastures, creating a tip-top turf that helps draw CO2 from the atmosphere through a process called carbon sequestration. Additionally, we will never use any artificial fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides, all of which can decrease the environment-cleaning abilities of our soil.
Image: Our Closed-Loop Sustainability System
Any food waste which we are unable to sell, such as our fruit and vegetables, is put to use by the team in our Market Garden. By employing our organic leftovers in our compost heaps, we are feeding our soil a naturally nutritious diet and thus boosting its preparedness for future growth. By ensuring our farm's productivity isn’t influenced by external aids, we are securing our sustainable, regenerative future, whilst providing a foundation for the tastiest produce.
As well as food waste, a number of synthetic materials and plastic packages are responsible for environmental damage. Using reusable packaging for all of our deliveries is extremely important to us. Recycled pulp, compostable trays, paper bags, and natural sheepswool liners are used in order to ensure all aspects of our deliveries are biodegradable and sustainable.
However, we are aiming to further our positive impact in this area through our ‘Return Your Packaging for Free’ scheme. When our customers have collected at least four wool-cool liners and ice packs from their orders, they are able to send them back to us in an Eversfield Organic box and return the items for reuse free of charge. This is just another way in which we can help reduce waste by working together.
Image: Our Eversfield Organic Soil
Ways You Can Get Involved
Making subtle differences at an individual level can add up over time and help you lead a more sustainable life.
For example, why not try compostable cutlery and kitchenware the next time you are hosting a birthday party for the little ones?
Make the switch to refillable soaps and shampoos, or alternatively use these products in a can as aluminium is recycled much more widely than most plastics.
Consciously try and build your arsenal of reusable appliances as your old ones become unusable. This is also a great way to future-proof against frequent costs.
Don’t be a slave to sell-by dates! The vast majority of produce is still fine to consume a couple of days after this date on the label. Get experimental with leftovers and see what you can create, you may stumble across a new favourite.
Finally, support ethical, sustainable businesses such as ourselves that champion waste reduction and are passionate about producing food the way nature intended.