Climate change is already affecting millions of people across the world, including right here in the UK. Putting a cardboard box in the recycling bin can seem like a thankless task with so much doom and gloom in the news, but every single action, no matter how small, makes a difference, and if each and every one of us made even just one change, that adds up to one huge wave of support for the environment.

Choose refills over packets

Refill shops and stations are popping up in more and more towns, cities and villages, making it easier for people to refill containers rather than buying brand new products. From pasta, rice and oats to spices, shampoo and washing up liquid, you can refill pretty much everything these days. You don’t even have to buy fancy new containers – whatever you have lying around will work and it’s a great way to give old plastic containers a new lease of life.

Even if you don’t have a refill shop or refill station nearby, something as simple as investing in a reusable water bottle will drastically cut down your plastic use.

Get recycling

Recycling is perhaps the most accessible way to help save nature and tackle climate change. As well as keeping dangerous items that could injure wildlife out of the natural environment, you’re reducing the amount of waste that gets sent to landfill and takes hundreds of years to break down. You could even go one step further than your household recycling bins and check out TerraCycle, which lists nearby locations where you can recycle everything from crisp packets to electric toothbrush heads.

Unfortunately, recycling isn’t always as simple as it’s made out to be and there are a couple of unwritten rules that will help you recycle more effectively:

• Only recycle clean cardboard – grease and food debris can contaminate the rest of the recyclable materials and see the whole lot sent to landfill.
• Collect your foil and turn it into a ball. Sorting machines struggle to pick up foils below a certain size, so collect yours until you have a tennis ball-sized ball.

Leave the car at home

Can you walk or cycle somewhere instead of driving? If work, the shops, or your friends and family’s homes are within distance, leave the car at home and head there on two legs or two wheels instead. You’ll save petrol, save the planet and get some exercise in the great outdoors while you’re at it.

Rethink your food

The food we eat can have a huge impact on the planet – in fact, a quarter of global emissions come from food alone. Thankfully, there are ways to lessen your footprint whilst still enjoying delicious meals.

Cut down on animal products

More than half of food emissions come from animal products, so the easiest change is to cut down on the amount of meat, milk and eggs you consume. Even a simple meat-free Monday every week will help to reduce your carbon footprint – the carbon footprint of one cheeseburger is around that of nine falafel and pitta pockets!

Make your own compost

In the UK we discard almost one million tonnes of milk, bread and potatoes every year. These end up in landfill, where they take many years to completely degrade and, while they do break down, emit methane into the atmosphere. The good news is that around 37 per cent of carbon emissions from food waste happen when food is prepared and after it’s eaten, so the power is in our own hands to reduce it:

• Freeze your leftovers and things like extra tinned tomatoes or baked beans.
• Plan your meals each week and write a shopping list, so you only buy what you need.
• Compost unavoidable food waste like vegetable cuttings.

Shop seasonally

Eating what’s in season is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint – it won’t have travelled as far and will have been grown more sustainably, plus, it will taste better and be more nutritious. For example: strawberries are in season from June to September, while apples come into season from September to February. You can check what’s in season using this table.

Be part of a nature recovery network

A nature recovery network is an interconnected landscape of wild places across the UK, for example: legally-protected nature reserves linked up by things like flower-rich road verges, blocks of flats with green roofs, and wildlife-friendly gardens. That last one is something we can all create, no matter how large or small our space. Even balconies can play their part – as illustrated by Manchester’s very own Cloud Gardener.

Wildlife-friendly gardening doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply choose pollinator-friendly plants, put down the chemicals, choose peat-free compost and let some areas grow wild. There are more tips in our free My Wild Garden booklet.

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Respect and protect green spaces

From nature reserves to windswept moors and little patches of woodland, treating our local green spaces with respect will make sure the wildlife that lives there will survive into the future, and that future generations can continue to enjoy these precious wild places.

• Keep your dog on a lead, especially during bird breeding season.
• Take your litter home and don’t have barbecues.
• Stick to footpaths.
• Close any gates behind you.
• Follow the Countryside Code.
• Volunteer to help improve your local area for wildlife and people.

Make your voice heard

Your voice can be incredibly powerful, regardless of whether you’re a top decision-maker, social media influencer or armchair activist. Use your social media accounts to raise awareness about the issues we face and the solutions we need to invest in, write to your MP, or simply have an honest conversation with your friends and family. Helping people understand why we need to take action now will give our planet and its wildlife a better chance of survival.