Florian has come to realise that sustainability is often associated with making sacrifices – giving up meat, long-haul travel, etc. As a communications expert, he sees real opportunity for changing our mindset in this respect. “I’m making more and more of an effort to reframe the way I think by asking myself how I can benefit from making sustainable choices. The outcome is often really positive, like better health, fitness, quality of life ... I want to make this mindset an even bigger part of how I do things.”
3 sustainability tips from Florian Breßler
Choose more sustainable travel
As a commuter between Hamburg and Berlin, Florian can be proud of his travel carbon footprint. “Deutsche Bahn informs registered users about their carbon footprint: last year, I saved 3.5 tonnes of CO2 compared to travelling by car!” In Hamburg, he uses public transport and the JobRad scheme. “A positive side effect is that I’m really enjoying cycling again, to the extent that I’m not just using my bike for work but in my free time as well.”
Throw less away
While having a household clear-out, Florian realised that things you no longer need yourself can be of great use to others. An old sideboard might become the centrepiece of a new communal kitchen, a record collection will make a music lover happy and a family can still make good use of a working vacuum cleaner. His tip: rather than throwing something away, pass it on, donate it or give it away!
Borrow instead of buy
Florian has also had good experiences with borrowing and lending tools. “We often use drills and other tools for just a few minutes a year. Not only is this incredibly expensive, but it also wastes storage space and is not a sustainable solution.” Florian recommends community platforms like the German site nebenan.de for borrowing and lending.