Flora Freedom used a CO2 calculator on four popular plant based foods and it turns out- salad is not as innocent as you'd think. The study found over a year- it can make a huge difference to the environment if you make these simple swaps.
Vegan on Female First
When it comes to salads- sadly they are not all created equal. Cucumber creates 28 times more CO2 than carrots- which is the same as travelling 150km in your car. Pineapple produces 12 times more CO2 than strawberries too. So if you went vegan to help the environment- it might be time to shop smarter.
When it comes to butter- if you swap to dairy-free you could reduce carbon emissions by as much as the equivalent of 11 hours of television. Plus you are seriously reducing your saturated fat consumption, by 60% in fact.
Tom Cumberlege from the Carbon Trust said: "If lots of people make small changes to their lifestyles it can collectively make a big difference to the environment. Transitioning to a diet that is more plant-based and contains less meat and dairy is one example of this. To put things into perspective, the UK public eats 140,000 tonnes of butter each year[ii]. Its production uses enough water to fill 10,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. We can significantly reduce our individual impacts by simply reviewing our buying habits and choosing lower carbon food."
Caroline Jary, Director of Flora Freedom UK, said: "There's plenty of evidence to show that plant-based foods are healthy. Not only are they good for you but this research by the Carbon Trust has also proven that they are better for the environment. By making simple swaps such as replacing butter with a plant based spread, we can start taking steps towards helping our planet."
The following simple swaps are easy to make, by enjoying a balanced diet you are benefitting your body and the environment.
Greenhouse tomatoes
Creates 17.99kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 1 tree
Or travelling 128km by car
Swap for- Field tomatoes
Creates 5.20kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 0 trees
Or travelling 37km by car
Cucumber
Creates 22.36kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 2 trees
Or travelling 159km by car
Swap for- Carrot
Creates 0.78kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 0 trees
Or travelling 5km by car
Mango
Creates 9.26kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 0 trees
Or travelling 66km by car
Swap for- Nectarine
Creates 2.24kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 0 tress
Or travelling 16km by car
Pineapple
Creates 9.26kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 0 trees
Or travelling 66km by car
Swap for- Strawberries
Creates 0.78kg of CO2e
The equivalent of felling 0 trees
Or travelling 5km by car
Tagged in Vegan