Taking its roots in the 1970s, Earth Day has become a global day to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Over 1 billion people in 193 countries take action on this day and beyond to preserve our planet.
Climate change, waste and pollution know no boundaries. A discarded plastic bag eventually finds its way back into the food chain, emissions from a flight add up to destabilising the ecosystem we all share.
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.
This Earth Day, we're celebrating our colleagues’ contributions towards a more sustainable future - the greatest inspiration for us all at Mambu. From improving their homes to civic action, these are just a few examples of how individuals are taking responsibility for the change they want to see and the ripple effect they are creating on their direct environment and beyond - as voters, colleagues, consumers, trusted friends and parents, and neighbours.
We created EcoTales as a way to educate, empower and entertain future generations. Using our stories and songs, our EcoTales characters champion environmental causes and issues as well as highlighting the impact of human behaviour on our planet.
Before the pandemic, we had the opportunity to deliver face-to-face workshops with over 100 children. It was absolutely brilliant to see children so energised by our characters and engaged in issues impacting our planet.
I’m constantly looking for ways to use technology to solve real problems in my environment, ideally coupled with another interest of mine: sustainability. While these goals can be conflicting, our lean smart home is a good example for how we strive for balance. I started our smart home project around 2010 with smart thermostats and extended it later with a Magic Mirror, smart bulbs, speakers, vacuum robots, different sensors, etc. - which the family loves!
Cycling has been part of my life for many years but where I have seen the most value (and challenge) has been my morning commutes. It's quicker (my old commute to Canary Wharf used to take 30 mins by bike or 45 mins by train!) Cycling is growing in London and our streets are adapting to accommodate this too! Given we have such a focus on sustainability, and I will be just back from paternity leave, what better way to highlight how to travel and keep fit :)
I wanted to make a difference in my local community and joined our council taskforce to set up a local chapter of the national Mothers Climate Action Network. So far, we have ensured LED lighting is used in all schools, businesses and street lights and we're focused on improving cycle paths, cycle to school days, creating an eco hub and wildflower meadows. Small in themselves but hopefully visible enough that more people will then be taking further individual actions.
I switched individual plastic bags for produce for reusable fabric bags (even have some in my car for those impromptu trips). I am also convincing family members to stop buying water bottles and refill reusable containers.
I'm stopping using individual plastic bags for groceries at the store and bringing a tote bag I can directly put fruit and veggies into when I go to the supermarket or market. I am also choosing to buy local produce whenever it is available, over items that have had to be shipped from other countries.
On this Earth Day, our APAC team did a clothing recycling initiative - textile waste is a big issue in Asia. The collected clothing is reused or recycled, either into new fabric or even construction or automotive materials. If unsuitable it goes through a rigorous waste management process. It is great to see us coming together to make a positive impact bit by bit and preserve our beautiful planet.
Litter picking is a great addition to a walk around the neighbourhood and something everyone can easily do to help the environment.
To find out about other Mambu sustanability initiatives, revisit our commitment to align to 1.5 degrees, here.