WELCOME TO THE Sustainability Diaries, where we lift the lid on changes people are making in their everyday lives to become more sustainable. Whether it’s the food we eat, the clothes we buy, or the way we travel and do business, our individual carbon footprints are all playing a part in the climate crisis.

Throughout this series, we’ll hear from people who are taking responsibility for their contributions and want to share the small changes they’re making that have lasting impact. 

In our first entry we’re heading west to join a 29-year-old computer programmer who has an affinity for Depop but who can’t quite say goodbye to cheese just yet… 

 Age: 29

Gender: Female

Occupation: Computer programmer

Location: Limerick

Who you live with: My boyfriend and our dog

When did you consciously start to make more sustainable choices?

Most of my sustainable choices center around clothing and diet. I stopped buying from fast-fashion brands and started phasing out meat around 2017. I’ve been a pescatarian since 2020 and might someday stop eating fish, however for now some of the alternative high-protein foods on the vegetarian market seem highly processed and it’s unclear how healthy they are. Also, while I have greatly reduced the amount of dairy in my diet, it would take a long time for me to go vegan – I’m aware of the cognitive dissonance here but I just really love cheese.

What does a typical day look like for you now that you’ve made sustainable changes?

I work from home so thankfully I don’t need to drive to work, but unfortunately I do find myself driving pretty much everywhere else as the public transport system in my area of Limerick is so poor and there aren’t enough bike lanes to feel safe while cycling.

Breakfast is typically cereal with oat milk or porridge with a banana and almond butter (I’ll probably swap this out for peanut butter at some point, as I’ve recently heard that almonds require a huge amount of water to grow). Then I make coffee with oat milk – it gets a bad rap for its hidden sugar content, but I just treat it as a milk and sweetener in one.

These days, lunch might be reheated leftovers, a pre-made vegetable tagine or curry with couscous or occasionally a tofu salad ordered in. If lunch isn’t very high in protein then I try to make up for it at dinner. I enjoy cooking so much more since I stopped eating meat – it has forced me to be more creative to find recipes where I feel full afterwards. I find the Buzzfeed Tasty app really helpful for this. Recently I’ve been making chickpea curry, tofu stir-fry, and halloumi with veg and couscous. When I do eat fish it’ll be tuna pasta bake or grilled salmon. My partner still eats chicken (he does a lot of sport so protein is a huge consideration for him) so if I’m cooking I’ll usually throw on a free-range chicken breast for him.

In the evening I take our dog for a walk and then do a workout at home, or once a week I’ll go to a yoga class nearby. If I still feel like my protein intake is on the low side in the evening, I make a smoothie with vegan protein powder.

We compost (and recycle) as much as possible throughout the day. I only learned recently that food waste that ends up in landfill releases methane rather than harmlessly breaking down. As we lived in apartments previously, composting wasn’t a convenient option – but I’m so glad to have a brown bin now that gets collected every two weeks.

What would you say to other people who want to make more sustainable choices but feel overwhelmed by the prospect?

Billionaires are literally taking day trips to space. As (non-billionaire) individuals, I don’t think sole responsibility for the current crisis rests on our shoulders, so any changes you make shouldn’t feel too much like a punishment. There’s a great quote from author Anne-Marie Bonneau: “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” I think that’s a great mantra to follow.

Top tips and tricks that you found helpful?

You could start by introducing meat-free days every week, and using them as an opportunity to try out some meat dupes/substitutes. Quorn does a great mince and I find halloumi to be a good alternative to chicken (just watch the high salt content). If you have an air fryer, this is the best way to cook halloumi and tofu IMO as it’s quick and gives a great crispy texture.

Download the Depop app and next time you need some new clothes, see what you can find second-hand (and much cheaper) there. I know second-hand shopping can be off-putting if you’ve only experienced it in charity shops, but apps like Depop make it really easy to search for what you want, and if you want you can find fast-fashion brands without going directly to the source. Plus, lots of the items are brand-new, from people who just missed their return deadline.

If you can afford it, you could also consider offsetting your carbon footprint using a service like GoClimate. I pay €12 per month (but I believe you can set this amount yourself) and this is used to finance projects that reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

If you want to get involved in our Sustainability Diaries series with An Post, simply get in touch by emailing sustainable@thejournal.ie. You can find out more information on what’s required here.

 An Post’s purpose is to act for the common good and to improve the quality of life in Ireland, now and for generations to come, and that is why they are committed to embedding sustainability into everything they do. Make sure to visit our sustainability hub and learn more about all things sustainable.