In recent years, the topic of sustainability has become increasingly important, and for good reason. In view of climate change and ever-increasing consumption, the remaining resources are becoming increasingly scarce. For many brands and companies, these topics are therefore becoming increasingly important. The sustainability aspect of classic oat drinks in beverage cartons, in terms of packaging and transport volume, even provided the founding idea for Pelster's.
But it's not just companies that can make their contribution to greater sustainability - every individual also has the means to help. However, stressful everyday life, a lack of interest or a lack of knowledge often stand in the way of this. In this article, we present ten useful and easy-to-implement tips to help you manage your everyday life more sustainably.
1. Plan your purchases according to your needs
Planning your shopping according to your needs and only buying as much as you need is not only a useful tip, but also one that can save you a lot of money. By having a shopping list, you often only buy what you really need, which means you spend less money on food you don't need.
We at Pelster's offer oat drink powder, which can be mixed with drinking water to make an oat drink as needed. This has been proven to reduce food waste.
2. Buy seasonal products
Paying attention to seasonal products when shopping has several advantages. On the one hand, long transport routes are saved and less CO2 is consumed. This in turn helps the climate and minimizes air pollution. On the other hand, farmers and the regional product diversity are supported and kept alive. In addition, seasonal products are often cheaper, which is a welcome side effect for your bank balance.
3. Food storage
Proper food storage is crucial for the longevity of products. The longer food can be stored, the longer it can be used and does not have to be thrown away. This in turn reduces food waste and prevents the frequent purchase of new food. Some tips are: Store carrots in water, which makes them less shriveled. Store apples and bananas separately, otherwise the bananas will ripen too quickly. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place to prevent germination...
We provide instructions on how to store our products correctly on our packaging, which ensures that our products stay fresh and are edible for a long time. In addition, the opened powder has a longer shelf life when dry than liquid products, often long after the best-before date has expired (see point 7).
4. Waste separation
Proper waste separation is important because it allows packaging to be recycled or reused. Organic waste can also be used as compost for fertilizing the garden or to generate energy.
To make waste separation as easy as possible for you, we indicate on our packaging how the individual components should be disposed of so that as much of it as possible can be recycled.
5. Avoid packaging
Packaging should be avoided as much as possible. Food is often packaged in plastic even though it already has natural protection against external influences, such as cucumbers, peppers or bananas. The packaging therefore does not fulfil a necessary function. For easier storage and better transport, you can use reusable bags or nets made of cotton or bring your own container.
6. Upcycling
Upcycling allows material to be reused and potentially given a new function. This is great fun for children in particular, and parents have wonderful new decorations or gift ideas for grandparents or relatives.
That's why we offer many DIYs with our empty cans and jars on our website. Feel free to take a look at our creative workshop: https://pelsters.de/blogs/kreativ-werkstatt
7. Best before date as a guide
The best-before date should only serve as a guide. The purpose of the best-before date is to make it clear to the consumer that the optimal sensory conditions are present up to this date. This means that the appearance, taste, smell and special labeling features of the products are 100% present. Conversely, however, the food is not automatically bad even after the best-before date has expired. The manufacturer simply no longer provides a 100% guarantee of optimal condition after the best-before date has expired. Products after the best-before date are therefore often still safe to use. The rule of thumb "If something smells good, looks good and tastes good, it is still edible after the best-before date has expired" should therefore always be applied first before the food is disposed of.
8. Organic and eco are protected terms
The terms "organic" and "eco" are legally protected terms. If these two terms are used on food packaging, then the food is really organic. The definitions are regulated by EU legislation. There are also seals on organic food that can be used as additional identifying features. The EU organic seal is a light green rectangle with a leaf made up of 12 small white stars on it.
We at Pelster's also have some organic products in our range.
9. Ingredients
You should always pay attention to the ingredients and the small print on packaging, because the fewer ingredients a product has, the less processed and the more natural it is.
Did you know that we do not use added ingredients in our products and only use the most necessary ingredients use? You can find more information about additives here: https://pelsters.de/blogs/pelsters-magazin/zusatzstoffe-alltagliche-gefahr-oder-harmlose-zutat
10. Food sharing
Food sharing can save food from supermarkets, bakeries or other shops that would otherwise have had to be thrown away. These foods are not spoiled or bad, but are no longer allowed to be sold under food law. This also includes foods with an expired best-before date.
In conclusion, the tips presented offer you practical ways to live more sustainably in everyday life. They can help conserve resources and reduce environmental impact. It is also encouraging to see that more and more companies are actively contributing to raising consumer awareness of sustainability through their products and information and supporting its implementation.
