What’s the Pledge?

Cut out meat from your diet every Monday – easy. Ditch the meat and fish for cleaner greener vegetables, pulses and beans.

Why Pledge?

Too much meat isn’t good for us or the planet. By cutting down the amount of meat we eat and replacing with other proteins we can:

• improve our own health
• save money
• reduce our impact on the environment

Visit the Meat Free Monday website.

What’s the Pledge?

Turn off the lights every time you’re the last to leave a room, and and any electrical equipment such as laptops, microwaves etc when not in use.

Look out for other things that are on when they shouldn’t be – especially things like mobile phone chargers.

Why Pledge?

Turning off unnecessary electrics will:

• Lower your energy costs
• Reduce your environmental impact
• Create a more peaceful environment in your home

More tips and ideas for how to save energy.

What’s the Pledge?

Sugar hides in unexpected places from pasta sauces to peanut butter as well as in the more obvious temptations like fizzy drinks and biscuits.

Try swapping sugar-packed options for something a bit kinder to your body. Start with drinks and aim to swap at least one drink per day for something sugar free*.

Say, swap a can of coke for a cup of tea. Or a snack bar for some carrot and hummus.

*remember that sugar free is not the same as no added sugar

Why Pledge?

Everyone from children to grown-ups is eating too much sugar – on average we all need to halve what we have each day to protect ourselves against future health problems.

Plus sugar production has a real impact on our environment; in the EU alone 3 million tonnes of soil is lost each year through beet farming.

• Save on sugar and save on  pounds – both money and weight !
• Diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes cost the NHS millions each year – money which could be saved if more people take actions now to improve their future health.
• Sugar crops have a big impact on our environment, if we use less we can grow it more sustainably.

What’s the Pledge?

Make one less car journey a week.

Why Pledge?

Some of us need to use cars. But finding alternative ways to get around, even just some of the time, we can:

• reduce pressure on roads, car parks – and the environment
• be more active (walking or cycling)
• get a bit of time back for ourselves (reading on the train or the bus)

What’s the Pledge?

Take an extra 15-minute walk, at least once a week.

Whether it is getting off a stop earlier on the bus to work or home, or popping out to the shops, build walking into your weekly routine.

Why Pledge?

Many of us sit for long periods during the day.

Taking a brief walk is proven to be good for us. It

• enables us to think more clearly
• give us some gentle exercise
• means a change of scene and the chance to see what’s happening around us.

See more tips and advice on healthy living.

What’s the Dare?

Drink at least 2 litres of water every day. Fill up a bottle to take out and about whether at work or home. And while you’re there, if you see a tap dripping give it a tweak to turn it off.

Why Dare?

Water is the stuff of life, and we need to cherish every drop as changing weather patterns reduce our supplies. Being water-wise will:

• Keep us hydrated and healthy
• Reduce our water wastage and save money
• Preserve supplies in times of drought

For more information on saving water at work and at home, check out our tips and advice page. Or for advice on keeping hydrated, see NHS UK.