A healthy planet is not an option – it’s a necessity

As the Government announces its radical new climate change commitments during the week that billions of people around the world are taking part in Earth Day events to learn about cutting-edge solutions to combat climate change, the importance of the issues around sustainability has never been more prevalent.

DAMAGE IS OUR BUSINESS

For a business such as Plastic Surgeon, where we work to restore damage rather than replace fixtures and fittings, we are already working towards a more sustainable environment, educating clients that there is no longer a need for a “throwaway society” where we automatically reach for a replacement whenever anything is damaged.

WE NEED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS

Deciding as to whether an item is suitable for repair is often a difficult decision. Can we, as a nation, be allowed to simply replace a bathroom fitting if it has sustained cosmetic damage or should there be social and financial repercussions for automatic replacement to encourage a more educated population to think about the environmental impact of their actions?

As the Government works towards its 2050 target of Zero Emissions, the UK will have to implement radical changes in our lifestyle – homes will be required to be better insulated, use renewable electricity and install low carbon heating. We will all be encouraged to eat less red meat and dairy, move towards a plant-based diet, and use cars less and public transport more.

OUR JOB IS TO SHOW CLIENTS JUST HOW GOOD WE ARE

Our job is to educate our customers to consider restoration over replacement as the first step in any job. We deal with construction and house build sites daily and see the number of fixtures that are ripped out of sites and replaced, as some sites still think it is quicker, cheaper, and easier to just start again. Insurance claimants still expect “New for old” when a lot of the time our restoration services could be used to give damaged items a completely new lease of life. Our homeowner enquiries are often refused on a basis of cost alone, but the actual cost of replacing an item is much more than the price of a replacement unit.

“Every one of us needs a healthy Earth to support our jobs, livelihoods, health & survival, and happiness. A healthy planet is not an option — it is a necessity.”
Greta Thunberg

It’s time for us all to step up and consider our actions as we look towards a greener future. By choosing to restore rather than replace damaged items, you are respecting the planet and living in harmony with it. Your choices could have a big impact on the climate crisis, reducing GHG at the same time as improving the health of the nation and our future legacy.

Find out more about Earth Day and the environmental impact on our planet https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2021/