As a university student, my sphere of knowledge is vast, but not incredibly extensive outside of my field of study. Therefore, before living in the United Kingdom, I had little to no idea about their goal to become carbon neutral. This goal is advertised and presented to the general public all over city spaces and online. It is seen on billboards, bus stops, buses themselves, and flyers in the city.
From an outsider's perspective, as an American in the United Kingdom, it seems the UK is leaps and bounds ahead of the US when it comes to carbon neutrality and overall eco-friendliness as a country. There are simple, minute changes the country is making that make their goal to become a sustainable place. A few examples are the use of less plastic in grocery stores, shipping, and packaging. The plastic they use in grocery stores is thinner and minimal compared to plastic in the US. Similarly, I have noticed a higher use of easier-to-recycle materials like cardboard and glass. The UK also has tools in place to reduce the amount of water used in households, specifically hot water. Apartments and homes cannot just pump hot water out at all times, they run out of it much faster than most US homes and apartments. Lastly, most takeaway restaurants use biodegradable packaging and wooden utensils, similarly, grocery stores contain zero options for one-use plastic bags. Overall, it seems like most businesses, homes, and even the university I am attending are all working together to make the UK more eco-friendly.
As an American entering the UK for the first time, I am intrigued to see how many changes I notice between the US and the UK when it comes to environmentalism.
