Welcome to the Sovereign Eco-Challenge!
Contact us
We would love to hear about and see any feedback from your eco efforts and challenges or if you have any questions about how the weekly challenges work and what you need to do, please email the Eco-Challenge Team.
Email: ecochallenge@groundwork.org.uk
In the end, it’s not really about saving the planet. It’s about saving ourselves
DAvid Attenborough
Why it matters
The climate and nature emergency is one of the greatest challenges that humanity has ever faced. We are already seeing the effects today and we need to act now if we wish to protect the biodiversity and climate that supports our civilisation.
What is the Eco-Challenge?
Some of these problems will need high level international cooperation to solve, but many are linked to the way we all live our lives. The Eco-Challenge is a series of fun and inspiring challenges and tips that help you to explore new ways to be greener and that empower you to take practical action on the climate and nature emergency.
How to play
Each challenge is worth either 10, 20 or 30 points and bonus points will be awarded for fantastic submissions.
The more points earned the higher the chance of winning prizes. We will be giving away weekly £25 voucher for top placing, £10 for runner up placing and spot prizes for best efforts and submissions.
Starting your challenges
To get started you need to click on the link for the current challenge and then work through the steps at home. We recommend checking in with your colleagues to give each other tips, stay on target and to make sure you have the best chance of picking up those precious bonus points!
If you have other people in your household why not get them involved too? Many of the challenges are great fun for all the family.
When you have completed the task, contact your Eco-Challenge facilitator to let them know, so they can award you your points.
Week Three
Bath salts challenge – 10 points
Many products we use in our daily routines can be damaging to the environment. It is estimated that liquid soap has a carbon footprint 10 times greater than a of bar soap.
Clothes recycling- 20 points
The clothing industry is responsible for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes more energy than aviation and shipping combined according to the United Nations Environment Program.
Water and energy use challenge – 30 points
Domestic homes use over 40% of UK energy and are responsible for 25% of the country’s CO2 emissions, contributing significantly to global warming.
Week Two
Love your leftovers – 10 points
Every year in the UK we throw away 4.5 million tonnes of food that could have been eaten. The impact that this food wastage has on the environment is huge.
Home upcycling – 20 points
A massive issue in the UK is that more than half of our recyclable waste ends up in landfill or is destroyed.
Really wild challenge – 30 points
This loss of species is happening at an alarming rate and not enough is being done to reverse the damage to our natural environment, both here and across the globe. This challenge is all about appreciating these vital spaces local to us that are carved out for our wildlife and discovering ways to support biodiversity on our doorstep.
Week One
The eco spot check challenge – 10 points
The first step to reducing your environmental impact is understanding what your current impact is and where you can make the most difference.
Reduce and reuse – 20 points
Each year we produce 300 million tons of plastic globally, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle from production to refining to the way it is managed as a waste product. Plastic takes hundreds of years to biodegrade and single-use plastic bags have been found in the world’s deepest ocean trench.
Don’t throw it, regrow it – 30 points
The production of the food we eat is one the main contributors to climate change. The clearance of land for agriculture also has a huge impact on the amount of habitat available for plants and wildlife that help our planet to thrive. Reducing the amount of food that is wasted is an easy way to reduce this impact – this challenge explores fun ways to cut that waste.
