People are at the heart of what we do, the focus of our work is to help them to make the small sustainable lifestyle changes that don’t just cut carbon, but also lead to happier, healthier lives.

So let’s meet some, Bianca made her pledges for the University of Central Lancashire’s program, while Nick made his pledges for the University of Chester, I sat down to ask them a couple of questions about their experiences using Do Nation.

How did you first find out your Universities were working with Do Nation?

Bianca – My university held a ‘green week’ that promoted it

Nick  – I work in the same open plan office as the head of sustainability so when I started here last August was the 1st time I heard about it. Literally from day one of my employment.

What was your initial reaction to being asked to pledge?

Bianca – I was uncertain what to do or how I could possibly help!

Nick – To be honest I thought ‘now they’re asking me to do stuff out of work’ but after looking into it I realised it was as much as having a bit of fun than anything else

What did you do with the time you saved through your pledge to do Shower power?

Bianca – Extra time sleeping!

Nick – I could have utilised my time a bit better but it just meant less rushing around in the morning and it was quite surprising how much time (and water) I used to waste. We used to have fun at home, if I went over my time then she would run the cold tap!

Nick, you pledged to do Fish Food, did you find it hard to find sustainable fish? Was it well labelled in shops?

Surprisingly no, I think most supermarkets like to advertise the fact they try to source fish responsively and I even liked the fact that a McDonalds Fillet o’ fish is Alaskan Pollock which is sustainable! I’m not a fish expert Nick, so swapping unsustainable for sustainable was not a great deal and to be honest it was a nice change (and cheaper too)

You also pledged to do Eat Up, How did this pledge change your food habits?

I think this has had the biggest impact on my life as now I order fresh veg each week from the Natural Veg Men who deliver a selection of fresh produce to my door each week and I don’t even have a food waste bin anymore!

Bianca, you pledged to to Do More, how did you find speaking to other people about what they could do to help the environment?

It was simple, I gave handy tips or reminded people what they were already doing at home and encouraged them to do the same at uni.

You made quite a few pledges, which was the most challenging?

Step It Up- taking the stairs when I can see an elevator door opening! I never realised how much I relied on elevators on a daily basis.

How did you feel about your achievements at the end of the two months?

Bianca – It felt natural to do stuff like turn off taps, lights and to use the stairs etc. I wouldn’t have realised two months passed if I didn’t get the occasional email

Nick – I think ‘empowered’ is too much a strong word but I definitely felt like I was doing more for the environment and also helping myself along the way. We still use the pedometers in work to this day and are always on the lookout for other things to do.

Thanks to both Nick and Bianca for taking the time to speak to me.