ON DUTY CITIZEN
MEGAN WILLIAMS
1) What inspired you to get involved in the sustainability movement?
To be honest for the longest time I was one of those people who always bought plastic water bottles for drinking water at home and never noticed how many single use plastic products I would use a day. I started to take much more notice in the last couple of years since people on social media are making more noise about the impact we are having on our planet. From there I did more research on my own to read up on the effect single use plastics are having on the environment. Once I became more aware I made many changes from having a big Berkey water filter at home to always (or as much as possible) carrying a metal water bottle, a coffee cup and a canvas bag with me. Then from there from having many more conversations about how to be more sustainable my boyfriend Vince and I ended up creating our own reusable product. That’s why social media is such an amazing platform to spread these positive messages to influence people to make easy changes to be more sustainable.
2) What specifically is your involvement in the sustainable/ethical world?
So together Vince and I have created a reusable cup that folds down to just 2cm called the HUNU coffee cup. We wanted to combat something that I think stops many people (including me for a long time) from not using their own coffee cup which is the inconvenience of having to carry it. We’ve designed a foldable cup that folds small enough to fit in the majority bags (even the little fashionable ones) and pockets. We want to make something that is one of the staple things you take with you when you leave the house just like your wallet and keys.
3) What are some daily habits or tips you have to live a more conscious lifestyle?
I travel a lot for work so just being more prepared for that. For example, always carrying my water bottle with me as in all airports you will find somewhere to fill up your water bottle. Simple things like taking my own bags to the grocery store which is actually something I have been doing for a long time as growing up in the uk they have for a long time charged you for every plastic bag you use. And of course trying to always have my coffee cup on me- even if its just for grabbing a quick glass of water when you’re out instead of having to use the paper cups that are lined with plastic! I’ve also this year finally got a Citi bike membership which encouraged me to cycle much more in the city. It’s so easy and I actually much prefer getting around the city this way when I can.
4) What are you most optimistic about in regards to environmentalism?
Right now I feel there is a lot of noise about the changes we personally need to make to help the environment and people are starting to take notice and listen. I’m optimistic about people who are starting to make small changes in their daily life that can snowball into making a big impact for the health of our oceans. I think as people become more conscious and aware they also educate themselves more in what is happening and as a society we can produce large shifts in the way we live our life that will be passed down to future generations.
5) What are some of your resources you use to learn more about sustainability?
Honestly Instagram is a great place to learn and read, I feel like the people posting about how they lead a sustainable life has become more and more common. I love pages like the @packagesfreeshop which gives you ideas and products to help lead a more sustainable life easily and more educational pages like @plastictides which focuses on what is happening to our planet and what we need to do to help.
6) What advice do you have for someone who would like to live more sustainably?
I would start by educating yourself first on the what is happening all around us. I think when you put some context to why we all need to try our best to lead a more sustainable life, then the changes are easier to enforce on your daily habits. I generally feel guilty when I forget to bring my water bottle or coffee cup with me or if a restaurant serves me a drink with a plastic straw as I know the effects these things have on our planet. Becoming aware is a huge factor to then make these small changes in your everyday life.
7) What projects or campaigns are you currently supporting?
I hosted a world oceans day event raising money for The Whale and Dolphin Conservation which we also hope to partner with for a limited edition HUNU cup with when we launch next year.
8) Could you tell us about a challenge or obstacle you faced working in sustainability? How did you overcome it?
A challenge we faced when starting our company was the basic fact that to combat an area of single use plastics we are having to in turn produce a new product. Which we knew itself comes with some downfalls. However, the more people who use our product because of its compact size and convenience who otherwise would not- it will quickly outweigh any effect we have with producing a new product.
