A continuing rise in waste packaging materials is creating ever increasing environmental concerns associated with carbon emissions, waste disposal and plastic pollution on a global scale. Although we have not experienced a significant increase in this area, we have reviewed our own procedures to see how we can help reduce and/or re-use our waste products as much as possible. At the office, our printers print double-sided by default and in black, our lighting is all LED-based, our heating has recently been changed to an air-source heat pump, and most of our meetings are by Skype or WhatsApp. Apart from that our snacks are home-made, the coffee is made on a cafetière and the mint tea comes straight from the garden (so there are less capsules and tea bags). We have even found a local dairy which has started to use recyclable glass milk bottles again. Believe it or not, even our used paper gets a second life, as after shredded at the office it is sent to the local butcher who is very happy to use it to smoke the famous local chorizos! Whilst our contribution is only very small, every little helps!

Mónica Machado is an English into European Portuguese translator, specialised in Oil and Gas, Mining and Geology, Environment, Hydroelectric Power, Renewables, HSE, Shipping and Business Legal Areas, working for Portugal and Portuguese-speaking African countries, such as Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe.