I put me before
Hi, I am Christoph!
Hello dear reader! I am Christoph Schulz, Environmental Scientist, passionate Conservationist and Author - Year of construction 1988 and happily married, sports enthusiast Berlin. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you my story.
Blog
Here at CareElite, I write about environmentalism, minimalism, veganism, personal development, and all the tips & tricks for a truly conscious and sustainable lifestyle, along with guest author friends.
Cooperation
I am open to collaboration that adds value to our society or planet. You can learn more about the cooperation possibilities by clicking on the following button.
Services
Whether it's lectures, advertising, nature or image films, help with grant applications, online marketing and sustainability consulting - if you want to make the world a little bit better with your project, I'm happy to help!
WHEREFORE I FIGHT
My story
For many years now, I have been actively involved in protecting our planet and all the creatures that roam it. But of course, this was not always the case. After completing my training as a banker and studying multimedia marketing, I was initially quite surprised to discover that I lacked a real, long-term goal in life. What do I actually want to achieve, what do I want to stand up for and what is my mission in life? I didn't have an answer yet - but I wanted to find it.
THIS ONE MOMENT IN SRI LANKA
With a Backpack trip in Sri Lanka, I gave myself 3 weeks to find the answer. Already during my first casual beach run in Arugam Bay, a wave of individual flip flops, crumpled straws, cups, juice packets and lots of disposable plastic bottles washed towards me. On one of these plastic bottles - still easy to read - was an expiration date of 1986. The contents had, of course, long since been enjoyed - but the bottle itself still looked as if it had been carelessly thrown into the water just a few days ago.
While questions like "How come the bottle still looks so brand new?" or "What is the cause of the garbage wave?" and raced through my head, I first got myself some garbage bags and started cleaning up. Not just the one wave, but all the rest of the disposable trash I could find on the beach. Barely twenty minutes later, there were four of us. A local resident and two tourists packed with. Only 2 hours, six more participants and twelve bulging garbage bags later, the beach then looked again as one knew it from the typical vacation catalogs. A really satisfying moment. The trash then disappeared at a local recycling company that I had contacted after our action.
But the questions in my head kept piling up: "Why hasn't anyone done anything, even though this garbage has obviously been sloshing back and forth here for decades?" and "To what extent am I actually part of this problem?" After a well-earned after-work beer with the helpers, I started researching on the laptop: Plastic is eternalbecause it is not biodegradable. It's remarkable that I didn't know that until then. I also found out that a plastic bottle takes about 450 years to decompose into smaller microplastics due to sun, wind and waves. No one had done anything about it because disposable plastic is a fixed, convenient part of our habits and the garbage is ubiquitous. Garbage that I also produce at home in large quantities - and that is also exported from Germany mainly to Asian countries without functioning recycling systems.
So I had found all the answers to my questions. Also to the very big one concerning my life's task. I had understood that it is not enough to hope that someone else will already save our planet. Because if you want change, you have to be part of the solution to the problem yourself. And that's why I organized more cleanups in Sri Lanka for the rest of my trip at the beginning of 2017. Since then, I have drastically reduced my personal plastic waste and am now actively engaged against plastic waste in the environment and meanwhile also all other, ecological and social challenges of our time - and show here at CareElite how each of us can live more plastic-free and sustainable.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE TRIP
In such a short time, my life has changed in an incredibly positive way. CareElite is growing and growing. Instead of working hours of 9am - 5pm in a job I only do to make money, I now get to dedicate myself daily and full time as a self-employed person to raising awareness for a more sustainable society. And earn my living with a task for which I burn. New doors opened up all the time. I even get to advocate for environmental issues regularly on TV, in podcasts, and in newspapers and magazines. By the way, if you want, you can also learn more about me in the media articles.
While at the beginning of my self-employment I flew to many other countries in Southeast Asia to organize and support further clean-up campaigns against plastic waste, I now try to more from Germany about my growing community to move. This worldwide Facebook group for Beach CleanUps allows me to motivate and bring people together even from home. Through my work for environmental protection and my love for animals, after a short initial resistance based on my longstanding habits, I now also live vegan. A step that has made me much happier, as I now live in accordance with my personal values - and no more animals are killed for my lifestyle.
Nobody has to do everything perfectly in his life - it is simply important to constantly evolve and strive for an increasingly environmentally friendly way of life. After all, we ourselves must be the change we want to see in this world.
Stay sustainable - and have fun at CareElite!
PS.: If you like, you can directly download download one of my e-books for free and thus start a more sustainable everyday life.
Hello Christoph,
I just saw you on ORF by chance and my whole face was beaming because I admire your commitment so much.
This site is so great and I am just thrilled.
Two years ago I was in India for a few months. There, I was very shocked by the plastic situation. When you see the mountains of garbage around Delhi, it takes your breath away. Since then, I have been thinking about how to teach people that plastic is not simply biodegradable like a banana leaf....
Unfortunately, I have also noticed among the educated, young generation that they simply throw trash out of moving cars. Are there plans to do educational programs in developing countries? I am burning to solve this problem and with a large community the goal is within reach.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts for the environment.
Love, Maria
Hey Maria! Thank you for your message, that makes all the more courage! 🙂
Been to India for some time as well. Look for CleanUp Versova Beach on Facebook. Afroz Shah has already moved a lot there.
We have to manage to get the topic of environmental protection more into the school curriculum. There are some teachers who bring in their own ideas, but there are no concrete specifications in the curriculum. In developing countries, integration into the classroom is even more important. In Bali, for example, there are regularly children at the CleanUps who, so to speak, set an example for their parents.
Many greetings and a nice week for you!
Christoph
Hello Christoph!
A few months ago, we had a speaker from the University of Oldenburg at the Landfrauen who gave a very impressive talk on the subject of the plastic tsunami.
Yesterday, my daughter got your book as a gift and then we came up with the idea to offer a workshop with the topic of plastic-free household cleaners make yourself. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to find a speaker for it on the Internet.
Maybe you have an idea.
Our club is in Lower Saxony in the district of Celle.
I am glad about answer!
Greeting Brigitte
Hello Brigitte,
super, that makes me happy to hear of course 🙂
Phew, I do make some DIY home remedies myself, but if you're looking for someone to lecture on that, I'm sure others are better than me.
Just Google a blogger in the field who has the full expertise in this niche topic.
Many greetings
Christoph
Hello Brigitte/Christoph,
If I were in Germany right now, I would make something for you!
I have a source that offers household cleaner 100% plastic-free. Doesn't make it yourself, but ticks almost all the boxes! You get a selection of concentrated cleaners in finger-sized, water-soluble sachets/pods, put one in your empty spray bottle, fill up with water, and you're good to go! The stuff is biodegradable, harmless to animals and plants when diluted and comes in a cardboard box (10 x 10 x 2 cm approx.) by mail
Celle I know. When I still lived in Hamburg I had had a Discovery from B & B cars!
Hello Christoph,
Your contributions are super interesting and have also immediately sensitized me. In addition, your commitment is very impressive. Hats off!
In the context of a school project "Away from the throwaway society" we would like to start regional actions on a website and also get involved. Would it be possible to mention you and your global actions or to link your homepage?
This would make us very happy!
Greetings Sonja
Hi Sonja! Thanks for your great feedback. Very happy to use some content and tips for your site 🙂 Good luck!
Many greetings
Christoph