Being eco-friendly is one of the largest steps you can take towards bettering the Earth and it is no secret that our planet needs us to act quickly. Global warming is no joking matter, making even a slight change in your habits a step towards a better future. Here are some steps you can take to make sure that this planet of ours is habitable for future generations.
Eating a diet that mostly consists of meat is one of the biggest eco sins. The meat industry spends a ridiculous amount of water - for one hamburger to reach your plate one gallon of water is needed. Though it’s unreasonable to advocate for every person on the Earth to go vegan, there are small steps each of us can make. Just reducing the amount of meat you consume is impactful. Try to limit your meat intake to two to three times a week and research more plant based meals.
There are some amazing shampoos and shower gels on the market that come in a bar form. If you opt for them instead of the ones in the plastic bottles you’ll be significantly reducing your carbon footprint. Another thing to consider is that if you menstruate you should use sustainable period products such as menstrual cups or menstrual underwear. Cups are a great option for you if you use tampons on the regular, but if you’re more of a pad person invest in special rewashable menstrual underwear.
All of us are guilty of sometimes not paying attention to the light switches and leaving the lightbulbs on for hours on end. And not only the lightbulbs, other electricals as well. A great way to save up energy and reduce your carbon footprint is to just turn these off. Not only will you make a great impact towards bettering our environment, you’ll reduce your energy bill as well.
A great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to recycle. Before mindlessly throwing something away, check the package for the ‘chasing arrows’ logo. It looks like three arrows chasing each other making a triangle. If you can find it on the package it can be recycled. However, keep in mind that you need to separate your waste first, it’s either made of metal, plastic, paper or glass. A lot of recycling hubs have designated spots for each type of waste.
We should be mindful before supporting a business with our money. Some of the biggest companies have a horrifying track record when it comes to sustainability and eco-politics which shouldn’t be overlooked. So to avoid encouraging practices which are detrimental to our environment you should do some research first. Maybe there’s a smaller local production of a product you need which is infinitely more environmentally friendly than a global conglomerate.
A lot of carbon is being put out into our atmosphere because of the transportation of goods. When you shop locally for food you are reducing your so called ‘food miles’. This is a very important step in being more eco-friendly. By buying local produce you’re reducing the environmental impact your food intake has. Additionally, you’ll positively influence your local economy.
Everyone loves to travel, but when travelling try to pick destinations that you can reach by car or boat. Airplanes emit the most carbon out of all other means of transportation. If flying is unavoidable try to reduce the mileage. The longer you fly the larger carbon emissions are.
When you buy fruits and veggies which aren’t in season you are getting the food which has been grown in massive greenhouses. In order to be produced, tonnes of energy is being used to emulate the climate in which these plants naturally grow. To reduce your carbon footprint try eating what’s in season to ensure you’re not getting the greenhouse fruits and veggies.
Nemanja Marinkov is a health/lifestyle expert. He's interested in all things related to nutrition, fitness and eco-friendly living.