The environmental conditions of our planet are worsening day by day. If you dig deep into the subject, you will realize that our home is dying due to melting ice caps, thinning of the ozone layer, and polluted air. It may seem that it is too late to do something to help, but this is not true. In fact, even the smallest things like using cars less often can help the environment if enough of us are willing to contribute. Read along to discover some of the easy ways you can play your part in keeping the Earth alive!
Avoid Using Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are bad for the environment for a lot of reasons. They are not biodegradable so they stay in the ground for many years. They also hurt marine life if thrown into the ocean. The simple decision of using reusable bags made from any material other than plastic can make a huge difference. You can buy bags made of cloth or make your own little bags for grocery shopping.
The only difficult thing here is remembering to take your reusable bag with you every time you go shopping. Telling your roommate to remind you to take the bag or setting a reminder on your phone can help with this issue. It is convenient to keep a few bags in your car in case you forget to bring one from home.
Say No to Single-Use Items
Items intended for single-use stuff up your garbage cans in no time and will eventually end up in landfills. Being a responsible citizen, you should try to find reusable alternatives to single-use items. Plastic straws are commonly used single-use items and it is not troublesome to avoid them altogether. However, if you are one of those people who can’t do without straws, you can opt for straws made of leaf stems, paper, stainless steel, or biodegradable plastic.
No Plastic Packaging
Everyone talks about the dangers of plastic for the environment. You can make wise decisions like not using plastic bags and plastic straws. However, there are items made of plastic that you do not willingly buy and yet can still go into your home. This is the plastic used in the packaging of the items you purchase. Shampoos, face washes, jams, spices, and many other household necessities come packed in layers of plastic. Once you use the product, you just throw the plastic container away, hurting the environment.
What you can do instead, is buy things in bulk from stores and brands that allow you to either bring your own container. Glass container manufacturing companies create glass jars in every size and shape. You can take them to the store and fill them with the lotions, shampoos, and other things you buy.
Save the Trees
Trees play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystems and keeping the environment clean. The importance of planting trees can’t be stressed enough but saving the existing trees is also important. A major reason behind chopping off this useful resource is for making paper. You can play your role in keeping the trees alive by using less paper.
One important tip for conserving paper is printing less often. Instead of printing all of your notes, you can study from an e-reader or a laptop. For times when printing is unavoidable, consider printing on both sides of the paper instead of a single side, this way, you will use half the amount of paper as you would have used otherwise.
Consume Meat Less Often
Cattle and poultry produce methane, a greenhouse gas directly involved in global warming. If the demand for meat is less in the market, fewer cattle and poultry will have to be reared. We are not saying that you should completely cut all meat from your diet as meat is packed with protein and other important nutrients but limiting the intake is a good option.
Grow Your Own Food
If you are passionate about helping Mother Nature heal, you can do so by setting up a vegetable garden. Growing your food helps the environment because it gives you control over what goes into the soil, ensuring that it does not get polluted. It also reduces your carbon footprint by a large amount. If you are wondering what growing your own carrots has to do with carbon footprints, keep reading.
The carbon footprint of any product is the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere from its conception to consumption. If a farmer grows carrots two states away from you, a lot of fossil fuel will be used to bring the vegetable to your local market. Then you will travel in your car, emitting more harmful gases, when you go to buy it. Isn’t it easier and neater to walk into your backyard and pluck fresh vegetables?
Conclusion
Although it may seem like a hopeless situation, with the consistent effort we can save our dear planet from the pains of pollution. All it takes is some smart decisions and the consistency to stick to eco-friendly alternatives.
Caring for our world is not a trend that will go out of fashion. Instead, it should become a lifestyle for everyone. We should inculcate habits into our lifestyle that do not harm the environment. Cycling instead of driving, using cloth bags instead of plastic ones, are just some of the things we can do as responsible citizens of this world.
