From littering here and there to tossing bottles in the trash instead of the proper recycling bin, everyone has moments of weakness when it comes to the environment. If you’re looking to shake the guilt you may feel from the weight of your carbon footprint, the best place to start is by making a commitment to sustainability. Here are just a few tips to live a more sustainable life each and every day.
Eat More Veggies
Believe it or not, the meat industry uses up a massive amount of natural resources. The growth of this agricultural conglomerate has resulted in an increase of both water usage and deforestation.
Water used to grow grain in order to feed livestock, along with the clearing of forests to house this livestock, continually takes a toll on our planet and our resources. A great way to combat this problem and to live more sustainably is to reduce the amount of meat in your diet.
While you might not be someone who could ever go completely vegetarian, simply eating less is still doing your part for the planet. Incorporate more vegetables into your daily meals, and when possible, try to buy local as well. Purchasing local produce reduces your carbon footprint by not contributing to the harmful fuels emitted from the transportation of food to your nearby grocery store.
Buy Used
Textile waste is a continually growing problem worldwide. The amount of unused fabrics and clothing that ended up in landfills recorded in 2015 was 10.5 million tons. This is incredibly harmful to the environment, as textile waste takes a significant amount of time to decompose in comparison to other waste.
In order to increase the life of clothing, thus adopting a sustainable style, always be sure to donate and shop used. Go thrifting locally by driving to a nearby consignment shop, or take action online with sites like thredUP. You can still find beautiful gently used pieces from names like Madewell and save some extra cash. Allow sustainability to be affordable by taking every opportunity you can to thrift more items!
Drink Tap Water
Though tap water isn’t as glamorous as purchasing your H2O by the bottle, it’s definitely the more sustainable option. Plastic water bottles are incredibly harmful to the environment and often end up outside of recycling bins where they don’t belong.
Try to commit to a reusable water bottle you can take with you each day. Tap water is just as good as bottled, and if you find you are a bit picky about the taste, you can always invest in a water purifier to get fresh water the eco-friendly way.
Vote
While voting might not be something at the top of your list when you think of sustainability, it’s an incredibly important action that can leave a huge impact. The next time you find yourself in the midst of a local or national election, be sure to consider each candidate’s stance on the environment as a part of your ballot decision.
Though sustainability shouldn’t sway your entire vote, doing your part to put someone in office who is dedicated to helping our planet thrive is one of the best ways to ensure the environment will be taken care of in the future. Make your voice heard by voting for leaders who you know value sustainability and conservation.
Go Paperless
The amount of paper from junk mail that ends up not being recycled properly is astonishing. Just as much as you don’t like the clutter in your home, our planet doesn’t like the unnecessary deforestation that occurs in order for your unwanted mail to be delivered to your door.
The next time you’re looking to practice sustainability for the trees, consider going paperless as much as possible. Most insurance, cable, mortgage and even car companies offer paperless options that might even save you some money in the long run as well.
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