By: Zoë Searle By: Zoë Searle | March 10, 2022 | Lifestyle, Community,
Earth is a beautiful planet. It’s home to over 7 billion people and animals, provides natural resources and is self-sustaining. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t contribute some help to becoming more environmentally conscious.
International Earth Day is April 22, so in celebration of the day, below is a list of 10 ways you can become more environmentally friendly and help keep our planet clean and healthy.
See also: Give Your Home The Ultimate Spring Makeover Without Harming The Planet (Or Your Wallet!)
Purchase From Eco-friendly Organizations
Before buying something new, do some research to see if the organization you are buying from is eco-friendly. If not, there are plenty of alternatives. An example being Pela, an international, sustainable company that offers products such as phone accessories that are biodegradable and safe for the environment.
Purchase Biodegradable Products
When you’re out buying new products, check the label to see if they are biodegradable or compostable. This small act can actually go a long way. Some stores offer more biodegradable products than others, so doing some prior research can make your shopping experience a bit easier.
Turn It Off
If you’re not using something or you’re leaving the room, be sure to turn off everything that doesn’t need to be on when you’re not around. This can be as simple as turning the lights off during the morning to take advantage of the natural light coming in through your windows. If your television is just playing in the background, turn it off until you’re ready to really sit down and watch your favorite show or movie.
Compost
It sounds difficult, but composting is actually really easy. If you’re new to composting or you’re interested in getting started, this article by Earth Easy has a beginner’s guide to composting, ranging from what to compost, how to compost and where to get started.
Eat Less Meat
Believe it or not, eating less meat can actually help the environment. Meat production is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and the pollution of landfills and waterways. By reducing your meat intake, you are decreasing the production level, thus decreasing the damage these organizations are causing to the planet.
Recycle Properly
Recycling and making sure you’re putting the right garbage into the right bins positively impacts the environment. That small act of putting that plastic water bottle in the blue bin can start the process of reusing the same material from that bottle for future products. Instead of throwing things away, by recycling them you are giving that product a second chance and preventing it from entering the ocean or landfills of garbage.
Donate Unused/Unwanted Items
Before throwing anything away, think “Can this be used for something else?” Instead of throwing things away that you either don’t want or don’t use anymore, consider donating them somewhere that can either redistribute the product or recreate it into something better.
Try to Cut Out Plastic
When going shopping, don’t ask for plastic bags. Start bringing your own reusable bags to the store, or even purchase one from your local grocery store for future use. This also goes for plastic cultery, sandwich bags and plastic water bottles.
Reduce Your Driving
Is your destination close by, maybe a 10-15 minute walk? Instead of hopping in your car, consider taking the walk instead. By reducing the amount of times you drive, you are decreasing the level of emission coming from your car, which is a big contributor to global warming. Not only is walking or riding your bike better for the earth, it’s also better for you!
Plant Trees
Finally, get your hands dirty and start planting some trees. Trees produce better air quality because they produce oxygen. By planting more trees, the less carbon dioxide there will be in the air as well as other pollutants and harmful byproducts of fossil-fueling. Even if every person just planted a single tree, that gesture will benefit the Earth as well as the population inhabiting it tremendously.
Photography by: Courtesy Photo Boards
