It’s so easy to get caught up in the consumerism of today’s world. Something breaks? Buy another! Your phone works just fine, but the new one just came out? You should get it ASAP! Most of us don’t give much thought to where things go when we chuck junk in the trash bin. (They just evaporate, right?) However, pollution and declining resources are a very real problem in today’s world.
Here are some suggestions for how you can start living a more ethical, environmentally conscious life.
- Cut Plastic OUT
One of the biggest sources of pollution in the ocean and in landfills is – you guessed it – plastic! Plastic is everywhere:
- Bags
- Wrap
- Bottles
- Cups
- Straws
- Utensils
- Packaging
The list could go on and on. It’s overwhelming!
Try replacing something plastic you use daily with a reusable resource. Reusable food wrappers like SuperBee are degradable, better for your food, and naturally antibacterial. So really, this switch is a win-win for you and the planet!
- Make Lest Waste
This ties in to cutting out plastic, but plastic isn’t the only source of waste. Cardboard boxes, aluminum, and plastics that can’t be recycled are all culprits. Try to recycle as much of your waste as possible, and opt to purchase things that don’t have a lot of unrecyclable components to them.
Before throwing things away (clothes, older toys, accessories, etc.), consider donating them to a second-hand store. This way, you’re upgrading the items life by at least double. Whoever buys your item at a second-hand store will have bought one less brand-new item at a mega store, which means less items in a landfill in the long run!
- Don’t Eat Meat for One Day A Week
This sounds crazy. What does meat have to do with environmental impact?! Actually, a lot. It takes way more water to process a pound of meat than it does a pound of vegetables. With all the droughts happening nationally, water conservation is a huge issue.
The meat industry is actually responsible for almost 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions! If everyone in the US stopped eating meat for just one day a week, that would have the same impact as taking about 7 million cars off the road in a year.
- Buy Fair Trade Items
How tempting is it to buy that $5 shirt off of the discount rack at the chain store, without even thinking where it came from? Chances are, the only reason that item is so cheap is because the people who made it work in subpar conditions.
Buying Fair Trade things ensures that a significant portion of the profit is going directly to the hands that made the good. While that might be a little more expensive for you on the front end, you can sleep well at night knowing you’re making a positive impact.
- Use Public Transportation, Ditch Your Car!
Emissions from cars are polluting our breathing air daily. Almost every individual has their own car! If everyone started using more public transportation and cut down on how many cars were on the road, these negative emissions would drastically reduce.
If you live relatively close to your regular destinations, consider even riding a bike, walking or using an electric scooter! Not only will this be better for the environment, getting yourself out in nature more often will do great things for your health as well.
Bottom Line
This planet is the only one we’ve got, and we have to start taking better care of it. While you might think that your decisions as an individual don’t have that much impact, that’s simply not true! If everyone started making more ethical decisions all at once, the positive impact would be dramatic! It all star