Having a more sustainable lifestyle can seem overwhelming at first. While it is daunting to think of all that goes into reducing one’s carbon footprint, there are many simple options available from which to choose. Here are five changes you can make that set the foundation for greener living.
1. Start a Garden
One of the best ways to contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle is through growing one’s own food. Buying store produce separates us from the creation of that produce. We do not know what exactly was used to grow the food, how long ago it was harvested, or the storage conditions prior to being placed on the shelf.
All we know about the food we buy at the store is what’s communicated to us through mere stickers and unnecessary plastic packaging. For this reason, restoring one’s personal relationship with the food source leads to a healthier relationship with the earth itself.
By cultivating a true relationship with the land, we promote a series of positive environmental impacts:
- Cleaner air
- Richer soil
- Fresher food
- Cleaner waste
Gardening provides us with sustainable options to food sources while also promoting the infinite, creative ways in which one can design their garden plot. From a simple bottle, to elaborate raised garden beds, the creativity that goes into personalizing nature and being in control of that space makes it both special and efficient.
Sowing the Land
Growing fruits and vegetables on your own land allows you to be fully aware of all that goes into the food that you will be serving yourself and your family. If you’re short on space or don’t have the means for hosting a garden plot on your land, renting a garden plot at a community garden is another great way to ensure that no critters get to your produce.
If you’re ready to take on gardening but don’t know where to start, making your own vertical hanging garden of recycled plastic bottles is a great way to get started. A hanging garden is an affordable option that adds an aesthetically appealing element to an otherwise underutilized space. Because the garden can hang from any location, this option is especially suitable for those living in apartments.
2. Compost Food Scraps
Gone are the days when composting is privy to only farmers. The composting movement has grown substantially in urban areas, as it’s a great way to naturally dispose of biodegradable waste that would otherwise go to landfills. With over 7 billion humans living on this planet, it is unsustainable to continue to discard of organic matter as if it were inorganic. Fortunately, composting is a very effective solution to the waste epidemic.
The easiest way to implement composting into one’s daily routine is to use a recycled plastic container to store food scraps that would typically go in the garbage bin. Here’s how:
- Collect food waste inside a container. Fruits and vegetables are frequently used in compost piles. Used (unbleached) coffee filters and coffee grounds are also excellent for composting because they are a source of nitrogen, which is a highly beneficial additive to soil.
- Once the container is full, either dispose of the scraps in a designated pile or a wooden compost pile outside.
- Your compost pile shouldn’t smell foul. Throwing sticks, leaves, and shredded wood on top of the pile as needed help the microbes do their job.
- Sit back and let nature take its course.
- Optionally, you can speed up the composting process through using a composting container. If you’re really ambitious or would like to save money, you can even build it yourself for a rewarding DIY project.
3. Eat Less Meat, Dairy, and Eggs
Vegetarianism and veganism have become their own movements in the promotion of sustainable living. These lifestyles can feel like extreme ways of living to those who have eaten meat and dairy daily for the majority of their lives. However, even small changes can impact the collective well-being of the planet.
The majority of dairy and meat industries are currently using unsustainable methods to raise and sell produce. Through purchasing items from unsustainable sources, we continue to make a demand for the supply of unsustainable practices.
Common unsustainable practices have devastating effects on the land and wildlife.
- Land is over-forested and over-tilled.
- Many fish species have been over-fished.
- Cows, pigs, chickens, and other livestock are often mistreated in tiny spaces where they cannot live healthy and fulfilled lives
- Male chicks are sometimes killed in order to satisfy the demand for hens when we purchase their eggs.
- Greenhouse gases are emitted into the air.
- Plastic waste finds its way into the oceans and even the air through microplastics.
- Waterways are polluted and laden with chemicals and waste.
With a growing population, it is becoming increasingly more important to regulate big companies that utilize cheap, inhumane methods to sustain the demand for animal produce. To protest the treatment of our animal friends, here are some ways that you can take action:
Select meat, eggs, and dairy from local farmer’s markets. Having a direct relationship with the provider of the produce being purchased enables one to support small farms whose practices are often more humane than factory farms.
Reduce the amount of meat, dairy, and eggs consumed. A little really does go a long way, and the health benefits one gains from eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains is a great incentive for adapting to a healthier way of living.
Support companies that advocate for better treatments of animals. By boycotting companies who have unsustainable business practices, we slowly reduce their power.
4. Avoid Using Toxic Products
When we purchase soaps, shampoos, and laundry/dish detergents, it is important to make sure the ingredients are not harmful to the delicate biosphere in which we live.
Using products with toxic chemicals in them might not seem like it’s having a direct impact on our lives- out of sight, out of mind, right? Once those wastes go down the drain, however, they usually travel to a septic tank or to a treatment plant before they are filtered and the water is released into natural bodies of water. Unfortunately, this process cannot filter out all of the different harmful chemicals that we put into our bodies.
According to the International Joint Commission, “Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants” (Bienkowski) This may in part be due to outdated standards that deem the water to be sanitized. Furthermore, the article states that “Caffeine, acetaminophen and estriol (a natural estrogen) also were frequently detected in sewage but had high removal rates” (Bienkowski).
These chemicals, and many more, are being released into bodies of water daily, unleashing unknown possible effects onto aquatic plants and animals, as well as the animals that eat aquatic matter.
Small but simple steps can be made individually to reduce toxins from entering our natural environments.
- Check to make sure that your household and cosmetic products do not contain harmful chemicals. If an item says “harmful if swallowed” or “keep away from pets and children,” it likely should not be entering our water supplies, the earth, or our bodies unless medically necessary.
- Reduce the number of pharmaceutical items we consume or apply to our bodies to aid in the fight of removing toxins from our homes and surrounding areas. Opt for organic or natural remedies if possible.
- Purchase environmentally-friendly products. It is also important to check if items have been tested on animals. If the product does not state it is cruelty-free, animals may have suffered in the making of that product through chemical testing. The best way to protest the poisoning of our home is to stop supporting those predominantly responsible for the harm.
5. Reduce Plastic Use
In 2018, over 359 tons of plastic was produced globally (Garside). For this reason, reducing the amount of new plastic we purchase or receive is vital towards the overall prevention of plastic production.
Recycling plastic is the first step in the right direction, but it is far from the only step necessary in reducing plastic waste. A key way to effectively reduce the amount of plastic that is produced is by purchasing products without plastic packaging. This includes microwave meals, toilet paper wrapped in plastic, grocery bags, individually-wrapped snacks and fruit, and much more. The current dilemma is the lack of items that use cardboard or plant-based alternatives instead of plastic.
Recently, there has been a push for plant-based ‘plastics’ that are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. Many companies are making an effort to incorporate eco-friendly materials into their products in an attempt to reduce the use of plastic. Supporting the effort of these companies can encourage the discoveries of even more possible alternatives that can save our earth from pollution.
Start Small
Daunting as it may seem, even making a single change can be the stepping stone to a world-wide movement. All we need is the will to live a more sustainable life, a creative mind, and the means to make a difference, and change will present itself slowly, but surely.
So, take a chance and see what you’re capable of! You might just find that greener living is a rewarding experience that inspires you to continue discovering the numerous ways in which you can positively impact Mother Earth.
Citations
Bienkowski Brian. “Only Half of Drugs Removed by Sewage Treatment.” Environmental Health News, Nov. 22, 2013. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-half-of-drugs-removed-by-sewage-treatment/. Accessed July 28, 2020.
Garside M. “Global plastic production 1950-2018.” Statistica, Aug 28, 2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/. Accessed July 27, 2020.