Individual Actions
Ways to help
Many new products have been made to make it easier for people to reduce their plastic consumption.
For example:
Bamboo toothbrushes, reusable straws, reusable grocery and shopping bags.
There are so many ways that we can help the environment. Starting with sustainable products is an easy way for people like YOU to help!
Along with the evident economic and health benefits, buying local will also reduce your ecological footprint. Local businesses require less transportation—resulting in less fuel emission and air pollution. Less air pollution leads to less damage dealt to the health of ourselves and our planet.
Although the raised prices of local products may be disenchanting, you’ll be supporting your community in response for receiving fresh, nutritious foods.
Sometimes just talking about a topic, or just getting people familiar about it is enough.
Telling children about climate change and helping the environment is extremely important for them going forward. The next generation of kids is the generation that will have to figure out solutions to the problem, after all.
Getting the word out is important for everyone because they will be able to follow through with.
Something that you can do to help climate change is to reduce the amount of paper that you use. If you have access to electronic devices, consider not using the printer. Try to go electronic with bills and statements, read newspapers/magazines online, and print on both sides of the paper. Trees not only produce oxygen for us, but also pull in carbon dioxide, slowly reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
After an exhausting day, there’s nothing better than a long, hot shower.
That being said, reducing shower time is beneficial for both the sake of the environment and the health of your skin.
By cutting just one minute off your daily showers you can save up to 900 gallons of water in a year. Saving water also leads to saving the energy that is used to transport and warm your showers.
In addition to this, dermatologists recommend avoiding too hot or too long showers in order to keep from excessive showering (which dries our skin and strips you from natural oils).
When going on a hike or exploring nature, be mindful of the surrounding area. Try to stay on the trail and avoid stepping on plants. Plants are what reduces the carbon in the atmosphere. Pick up the trash that you used and if you see trash that isn’t yours, consider picking it up. Make sure to leave the area look like it was when you arrived or better!
Learning to get creative with your leftover food is a great way to help lessen food waste. By reducing food waste, you contribute to reduced methane emissions from landfills, a lower carbon footprint, and save money on your weekly meals. From old rice to the excess chicken left in the fridge, there's thousands of delicious meals to put together.
Remember, last night’s dinner is tomorrow’s lunch! Other than that, try and have one designated night for a leftover dinner.
Here is a website with recipies you can make with your leftovers
If you work in an office, there’s a high chance that you have a coffee maker somewhere nearby! Rather than using a paper or Styrofoam cup, bring your own reusable cup to work. By doing this, you can help the environment and keep your drink warm for longer!
Gradually, reusable cups are also becoming more common to bring into coffee shops such as Starbucks and Coffee Bean. At some locations, discounts may be given out for bringing in your reusable cups, allowing you to reduce plastic pollution and save money!
Online shopping has become more popular recently, especially due to COVID. Shopping online will reduce carbon emissions if you order a lot of items at once to reduce the amount of fuel a vehicle is using to ship the items as well as reducing the amount of carbon the vehicle is emitting. You could also consider supporting businesses that are using eco-friendly packaging. Additionally, shopping locally (e.g. farmers markets) will reduce carbon emissions since the product will be only transported from the farm to the market, to your house.
