Before beginning to process of limiting your environmental impact, you first need to recognize your habits and their effect.
Here are some common things most people do that can easily make a positive difference for the Earth.
Mind Your Consumption
You may feel tempted to be an active consumer, whether that be with food, clothing, furniture, home decor, or anything else. However, if you are constantly buying brand-new items, you are contributing to unsustainable production processes and industries that produce tons of waste.
To remedy this, the next time you want to buy something, ask yourself this question: do you really need it, or do you just want it? There is nothing wrong or unsustainable about buying items simply because you want them, but too much of this habit can be damaging. Instead, before buying anything, ensure you either need or genuinely want the product and ensure the quality of it will last.
This is particularly important for clothing, as fast fashion is a key contributor to landfill waste. Additionally, clothing factories emit harmful fossil fuels that pollute the air. Before buying, think about the brand you’re purchasing an item from, if you truly need the clothing item or not, and if you could find it second-hand instead.
Avoid Using Plastic
Limiting overbuying things isn’t the only way to reduce your environmental impact. Consider all the items you purchase or use daily that are made from plastic. How many of those products are recyclable?
Plastic items and packaging are everywhere! Even food items are packaged in plastic containers, and grocery stores offer plastic bags at checkout.
While plastic is often unavoidable, think about the changes you can make to reduce the amount of plastic you use. As some alternatives, consider reusable bags, metal straws, and silicone ziplock bags. You can also try to get your cleaning products in glass containers.
It’s challenging to stay away from using plastic because it’s a part of our daily lives, but it’s possible to make a difference with small changes.
Use a Water Filter System
Many people drink from water bottles because they think the water tastes better than tap water. However, this leads to plastic waste. Therefore, using water filter systems helps the environment more than you might think. By installing a water filter system at home, you can reduce plastic waste and the consumption of fossil fuels used in the plastic-production process.
These steps for change might feel intimidating. When you look at everything considered normal in the world that hurts the environment, it can seem daunting. However, by recognizing and limiting your environmental impact where you can, you can make a huge difference.
