In 2019, Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year was “climate emergency”, which means that this word was widely used in publications, online forums, and everyday conversations. It’s not a big surprise that one of the biggest threats to humanity would be one of the most discussed and used words in recent times.These conversations bring the importance of sustainability and how your choices and decisions affect this and the future generations and the world, they will occupy.
Tips On Living More Sustainably
It’s pretty common nowadays to go online and see people talking about the climate crisis and eco-friendly lifestyles. You could say that being green is trendy, and it’s a kind of mainstream issue that everyone should get involved in as everyone’s livelihoods and future are at stake here.
Making radical changes in your lifestyle should be one of the things you prioritize if you want to make any significant changes in the world. So, how can you do that? Here are some things you should incorporate in your life:
- You should support sustainable businesses.
As mentioned, sustainable products are everywhere, that even big companies are joining the bandwagon. It’s all good and something you should support, but besides that, you should also do your part by making more informed decisions. Some businesses are only greenwashing you or pretending their products and services are sustainable when they’re not. So, make sure that whoever you’re giving your money to is the real deal.
Of course, there are other things you can do by supporting small and independent businesses and consuming less. Overconsumption increases the demands, which causes overproduction, hence the depletion of Earth’s natural resources. If you have the means to live in sustainable real estate developments, you could also explore that option, like the house you live in, and your activities have huge impacts on the environment.
- Go vegetarian if you can.
It’s no secret that the meat industry is one of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions while their production process pollutes the surrounding water and landscapes. Radical actions to help save the world mean giving up something you have grown accustomed to, and that includes removing meat from your diet.
Of course, it’s understandable that you can’t go vegetarian or vegan overnight, so consuming less meat could be your first responsible step. Be aware of where you get your meat from, especially as there are meat companies that are doing their best to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and some that don’t care – they are the ones who function in a business as usual kind of way despite the climate crisis. Support the former and cancel the latter.
- Conserve energy.
When you turn off appliances that you’re not using, you will help in lessening the carbon emissions from energy consumption. So, don’t forget to switch off the light, unplug your TV, turn off your laptops when you’re not using them. When you need to dry your clothes, you can just hang them and dry them naturally instead of using the drier. It’s in small steps like this that you can revolutionize the world.
- Choose the paperless options.
When you’re given the option to receive your utilities and credit card bills, most companies will offer you to go paperless. It goes without saying that you should opt to do that and receive your receipts, invoices, and notifications electronically instead. You wouldn’t just lessen the trash produced that ends up in landfills, but you would also spare more trees from being cut to make paper.
- Reuse, recycle, and reduce.
One of the traditional and oldest practices in becoming sustainable is the three R’s: reuse, reduce, and recycle. It’s self-explanatory what each one is for, but there are more ways you can incorporate each into your lifestyle in modern times. When you have to put your groceries in plastic bags, you have to give it a second life instead of just throwing it away; you can reuse it as your trash bag.
You can also recycle some plastic containers when order food; you can turn them into pots for your plants. Lastly, it would help if you reduce the use of plastic and items that pollute the environment opt to use eco-friendly alternatives like bamboo and biodegradable products.
You see, there is more than just one way to living a sustainable life. Every day, you make some of these choices, and if you choose the green option, it will go a long way in saving the world.