Sometimes people might not even realize that their daily habits are not contributing to our planet’s well-being. It might not even come from a bad place; it may just be simple misinformation. The reality is that many of us weren’t taught the proper ways to care for the environment.
Sure, we know the Holy Trinity of sustainability: Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse. However, there are more things that we can all do to keep our planet healthy.
Below you will find three realistic and simple ways to maintain the health of our home planet.
Lessen your dependency on plastic
The dangers of human-made plastic pollution are at every corner. Most notably, it is destroying marine and wildlife at astronomical rates. So, in order to reduce your cooperation in this devastating occurrence, you should reduce the amount of plastic you use.
If you can eliminate it from your life completely, then go for it, too. But we understand that baby steps work best, so you can start by trying to get accustomed to carrying reusable bags and place your groceries in them, among many other things.
A reusable bag is so versatile, so let it work for you. You’ll also want to skip on the plastic straw from now on. Instead, ask for paper straws as they are compostable, or bring your own reusable straw. The most popular ones are metal and silicone.
By all means possible, please remove yourself from any situation that encourages the utilization of single-use plastic.
Consciously clean your environment
It is no secret that there are people around us that use our home (earth) as their trash bin. Though it is a harsh reality that we must all face, it is up to us to do something about it.
Rather than getting upset at the disrespect of others’ damaging behaviors, try cleaning after the mess left behind those people, and set a good example!
Beaches are place where such behaviors are evident and where your help is needed the most. If you don’t live near a beach, then go to your local parks.
Pack a few trash bags and clean up as much as you can. Convince your friends to join you if possible. The more people cleaning up our planet, the healthier our home will become.
Beware of “plastic” clothes
This one might sound a bit weird, but some clothes are also detrimental to our home’s well-being. The growth of consumerism has driven companies focused on “fast fashion” to thrive, and it has become a problem.
Many of the clothes that we may buy because ‘it’s such a deal,’ or because of their low price, are made out of polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetic fibers. Believe it or not (please believe it because it’s true), these are all forms of plastic. Thus, further adding to the plastic pollution ordeal. So, throwing out these clothing items might not be the greatest idea.
Sadly, clothes made of such materials don’t decompose as quickly as we need them. But you can avoid this vicious cycle. For instance, try keeping your clothes as long as possible, donate to someone you know will actually use them, or buy clothes that are either vegan or from materials such as organic cotton, linen, and hemp. You can find more eco-friendly materials here as well.