As the temperature at the North Pole reaches a new high, we can’t help but be concerned about what awaits us if we continue to live as we have. This is why, in today’s world, many people are looking for ways to become more environmentally conscious and reduce their carbon footprint to the greatest extent possible. You can also help by making certain lifestyle changes, and we’ll go through a few of them today.
Minimize the food waste
Food waste is estimated to cost the typical American household of four over $1,500 per year, which is not only detrimental to the environment but also bad for your wallet. We have a tendency to waste a lot of food, especially around holidays like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, and other significant celebrations when we’re typically setting up a large table full of meals for our friends and family. Although it is a wonderful way to spend time, it generally results in a lot of leftovers that go bad quickly; to avoid this, plan a menu ahead of time and only purchase the amount of food that you are certain you will consume. Even if you have leftovers, consider freezing some of them and reusing them in future meals, or donating them to people in need. Creating a meal plan for a week, with all the exact recipes and measurements, as well as mostly buying from the zero-waste shops in your region are also great ways to combat food waste.
Buy sustainable clothing
The fashion industry is one of the most harmful and polluting in the world, producing over 90 million tons of waste each year. There are a couple things you can do to help prevent this from happening: buy natural textiles, such as cotton, wool, tweed, linen, and silk, because they will endure a long time and are biodegradable; purchase clothing from small businesses, thrift stores, or verified internet sellers, as their manufacture is far less wasteful than that of mass-market retailers; Invest in basic, classic clothes that will look good good even in 5 or 10 years, regardless of fashion trends; an example would be Irish sweaters, which are great since they suit both men and women, are made entirely of wool, last considerably longer than synthetic textiles, and are practical. You can be sure that if you buy such a garment, it will be popular for decades to come and will also look good apart from being zero-waste. If you want sustainable, eco-friendly clothing, buy a classic Irish men sweater made of 100% wool.
Use water wisely
Despite the fact that water covers around 75% of the earth’s surface, only about 2% of it can be used for drinking and household activities, making it one of the planet’s most valuable resources. Water pollution and overuse are two of the most harmful yet common practices, and there are countless little but significant and impactful adjustments you can make to help change that. First, get yourself a hydroflask or any other reusable cup or bottle and stop buying bottled water: this will not only help with wise water consumption, but will also result in less plastic being used, which, despite being labeled as recycled, ends up in the ocean the vast majority of the time. Secondly, pay attention to how much water you waste every day for your household activities and try to cut it out where it’s possible, for example by taking shorter showers, turning off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, fixing up all of your leaking toilets or faucets, and reusing water when feasible.
