Every year on April 22, Earth Day celebrates a global movement that works towards environmental justice and demands sustainable change from leaders all over the world. Although the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, the cries for fundamental change have become even louder today where climate change has further inflicted a feeling of urgency. This year’s theme was Invest In Our Planet and demanded that we take action against climate change to protect and preserve our planet and thereby, our futures, our healths and livelihoods.
We need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet. - Earth Day 2022
For today’s blog post, we want to share with you 5 ways you can invest in our planet in your everyday life. These tips are not only easy, but also effective — good for you, the environment, and the generations still to come.
1. REDUCE WASTE
One of our biggest environmental problems is waste, especially of materials that are not biodegradable and can therefore never be fully recycled. As a consequence, most of the plastic waste that we use just once and then throw away ends up in landfills. Sustainable efforts have long shown that plastic waste can be avoided and almost always be replaced with more eco-friendly alternatives.
If you’re looking to do some good for yourself and our planet, watch your use of non-biodegradable materials for a week and figure out what changes could be made to avoid such waste. Nobody is expecting you to go zero waste! Starting out by reducing all the plastic waste you possibly can is a great way to begin your eco-friendly journey. In addition to that, watch your food waste as well! Having enough to eat and drink is a privilege that most of us often take for granted. Food leftovers or expired (but still good!) products are wasted and thrown away too many times. When you’re cooking or shopping, only buy and make what you really need, so nothing goes to waste!
2. PICK UP TRASH IN THE STREET
We’ve all seen it before: trash lying carelessly in the street or in nature when a trash can is only a few steps away. Unfortunately, too many people irresponsibly throw their trash in the street instead of taking it to a nearby trash bin or throwing it away at home. These kind of incidents create unnecessary pollution and could possibly endanger animals who then consume this plastic waste. On your next walk or run, if you see trash lying in the street, consider throwing it away. Or perhaps there is a clean-up event near you that you could join to rid public spaces from plastic waste!
3. SWITCH TO REUSABLE BAGS
This brings us back to our first problem: plastic waste. Instead of buying plastic or paper shopping bags at the store, invest in a reusable, machine washable bag that you can take on all of your shopping trips! Single use plastic bags are usually made from cheap plastic and therefore not only instable, but mostly bad for the environment. Reusable bags are not only more stable and will transport all of your goods home safely, but are eco-friendly because they can be washed and reused over and over again. Plus, they usually have a long handle and can be carried more comfortably than the common single-use bag. Fabric bags have a really long lifespan, so they will last you for years and years to come! And if you’re looking to buy fresh produce, definitely get some reusable produce bags of your own so you don’t have to use plastic or paper bags from the store.
4. START COMPOSTING
Composting is the most natural way to recycle organic waste and can help you reduce waste in the kitchen effectively. As trash goes into landfills, it is often buried too deep to be naturally decomposed. Composting in your garden, however, allows decomposing organisms to get to work and create healthy soil that serves as a great fertilizer for your plants! If you want to find out more about composting, we recommend this article by the NRDC which can help you get started. If you don’t have a garden to start composting, you might like this blog post by Wasteland Rebel on composting in your apartment.
5. GO THRIFTING
The fast fashion industry produces tons of waste every year and does not employ sustainable or ethical supply chains. Since not everybody has the means to buy more expensive, eco-friendly clothes, shopping fast fashion every once in a while is totally okay. When it comes to fast fashion, the biggest problem is overconsumption. Instead of buying new clothes often, try finding fashion pieces that you are still likely to wear for the years to come. And if you’re looking for new stylish pieces to add to your closet, you could try thrifting or exchanging clothes with your friends. We’re sure these tips can help you be more sustainable in your every day life. While these were just a few tips, there are so many small steps you can take towards being more eco-friendly without too much effort. What are your tips for investing in our planet?