Going green has been trending since many viral videos of animals hurt by human waste circulated through different social media platforms alerted many environmentalists. Seeing a sea turtle with a plastic straw in its nostril, gasping for air, or a dolphin with its fin trapped in a six-pack ring, the hermit crab using a tin can as its shell, and many others triggered the emotions of a lot of people.
Plastic is replaced by paper, the use of multiple-use bottles is encouraged in schools and offices, reusable bags or totes are becoming a habit, among others, and reducing your carbon footprint has been promoted in different countries across the globe.
This pandemic led a lot of people to rethink their lifestyles and shift to a sustainable lifestyle instead. Many people have been hiring experienced arborists to maintain the trees in their backyard or the front yard so that they can breathe good air at home as a way to live a sustainable life.
Here are a few things to consider when shifting and sustaining this lifestyle:
1. Grow your food
A lot of people shifted to gardening. They find ways to take care of plants in small spaces or grow vegetables to set their backyard into a vegetable patch. There are a lot of vegetables that can quickly grow in your garden or your make-shift pot. This is also a significant improvement in your lifestyle of eating take-outs from greasy fast-food chains, and instead, you’ll be eating your backyard-grown vegetable.
2. Refuse single-use plastic
This is the type of plastic that can only be used once. This type of plastic is non-biodegradable, and it will never be recycled and, in most cases, ends up in landfills and oceans. Some animals end up as victims of this hazardous waste. Turning your old shirt into a cloth bag is a better way of carrying your groceries than consuming single-use plastic. You gave your recycling a touch of your creativity and innovation by changing your lifestyle.
3. Invest in a reusable water bottle
This bottle can be used multiple times and on many occasions instead of those single-use bottles that are not biodegradable. Investing in a bottle over buying drinks in single-use bottles would be beneficial to you and Mother Nature. These single-use pet bottles only add to the mess and waste of the world.
4. Think of innovative ways to reuse single-use bottles
There were studies and experiments conducted on how single used bottles can be reused. Some people who got into gardening used it and created a self-watering homemade pot. Still, others invested in collecting these bottles in huge quantities and used them with cement to make a place made of recycled materials. Still, others made use of these bottles as flotation devices. Many self-help videos are going viral on how to reuse these bottles.
5. Make sure you reduce that energy consumption at home
LED light bulbs use less energy than fluorescent lights. Having your window open on a sunny day can reduce even more energy consumption. You can make house renovations suitable for different weathers. Upgrade your home by having glass windows positioned in an area where sunlight can get through so you can reduce the use of light bulbs on a sunny day. An open window during a cold breeze can lower the use of air conditioners at home. Heaters can be turned off during summer. These are just examples of how you can make your lifestyle sustainable.
6. Buy your produce from local farmers
This will lower the travel time needed to get your vegetables and other products when you buy locally. Apart from helping farmers earn, you also helped them lower the emission of carbon into the air. These local farmers grow their produce in organic ways like conserving water consumption, reducing pollution and soil erosion, increasing soil fertility, and using less energy. They may be using their compost and fertilizer made from food waste and rice hulls or coco peats.
7. Conserve water consumption
As a kid, your parent probably told you to use a glass while brushing your teeth instead of letting the faucet on while practicing proper hygiene. This may be a small matter, but it helps in conserving water consumption. Another way of saving water is not leaving it open when you take your bath inside the bathtub. Spilling water from your tub is wasting water. Using pails in your bathroom to save water can also save you money for your water bills.
8. Walking and biking are better ways of traveling
Going to a shop nearby by car causes carbon emissions, thus adding to the greenhouse effect of the ozone layer. Walking short distances will help you become a healthier individual and lessen your carbon footprint for Mother Nature. A bike is an efficient way of getting you to your destination. It may take you longer, but it will still get you there. This is another great way of lessening your carbon footprint. And with this, you have also made your choice of having a healthier lifestyle.
9. Recycle properly
When you choose to grow your vegetables and fruits, it is also a great idea to make your compost for the fertilizer. Properly segregating your household waste makes it easier for the recycling machine to do its job. Reusing jars from spread and jams as a decorative piece helps you live a sustainable lifestyle and allows you to be the creative genius you used to be.
10. Avoid food waste
There are times that you throw food because it has expired. Food waste is a huge problem in some cities as it ends up in landfills. You have to make sure that you consume the food before it expires so that it won’t go to waste. Using a calendar or a list of when you bought your food and finished it is a good idea. It is also ideal for cooking enough for you and your family to drink during a meal. If there are leftovers, make sure to keep them in a fridge and reheat them when necessary. Fruit and vegetable peels can be composted for your backyard garden.
Living a sustainable lifestyle does not necessarily mean it has to be pricey. When you look at it from a different perspective, you are decreasing your energy consumption, thus letting you save some money. Growing your food enables you to save money to budget your weekly meals as an individual or a family. This kind of lifestyle is healthy and a good money saver.
