Why Caring For the Environment Starts With You

You've probably heard about the impacts humans have on the earth we live in and how we need to make major adjustments if we don't want to do any more damage to it. While it's true that large corporations and governments have a large responsibility in this, your individual efforts matter more than you think. Not only will you be cutting down your personal carbon footprint, but you'll be helping to set a culture of caring for the environment with your friends and letting your favorite stores know that you'll support them in caring for the earth as well. Here are some things you can do to make this happen.

1. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Your home is a great place to start when working to help the environment. You can cut down on the amount of water you use by taking shorter showers, shutting off faucets when you aren't using them and getting a more efficient washing machine that uses less water. You can also install better windows that trap heating and cooling in your house, cutting down on the amount of power you need for climate control, and replace your incandescent light bulbs with LED ones. You might even buy solar panels to start producing your own electricity so that you cut down on how much you use from fossil fuels. All of these efforts might not seem like much, but they add up and have a domino effect. For example, the less water you use means the less your treatment plant has to treat, which cuts down on energy and fossil fuels being used in addition to the amount of wastewater running into oceans and streams.

2. Be Intentional About Your Shopping

Every purchase you make sends a message to the company you bought it from. Their goal is to make their customers happy, so if their customers want sustainable products, they'll start stocking more of them. Try to avoid items with minimal plastic packaging and bring your own shopping bags instead of using the plastic ones. Choose foods that are sustainably sourced, and cut down on the amount of cheap clothing you buy to prevent it from ending up in a landfill. Make a point to restaurants by taking advantage of deals where you can bring your own cup or bowl instead of using a disposable one, and ask stores to cut down on the amount of packaging they use in their online orders. Businesses will see where you put your money and will start giving you more of those opportunities, resulting in more environmentally friendly companies.

3. Work to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

You've probably heard the three "R's," but what does that actually look like? Reduce your food consumption by growing a vegetable garden instead of buying everything at the supermarket, cut down on your shopping trips, and work to walk and bike more. Reuse what you have in creative ways or purchase reusable items such as straws and napkins. Even with these efforts, it's nearly impossible to entirely cut down on one-use items, so make sure you're purchasing items with recyclable packaging and then recycling as much as you can. If you don't have recycling pick up services at your home, look up some drop-off locations around your city. Even small steps make an impact, so start by changing just one or two habits and then building up from there. Ask your friends what they do, and set goals such as only using reusable water bottles for a month. This can give you something tangible to focus on and achieve, rather than just saying that you're going to cut down on your trash.

Conclusion

Environmental sustainability starts with you caring for the earth and doing what you can to protect it. Encourage your friends to join you in your efforts to help further a culture of sustainability. It's amazing what just one person's hard work can do.