Taking care of the environment is a responsibility everybody shares, but while many people are aware of their impact and the fact that they must make a change if future generations are to enjoy the Earth as well, the number of those who are ready to put in the effort to achieve this goal is smaller. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is that people are concerned that becoming more sustainable will disrupt their lifestyle, force them to give up comfort, and adopt new habits they’re unprepared for. However, the truth is that sustainability can be achieved relatively simply as well as maintained on a day-to-day basis. In fact, smaller choices that you turn into daily habits and which become the norm for you are more important and impactful than a few bigger gestures performed every now and again.

Plastics

Plastics have a rather unsavory reputation among eco-friendly circles. There’s just too much plastic and it’s not disposed of in a safe manner. As a result, it has started polluting oceans, impacting marine life, and breaking into microplastics that are ingested and inhaled, and whose effects on the body range from oxidative stress to abnormal immune responses. They have been correlated with a higher risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. The fact that microplastics cannot be avoided since they’re in the air we breathe, with the average person getting roughly 121,000 particles in their body every year, sounds bleak indeed, but it should also act as an incentive that spurs you into action.

Eliminating single-use plastics such as bottles is the first step. Although the upfront costs of a reusable water bottle are more elevated, you could save as much as $3,000 a year, as well as avoid the disposal of up to 1,500 bottles into landfills. Some of the other reusable products that could replace plastics are beeswax food wraps, bamboo coffee mugs, and canvas tote bags for shopping. If you enjoy ordering takeout every now and again, add the mention that you don’t want any single-use eating utensils.

Recycling

Over the years, recycling has become the cornerstone of disposing of your rubbish in a sustainable manner. When you recycle as much as possible, you ensure that materials are used to create new products instead of ending up in a landfill where they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Businesses should work with companies such as Mil-tek to come up with customized solutions that can address the particular concerns and recycling goals of their organization. When old materials are used to create new things, the overall manufacturing process is much less demanding for the environment as it uses less water and power. However, before throwing away an item, consider if you yourself could reuse it in any way. For instance, old containers can be used as pots for planting flowers or growing your own vegetables or herbs. Old, worn t-shirts can be turned into dish or cleaning rags, so you don’t have to rely on paper towels.

Shopping habits

The rise of consumerism has made overconsumption more or less a normality among many people from all over the world. Social media and influencers bear a large part of the blame, with content often depicting people unboxing armfuls of packages. Many of them are things they didn’t need and barely even wanted. As such, many clothes remain unworn or are only put on once before being discarded, and there’s also a growing mountain of gadgets gathering in junkyards as a result of compulsive shopping. Microtrends have unfortunately become common as well, and people are quick to buy the latest thing due to peer pressure. Shopping addiction is becoming a growing concern, with roughly 6% of the general population in the United States reporting that they feel compelled to buy even when they don’t necessarily need or want a certain thing. Shopping has become increasingly more accessible over the years. With just a few clicks or taps on your smartphone screen, you can now buy stuff and have it shipped from the other side of the planet.

This ease means that the environmental toll of creating, transporting, warehousing, and shipping these goods is minimized if not completely disregarded. Many people have also developed shopping addictions as a means of distracting themselves from life’s issues. Many end up seeing the effects of their addiction soon after, in the form of financial difficulties and clutter all over the house. It’s important to learn how to control your spending habits for both your own good and that of the world around you. Creating a budget, imposing realistic spending limits, and waiting a little before buying a new item in order to determine if you really want it or not are some helpful habits that can help reduce overconsumption in your life. Additionally, when buying gadgets, you can consider refurbished options, such as refurbished computers, to minimize environmental impact and save money.

Food

The carbon footprint associated with food production, manufacturing, and storage can be quite elevated as well, depending on your diet. Naturally, eating products that have been shipped from other countries is less sustainable than buying from local farmers. Switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet can reduce your carbon footprint by over 70%, but if that’s not the case, simply reducing the amount of meat you eat at every meal and moving toward a more plant-based meal plan can help tremendously as well. When possible, you should purchase foods that carry the organic label as they were grown free of pesticides and other possibly harmful chemicals.

When shopping for coffee, look for shade-grown, a type of permaculture and agroforestry that aims to make crops more sustainable. And, of course, be mindful of the waste you create. Somewhere between 30 to 40% of the food in the United States ends up becoming waste. Start composting all your scraps, and don’t buy more food than you need and know you can consume. Getting too much means you won’t be able to eat everything before the expiration date or spoilage starts to occur, and you will, therefore, have no choice but to throw food away.

Sustainability isn’t a goal that can be achieved in a single day. With time, you’ll become more adept at leading an eco-friendly life and saving resources to the best of your ability.