Easy Ways To Be Sustainable In Everyday Life
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- Eat more plants
The most sustainable diets are the vegan and vegetarian ones, while the least sustainable one is the omnivore diet. Livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land (77%) and only produces 18% of the world’s calories. You can challenge yourself and incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet. You can start adding more of the most eco-friendly foods with the lowest environmental impact, which includes whole-grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, etc. You can consider consuming more plant-based protein sources like tofu, beans, peas, and nuts, as they also have the lowest carbon footprint. Other ways to become more sustainable with food are:
- Eat local – Whenever possible, buy from local farmers’ markets and shops.
- Avoid food waste – To save money, resources, energy, and water.
- Meal prep – To save money & reduce plastic wraps from to-go foods or snacks.
- Choose organic – It requires 30-50% less energy during production and has less exposure to harmful chemicals.
- Compost – To reduce your Greenhouse Gasses (GHGs) emissions.
- Save energy
By using less energy, you can save money and reduce carbon emissions. There are various small actions you can do that will pile up in the long run. Some easy ideas include – ensuring windows are closed when the heating/air conditioner is on, turning off the light when you are not in the room, air drying clothes, and washing them with cooler water. Also, did you know that always-on, inactive devices can add 1,300 kilowatt-hours, or $165 annually, to your household’s electricity bill? To avoid that, unplug things you don’t actively use. That can be a plugged-in phone charger, printer, radio, alarm clock, microwave, etc. Some additional tips that can help you save energy include:
- Switch to LED Lighting – Ensure the heat is not trapped around the bulb so it doesn’t get too hot and burn out faster.
- Invest in energy-efficient equipment wherever possible – because older devices often use more energy than new ones.
- Green energy – Sign up with alternative energy providers, like solar or wind. Check what options you have.
- Save water
Saving water is another effective way to reduce electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other energy-intensive operations. So, a couple of actionable, easy tips that you can implement right away are:
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- Run the dishwasher with only a full load – Can save more than 3,400 gallons of water each year. Wait for full loads of your clothes, too.
- Reuse water – Try washing vegetables in a bowl and reuse the water for your plants or garden.
- Take shorter showers – Add a 4-minute shower timer to remind you when to get out.
- Take cold showers – Cold water uses less energy, plus you are likely to stay in the shower for less time. So, if you are brave enough, start taking cold showers. They are pretty good for you anyway.
- Stop the water – When you wash dishes or brush your teeth.
- Eat less cheese – Did you know that cheese is a food that uses the most freshwater in its production? 5,605 liters of fresh water are used to produce a kilogram of cheese.
- Recycle
- Even though recycling isn’t as effective as we all wished, separating your trash and placing waste in the correct bins is still a good practice.
- Since every place has its own specific rules, it is important to see what are the requirements in your local area.
- Additionally, you can also try to reuse items as much as you can before throwing it away.
- Get sustainable reusables
Single-use plastics account for around 40% of the total production of plastic. Using so many single-use plastics is completely unnecessary when there are plenty of sustainable alternatives. First, you can reduce your trash by being more conscious of your consumption and waste patterns. Second, you can get a couple of reusable items that will help you to avoid single-use plastics. For example, you may consider getting:
- Reusable water bottle
- Reusable coffee mug
- Reusable utensils
- Reusable lunch box
- Foldable tote bag/backpack
- Reusable safety razor
- Drive less
- Did you know that transportation accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions (in the US)?
- Bicycles can play a massive role in cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So, consider walking & biking more often. It is better for the environment and your health anyway.
- If the destination is too far, use public transportation or carpooling.
- Travel carbon efficiently
There are a couple of simple ways to travel more carbon efficiently. For example, you can replate a business trip with online conference, if your job will allow it. You can reduce domestic air travel, and choose other modes of transportation, which are more eco-friendly (like train, bus, carpooling, or hitchhiking). The goal is to reduce air travel. However, not everyone can stop flying, therefore consider:
- Direct flights – It’s best to fly direct rather than with a connection because about 25 percent of airplane emissions come from landing and taking off.
- Travel lightly – Heavy luggage = greater fuel consumption to fly larger loads. So a when you travel lightly, you will have a lower impact.
- Avoid waste – Avoid getting things on the plane since everything is single-use or contains some amount of plastic. Bring reusables & meal prep for longer flights.
- Offsets – A carbon offset does not reduce emissions, but it is a way to “compensate” for the GHGs. It works by paying an organization that uses the funds for a climate-friendly activity such as planting trees.
Until next time – stay environmentally savvy!
Steve Talerico
Board Member
