How To Incorporate Sustainability Into Our Everyday Lives

Melting ice caps are real. Rising plastic in the ocean is real. Climate change is real. Another thing that should be real is an undivided human concern for the environment and the planet. Earth needs time to revive and our future choices will determine the fate of the planet as well as the future of the incoming human generations that will be dependent on this planet. Unfortunately, the gravity of the situation is something that people still need to come to terms with.

Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April every year. The occasion aims to raise awareness in the world about the adverse effects of climate change and global warming. This World Earth Day, pledge to make this planet a better place by adopting some of these sustainable living ideas into your daily lives. They’ll not only save the place but help you go easy on your pocket as well.

Think Twice Before Using Plastic

Everybody knows how harmful plastic can be, not just for our own health, but the health of our oceans and our lands as well. Each non-biodegradable plastic bag that you use remains buried in the soil or might get pushed into the water bodies to stay put for close to 400 years i.e. 5 generations. To avoid such circumstances, what you can do today is to use organic alternatives like cloth bags, glass or steel straws, wooden spoons, jute baskets, silicone food bags, etc. Also, next time you gift someone something, try to make sure that it’s organically sourced as well as packed. Organic and green gifting is all the rage now and there are so many innovative ways out there for you to explore and adapt.

Try Minimalism

This practice will probably help you understand the need of the hour quite proficiently. Minimalism does not mean that you have to cut down on a particular product or item’s usage completely. It rather focuses on how you can make use of it till the end. It’ll be a good practice to buy things only as much as you need at a time. For example: If you’re in a supermarket searching for tea leaves, do not hoard on them but rather buy them in moderation, so you can save money as well as not let them go to waste in case your brand preference changes in the future.

Print Only Non-Avoidable Documents

If in a given situation, you can make do without printing a document, choose to get the work done with a softcopy itself. There are many side effects of paper ink on the environment. Moreover, less printing would also lead to less paper usage. This would in turn also help with ongoing environmental issues like deforestation and soil erosion.

Invest in Energy Efficient Appliances

Greenhouse gases along with burning fossil fuels to create electricity are one of the leading causes of global warming. Energy-efficient appliances, on the other hand, not only help you save money by using less electricity, but also help you leave less of a carbon footprint on this world. An example of an energy-saving initiative would be to replace all the ordinary fluorescent bulbs at your place with a more energy efficient light bulb system like the LED’s.

Lastly, understand why Earth Day is celebrated. Make sure to spread the word because your efforts alone might just be a drop in the ocean, but together we can all strive to make this world a better place for the coming generations.