Every single piece of plastic ever made still exists on this planet and will continue to exist for at least another 500 years. Hearing facts like this can feel scary and leave you feeling helpless and overwhelmed. Saving the environment is a team effort, and every one of us can and must play their part in reducing the environmental footprint of our society.
Now we know you lead a busy life and are dealing with small and big challenges on a daily basis - analyzing the environmental impact of everything you do just feels too overwhelming. But our message is: We don't all need to live 100% sustainably, but if everyone makes their lifestyle even 10% more sustainable, we can already make a big impact.
Therefore, we collected 9 small actions you can incorporate into your daily life (try it one by one, adding 1 new tip every week):
1. Invest in reusable cosmetic products instead of buying single-use items like cotton pads, tampons, or plastic toothbrushes (toothbrushes are not recyclable, so every plastic toothbrush ever made is still on this planet).
2. Invest in a water filter system (like Brita) and stop buying bottled water. Tap water is generally safe, and a more environmentally friendly option. And in any case, it's been proven that bottled water is no better than tap water!
3. Air dry your laundry instead of using a dryer (whenever you can). Dryers consume loads of energy and in some instances, even damage clothing.
4. Store your leftovers in sealable glass jars instead of covering them with plastic wrap. If you buy jam, tomato sauce, pickled veggies, or anything else in glass containers, just rinse the containers once they are empty and reuse them to store leftovers or other foods.
5. Always bring a tote or reusable bag when you go grocery shopping to avoid using or having to purchase single-use plastic bags. There's plenty of foldable and pretty reusable bags so you really have no excuse not to be using one!
6. Next time you're in need of repurchasing body or hand wash, buy a soap bar instead! The less single-use plastic you purchase, the better, and the product smells just as good and is just as effective.
7. Check with friends before making online purchases. It's not about buying more but buying smarter. Combining purchases will not only help you reach the free shipping threshold but also reduces the impact of transportation.
8. Reduce the number of times you order takeaway to once per week. Takeaway or delivery food tends to come in single-use or non-sustainable packaging. Now that we're partially or fully confined, you can use this time to practice your cooking skills. It's the perfect time to try out the recipes you always had in mind but never had the time to do.
9. Try Meatless Mondays. If you're not already vegetarian or vegan, start reducing meat in your diet slowly. You don't need to cut out meat completely, but just 1 meat-free day per week will help save about 4.000 liters of water and 2.8 square meters of rain forest, and produce 73% fewer emissions in comparison to other days.
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