As governments around the world work towards net zero by 2050, sustainable living is a topic that’s hot on a lot of people’s minds. Having read about the effects of climate change, you might be wondering how you can make changes in your life to do your bit for the planet, and whether your impact even matters.
This article will explore just that: here are three choices you can make today and how they make a difference!
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Choosing Eco-Friendly Products
People buy more products than ever these days – a lot of which have a lengthy manufacturing process that while cheap to produce, has a serious impact on the planet (think fast fashion). Then, irrespective of the manufacturing process, some products are directly harmful to the environment when you use them, such as gas-powered lawn equipment and aerosol sprays.
Making small changes to the sort of products you buy daily can add up to significantly lower your carbon footprint. You could start by switching to products that use bamboo rather than plastic, for example, and try to always look for the recyclable label on whatever you buy.
You should also consider your electronics. E-waste is becoming a major issue, so instead of simply throwing old phones and laptops away, donate or recycle them instead. Thankfully, electronics manufacturers are starting to build sustainable features into their products, too – even items like hearing aids are becoming more eco-friendly (this is a particularly interesting topic at the moment, so if you own a hearing aid, do some further research to understand how this affects you).
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Reducing Your Plastic Consumption
8 million pieces of plastic enter the sea each day, which is a scary statistic (and is just one of many). Naturally, single-use plastics are the worst offenders – pieces like plastic straws, water bottles, and bags. They take hundreds of years to break down, and as they do, they give off damaging carbon dioxide.
There are plenty of ways to go about reducing your plastic consumption. You could switch mostly to glassware, for example, and take jars to the grocery store to fill with loose food items rather than buying those that are pre-packaged. Another simple way is to use a reusable bag when you go shopping.
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Buy Local
One of the best ways to live a more sustainable life is to buy locally. Unfortunately, to cut costs, a lot of stores sell items made or grown cheaply in other countries that then have to be shipped over to where you live. Given that fossil fuels are one of the main contributors to climate change, buying items that haven’t had to travel much by vehicle can help considerably.
This could be as straightforward as buying your fruit and vegetables from the local market rather than the supermarket or making use of charity shops for items you don’t need to buy new.
Wrapping Up
Of course, there are many other ways you can work to lower your carbon footprint. Use the points above as a springboard to investigate further – you’ll be able to make a bigger impact than you think. Good luck!
