1 Understand your consumer choices
The consumer choices we make have a larger impact on the planet than one might think. Start from learning more about the brands and the manufacturers of the products you buy. Check the packaging – is it recyclable or made from a sustainably sourced paper? You might want to research eco-friendly replacements for the products you already use which might be toxic or have significant carbon emissions, eg. home care products, clothes (especially fast fashion), electronics.
2 Reduce your meat intake
Reducing one’s meat and dairy intake was named as the single most impactful action you take to improve the wellbeing of our planet and its inhabitants. Meat production effects include pollution through fossil fuel usage, effluent waste, animal methane, as well as enormous water and land consumption. At the same time adopting a plant-based diet has never been easier! There are more and more meat replacement products available and lots of wonderful vegan recipes created by bloggers and instagrammers.
3 Watch out for the food waste
Make sure you understand how much food you need and then cook, serve, or order just an amount that is actually eaten (or share with those in need). Why is it so important? Apart from it being a waste of food that could be eaten by someone else, lots of food waste ends up in landfills and produces methane – a greenhouse gas even more powerful than CO2. Additionally, food production accounts for approximately 70% of the water used around the world! By making conscious choices you contribute to smarter water usage!
Pro tip: Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry! Your shopping cart might be significantly bigger than needed!
4 Plant trees
Trees help to cool the planet by absorbing harmful greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into their trunks, branches, and leaves, which “fuels” the process of photosynthesis (thanks to which we get more oxygen to breathe!). Additionally, they clean the air, filter the water, and provide home for more than 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Through planting trees you help to restore natural balance, which human activity has significantly disturbed.
5 Buy locally grown produce
An easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy locally grown produce. Products available in supermarkets are often shipped from abroad, which contribute to higher carbon emissions. It doesn’t seem to be a biggie, but… multiplied by thousands or millions of people, makes a difference.
6 BONUS: get yourself a Verdeat indoor garden!
At Verdeat, we make indoor gardens based on hydroponics – a plant cultivation method using mainly light & water (no soil is needed). Not only can you grow your own greens at home with Verdeat, but you can also actually limit your environmental impact!
Using Verdeat, you can benefit from all its wonders: produce a greater yield of fruits and vegetables, use less water (as much as 10 times less compared to traditional field crop watering methods!), grow locally and all year round, and cut the plastic packaging.
So… what is your next planet-friendly step?
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