Climate change is a real problem facing our generation and the future generations ahead of us. There are so many easy ways to be more environmentally conscious that we need to adhere to to ensure the world remains and safe and liveable space.
While a lot of a countries sustainable projects come down to the leaders and governments, there are so many things we as individuals can do to help the environment.
Let’s take a look at the top ten ways to be more environmentally conscious that are easy and effective.
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Conserve energy
One of the top ways we can all be more environmentally conscious is by conserving energy. This is something we can do at home as well as while we’re on holiday to ensure we travel more responsibly.
Turning off light switches and plugs when we aren’t using them can have a huge impact. Just imagine if everybody in the world did this; what a big difference we could make.
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Ditch plastic
Plastic is a huge scourge on the environment, and by cutting down on your use of it, you’ll be much more environmentally conscious.
Plastic sticks around on the planet for years as it takes such a long time to degrade. Made from fossil fuels, it contributes massively to climate change.
Furthermore, with the amount of plastic waste out there, it’s constantly found in the homes of wildlife, whether it’s the oceans or elsewhere, it can cause great damage to animals.
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Cut down on meat
We’re not suggesting you automatically turn vegan, but cutting down on meat-eating and shifting a little bit more towards a plant-based diet is a really great move in lowering your impact on the environment.
Choosing a plant-based diet over eating meat helps cut deforestation, soil degradation, as well as the greenhouse gases that come from meat production.
You don’t have to cut meat out entirely if you don’t want to; even cutting down just a little bit helps.
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Ditch the car
If you can, try and lower your usage of your car. As we know, fumes produced by traffic are terrible for the environment, so if the journey is walkable or cyclable, choose these as an alternative.
Furthermore, taking the bus or train also reduce your carbon footprint as there will be one less car on the road. This is just one of the small ways you can be more environmentally conscious.
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Recycle
Reduce, reuse, recycle, we’ve heard these three words our whole lives, and they really are some of the best ways to lower your impact on the environment.
Recycling conserves energy from less manufacturing, it reduces air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gases, and it also saves natural resources.
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Ditch fast fashion
Fast fashion, besides grossly underpaying their workers in most cases, makes up the depletion of non-renewable sources.
Massive amounts of energy and resources are used in the making of fast fashion. While we understand that it’s much more affordable and sometimes impossible to avoid, even cutting down on the amount of clothes you buy can help.
If you can afford to splurge a little bit more, it’s always worth investing in sustainable, properly made garments.
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Use a reusable coffee cup
One of the smallest things you can do as a consumer is bring your own cup to the coffee shop for your morning fix.
16 billion paper cups are used for coffee every single year, amounting to about 6.5 million trees being cut down.
The energy used to produce this amount is insane. So, invest in a reusable coffee cup and bring it to the café every morning. Some shops will even give you a discount if you do this!
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Go to refill stations
More and more countries and the shops and supermarkets within them are offering refill stations of your essential products, like coffee, laundry detergent, cereals, and so much more.
Instead of always buying single use boxes and packaging of your everyday household items, hit up your local refill station to top up your everyday needs. It’s so much better for the environment.
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Buy only what you need
Food waste is a waste in many ways. It’s a waste of money, and it’s also very bad for the environment. So much food ends up in the landfill every day, producing lots of methane.
As food rots, it produces harmful gases, so try and buy only what you need to avoid contributing lots in food waste.
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Donate
Lastly, instead of throwing away old clothes, toys, and appliances, donate them to a charity shop or someone who will get a second use out of them.
So many unnecessary items end up in the landfill every year, so be more environmentally conscious by not contributing to this where you can avoid it.
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