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Our planet needs our help. Most of us have heard the gloomy statistics, yet so many choose to be a bystander to this problem. Now is the time to act and make a difference in this world. This article will focus on waste and how you can change your habits to help the situation. I will also share sustainable product examples that we have adopted and love.
According to a 2018 research, humans produce 268 million tons of waste each year. This means that every single human throws away about 4.9 pounds of trash each and every single day!! Paper products, food waste, and plastic all together account for about 56% of all the waste. I know we can do better.
Paper products waste
First, let’s start with the basics. Reduce, reuse and recycle. We’ve heard it since we were little but often forget.
You can reduce paper products consumption in many ways. For example:
- Switch to paperless bills
- Stop or diminish your use of paper plates, cups, and napkins.
- If you are a woman, consider moving away from menstrual pads and tampons and using a silicone cup. I made the switch a few years ago. They are great. Not only are they more eco-friendly, they also keep you feeling so much fresher.
- Move to electronic books or buy used books.
- Take notes online or if you must use paper, use both sides. I use the app Good Notes and love it. I use it to write my grocery list and menu plan, packing list, gift list ideas etc.
- Start using reusable paper towels such as bamboo paper towels. I will admit, they do leave streaks. However, I use them for everything where that doesn’t matter.
- Lose the habit to print things unless you absolutely need to.
Food waste
Did you know that 30%-40% of the food in the United States goes uneaten? This statistic shocked and saddened me. Many people think that food waste is not that bad because “it’s food and will decompose eventually”. This is incorrect, reducing food waste has an incredibly positive impact on the environment.
On a personal level, it will save you money. On a global scale, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. When fruits and vegetables decompose, they generate methane which contributes to climate change and global warming. Additionally, if we collectively lower food purchases the emission of gas from transportation and production would also be largely reduced. Lastly, less production of food means greater conservation of natural resources.
Here are ways you can reduce food waste:
- Start meal planning. When you have no idea what you are going to fix, you tend to overbuy and/or buy things that just don’t go together or won’t create a meal.
- Buy imperfect produce that would otherwise be thrown out. They taste the same and have the same nutritional values. They just are not up to grocery store standards visually. I love the Imperfect Food company which will deliver store rejected food to your home.
- Store food properly to ensure maximum longevity.
- Keep fruits that produce ethylene when they ripen away from other fruits and vegetables.
- Don’t wash berries or grapes until you are ready to eat them.
- Plan your leftover meals or ingredients use (meal planning helps for this too)
- Cook for the right number of portions. If your family of 4 doesn’t like eating leftovers, don’t make the full 8 portions casserole. Make half the recipe and reduce the waste.
- Be creative. For example, use parts of the veggies that weren’t fresh enough to get into the recipe to make a broth.
- Be proactive. Make banana bread with the bananas that are too ripped or make a strawberry jam when your strawberries have lost their freshness.
- Start making compost. I will admit I have not started doing this yet but considering.
- Donate nonperishable food that you bought but do not like.
Plastic waste
Plastic is a well-known problem when it comes to pollution and the damage it is causing to our oceans and wildlife. It takes 1000 years for a plastic item to fully decompose and some experts predict that our oceans will be filled with more plastic than fish by 2050. This is devastating and we must stop this crisis.
There are so many things you can do every day to be part of the solution. Here are ideas to reduce your plastic consumption.
- Switch to reusable grocery bags.
- Discontinue using produce bags. Let’s be honest, you will need to clean your fruits and vegetables regardless. If you simply cannot get behind not putting your produce in a bag, consider switching to reusable ones.
- Stop using straws! If you must use a straw, use a reusable one.
- Stop using plastic water bottles. Get yourself a good metal bottle and bring it with you everywhere you go. This is my favorite bottle for many reasons but a big one is that it fits in my car cup holder.
- Use reusable ziploc bags made of silicone.
- Make your own cleaning products that you store in glass bottles. If DIY isn’t quite your style, buy from a sustainable cleaning products company. Many sell refills in sustainable packages that you can pour into your glass bottles.
- Don’t replace things that are still good. Consume less, use longer.
- Sell or donate if you must part with something.
Summary of sustainable product examples recommendations
- Menstrual cup
- Bamboo paper towels
- Good notes application
- Imperfect Food
- Reusable grocery bags
- Reusable produce bags
- Metal water bottle
- Glass spray bottles
In conclusion..
Don’t be a bystander. We only have one planet and there is no plan B for when this one is ruined. To say that you cannot make a difference on your own isn’t true. Every change to a more eco-friendly way of living helps the planet.
I ask you to take one or two habit ideas or sustainable product examples from this article and implement them into your daily life. Share with me and others what are some of the things you do to help our planet.
Thank you for reading.
Cat xx