Lifestyle changes that are good for the environment.
It is much easier to think of sustainability as being small actionable steps that can lead to a big difference. Regardless of the setting, there are always small changes you can make to your lifestyle to be a little bit more sustainable. The following are ways you can become a bit greener in your daily life.
Eat less meat- According to a National Geographic publication, the average American vegan diet uses up to 600 gallons of water per day less than the average non-vegan American diet. Unlike plants which for the most part make their own food without the need for supplements, animals need a constant supply of food until they themselves are ready to be processed into food. Consequently, the carbon footprint of all the processes that go into producing a pound of beef can be as much as 10 times greater than those which go into producing a pound of grain, fruit or vegetables. Therefore, eating less meat is not only healthier, but is much more environmentally friendly.
Buy unpackaged foods- packaging materials (especially plastics) are some of the largest contributors to land, water and air pollution. Every year, billions upon billions of non-biodegradable pieces of plastic end up in the oceans causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. As such, prioritize buying “loose” or unpackaged foods whenever possible and reuse old packaging materials when shopping in supermarkets to help reduce the flow of plastic into water bodies. Also, try to buy products packaged using biodegradable or recycled materials.
Do laundry once a week, max- washing machines use a large volume of clean drinking water regardless of their type or make. As such, try to do laundry as few times as possible to prevent the unnecessary wastage of the valuable resource that is fresh water.
Consume less processed beverages and more water- a cup of any processed beverage uses much more water to produce compared to the same size cup of plain, fresh water. Processed beverages also have a larger carbon footprint due to the numerous production and transportation processes that go into their manufacture. Therefore, always opt for a glass of water instead of a cup of coffee; it is cheaper, more sustainable and much healthier.
Written by Adil Nyambasha, Class of 2018.
Photo by Lode Van de Velde / www f ✉, publicdomainpictures.net
Agree if you cut down laundry by once a week that actually prevents the unnecessary wastage of the valuable resource of water provided you maximize the load of washing. The key question is do we fully utilize the load for every wash and the type of washing detergent used? At http://www.laundrycares.com/ we maximize the load of every wash, we sorted heavily stain from normal soiled laundry to ensure all clothes are properly clean, we use only environmentally friendly chemical that is not harmful to animals and human beings. On top of that clean laundry should be properly packed or stored after cleaning to prevent cross contamination.