Simple Ways To Be More Eco-Friendly

Look guys, let’s admit it – our planet needs some serious help. Whilst you may think that healing and helping the world recover from pollution isn’t necessarily something you by yourself can do, and is something that should be put onto big corporations, this is only partially correct. Of course companies should take social responsibility and help clear up our planet, but you yourself can take little steps to actually help this process – in the case of being more eco-friendly, every little really does help. Here are some simple things you can do to be more eco-friendly.

1. Get A Reusable Water Bottle

Getting a reusable water bottle seriously helps cut down on the amount of plastic you consume, whilst also helping you drink more water – a win-win situation! If you’re less of a water person, get a reusable coffee cup – a lot of coffee shops will actually give you a discount if you bring your own cup, and reusable cups are a lot sturdier than the paper cups you get in coffee shops and can actually be resealable, meaning you don’t have to worry about spilling your coffee everywhere. If you use straws a lot, get a reusable straw – there’s plenty of types to choose from and can be bought fairly cheaply, too.

2. Eat Less Meat

It may be surprising, but meat is actually pretty bad for the environment. The reason why this is is that in order to create pastures for meat-producing animals to live on, and a whopping 30% of the earth’s surface is in use for raising and supporting livestock. This contributes to deforestation and puts much more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the environment, which in turn contributes to climate change. Instead of eating meat, try substituting in vegetables, tofu or quorn. In a lot of cases, you are unable to tell the difference and in the long run this is better for both the environment and you.

3. Recycle More

Instead of throwing away cans or bottles, hold onto them until you reach somewhere you can recycle them. Research your local recycling guidelines and what you are able to recycle in your household. Another thing that you can do if you do not have a specific food waste bin (and live somewhere where it is reasonable to do so) is to create a compost bin. Compost is great for your garden and means that you are reusing your food waste instead of just throwing it away.

4. Reuse Plastic Bags

This measure actually makes sense financially too – it can be pretty annoying getting charge 5p for a bag every time you go to the shops. You may argue that ‘it’s only 5p’, but say you do a shop every week, even if you only use a couple of bags each time, that’s still over £5 that you could be saving. Another great thing to do is use canvas bags – they’re a lot stronger, less likely to rip and in most cases, bigger than plastic bags, plus by using a canvas bag you are actually reducing the need for as many plastic bags to be made. Result!

5. Support Conservation Attempts

Even if all you do is sign a bunch of petitions in attempt to get the government to talk about things that will reduce pollution and global warming, or share Facebook videos about the devastating effects that global warming has on people, places and animals, this does actually help. Through doing things like this, you are using your voice as a citizen to try an enact change, and educating others on what is happening, meaning they are more likely to try and be more eco-friendly as well. Donating to causes also helps, if you are able to do so.

What are your top tips for being eco-friendly? Let us know in the comments!

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