Sustainability in 2022

It seems we have entered a time where the world is essentially falling apart at the seams. We have experienced more hardship in the last couple of years than we ever could have anticipated, and life doesn’t really seem to be easing up. There are countless things for people to worry about, the sustainability of our environment should be pretty close to the top of the list. Unless you live in the dark ages, you will be well aware of the threat that faces the sustainability of our planet. Threats such as consumerism, pollution, climate change, infrastructure, and water scarcity are making things look… well, they look pretty bleak. The main culprit of these drastic issues is humans.

The Environmental Hippie

You might recognize that environmental hippie at the Whole Foods who has reusable bags, dreaded hair, and harem pants while completing the look with Birkenstocks or Toms. You might even judge this person because they seem a little off, or maybe you believe they will preach vegetarianism to you until you cry when you see steak. While this person perhaps isn’t what you want to become, you should pay attention to the goal you are trying to achieve.

Sustainability Trend

Sustainability has become somewhat of a trend, especially if you live in California. You can implement a couple of things in your daily life to work towards sustainability in 2022 without changing your entire life around. The idea of sustainability is to be aware of the impacts of your actions. This does not mean you have to go completely vegetarian, never eat out of take-out containers, or shop for new clothes. An entire society does not need to be sustainable perfectly. A whole society needs to incorporate sustainability imperfectly.

Meatless Mondays

Vegetarianism is not for everyone; it does help to incorporate meatless options into your diet every once in a while. Your immediate reaction might be cringy, but there is an excellent reason why you should minimize meat in your diet. The meat industry uses up products such as methane, a significant plant warming gas contributing substantially to climate change. Beef production alone creates roughly four to eight times the emissions compared to pork, chicken, or egg. Therefore, implementing the occasional impossible burger will leave the planet better off. Repeating this action as much as possible throughout the week is better than nothing.

Food Waste

After you are finished with your impossible burger, you might have small fragments of food on your plate. Typically, you would probably just throw these small pieces of food away and forget about them. This seemingly insignificant action doesn’t seem like a big deal; it contributes to the 40% of food in America that is never eaten. This food waste then contributes to methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Instead of throwing food away, consider composting it. Even if you compost food and throw it away, that drastically reduces the greenhouse gas emissions at landfills. Adding compost to the gardens you have at home, your indoor plants, or even your yard can help the nutrients on the soil stay fresh and healthy while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Compost The Compostable

There are many composting options, from an outdoor compost bin to Lomi, an indoor composter that is energy neutral and creates odorless compost. The choice is really up to you and the space you have available to work with. The least we can do is reduce the food that we throw away on a daily basis.

Reusable Mission

We contribute to food waste from the time we go shopping for food to put on the table to the time we throw it away. We have covered contributing to the decline of greenhouse emissions through composting, but what happens at the store. We commonly use plastic bags to carry fresh produce in addition to the bag we use when bringing out grocery store collections home. Instead of going home and immediately throwing away bags once food has been transferred to the fridge, use reusable alternatives instead. There are tons of colors, prints, and options for a reusable alternative at the grocery store. However, it doesn’t stop there. Using washable towels instead of paper towels, a diva cup instead of a tampon, reusable straws, reusable water bottles instead of disposable are exceptional options that collectively will reduce the amount of waste humans cause all over the planet.

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Spending Less on More

Most people go on some pretty significant shopping sprees, and oftentimes it’s multiple times a year. Everyone wants something new for the summer, winter, and fall. We get endorphins when we buy new things that make us feel comfortable in our own bodies. While finding something new is always so much fun, consider finding something new at a secondhand store. So many consumers will buy from fast fashion outlets such as H&M, Express, Shein, or Forever 21. While these brands are popular and cheap, they do not last long in our lives, and more often than not, they end up in the garbage, once again contributing to waste and greenhouse emissions. Donating unused items and choosing used items instead of new items significantly change the way we contribute to the sustainability of the planet.

Sometimes it is nice to have something new, or maybe you need something in a pinch, and finding it new is easier. Certain brands do pay attention to the drastic impacts that fashion has on pollution. Finding these brands is a good way to reduce environmental impacts but, of course, is not as strong of an option as buying from a secondhand store.
Seeing all the ways you can contribute to the sustainability of the planet is overwhelming and sometimes feels meaningless. While it might feel like you are standing alone against the battle of sustainability, many small actions can help drastically. Even gaining knowledge of the impacts of your actions is a fantastic start to decreasing your contribution to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution.

What are the best ways you have lived a more sustainable life?