By Ashley V.
With a new year comes new possibilities. Many of us want to make better choices and help the planet, but we don’t know where to start. To help you in your sustainable journey, we have crafted a list of five sustainable habits to develop and grow over time. These are great places to start your sustainable adventure, and we encourage you to focus on one at a time until you feel it is fully incorporated into your life. If you dive into all five right off the bat, it is hard to truly develop each habit. So pick which one intrigues you the most and dive into sustainable action!
Reducing Waste
Every single item that we create on this planet needs to come from our valuable resources. Once the item is made, it needs to be shipped all over the world to reach us. The amount of fossil fuel required to distribute all of these items emits large amounts of greenhouse gases that create a giant impact on our climate. To create a sustainable future and reduce our impact on climate change, we need to consume less.
The first step is to actively reduce the amount of stuff that comes into your home. By bringing less into your life and building sustainable practices, you create a cleaner, healthier lifestyle. Think about how you feel in your home when it is sparkling clean and when it’s filled with clutter; which one do you prefer? By looking at your life, purchases, choices, and analyzing what is coming into your home, you can figure out ways to reduce waste.
The second step is to realize what is being thrown away. What is in your waste? I know it doesn’t sound fun but just taking the time to look at your waste bin and realize what is in there creates many opportunities to build sustainability into your life. Is there something you have a lot of in your trash? For example, paper towels, q-tips, food packaging, paper, etc. Taking the time to realize what you are throwing away provides an opportunity for you to search for sustainable alternatives.
Resources: 101 ways to go Zero Waste (Book), Zero Waste Home (Book), Minimalism (Documentary), Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (Documentary)
Say “No” to Single-Use Plastic
We live in a world surrounded by plastic. Once you open your eyes, you will see it EVERYWHERE. Once plastic is created, it will outlive all of us on this planet. Sustainable Saplings will dive deeper into the dark depths of plastic and its impact on our world, but for now, I think we can all agree that to become sustainable, we need to avoid single-use items. How is it sustainable to use something once and throw it away?
A great sustainable habit to develop is avoiding single-use plastics as much as possible. It can be frustrating when trying to avoid single-use plastic because it is everywhere, and in reality, you will not be able to avoid 100% of it. The habit we are trying to achieve is using as little single-use plastic as possible. At every opportunity you get, choose to say “no”. Avoid the set of plastic silverware when you get fast food, avoid the plastic straws at restaurants, bring your own cup to the coffee shop, choose a beverage offered in an aluminum can or glass bottle versus plastic. There are so many choices out there to avoid plastic. You just need to familiarize yourself with them and feel comfortable being the person who is willing to go against the grain and say “no” to single-use plastic.
Sustainable Shopping
Many of us think of shopping as buying something brand new. However, we need to realize many fantastic items have already been created that are looking for a good home. Our instinct is to go to Amazon, but the habit we want you to develop is to look for second hand FIRST. Find something unique and shop the local thrift, antique, second-hand, and vintage shops in your area. Looking for something specific, check out Craigslist, Facebook MarketPlace, eBay, Thread Up, Poshmark, and more. There are a lot of options out there; you just need to take the time to look.
Looking for something in particular, and you cannot find it second hand? Then, buy a new item from a company that shares your values. Choose to give your dollars to companies you are proud to support because they are doing right by their employees and the planet. Become a conscious consumer who strives to do good with their purchases.
Resources: Sustainability + Online Shopping (Blog Post), The Power of Your Dollar (Blog Post), Paying More for More (Blog Post), Clothes that Help, Clothes that Harm (Blog Post)
Mindful Meals
Do you want to help the planet? Do you want to become more sustainable? One of the most impactful things you can do is reduce your food waste. It sounds silly, but this is the honest truth. Roughly one-third of all the food created on this planet is never eaten.1
Producing uneaten food squanders a whole host of resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital—and generates greenhouse gases at every stage—including methane when organic matter lands in the global rubbish bin. The food we waste is responsible for roughly 8 percent of global emissions.
Project Drawdown
Shocking! I KNOW! So your goal should be to reduce as much food waste as possible. How do you do this? Meal plan so that you eat the food in your fridge before it goes bad. Create your grocery list and then look through your cabinets to ensure you are not getting items you already have. Keep your leftovers front and center in your fridge, so they get eaten. If you do not like leftovers, shrink your portions, so you don’t have leftovers. Put more thought and action into your groceries to actively reduce your food waste. If you do have food waste, compost what you can. We will go into further depth on composting and how to begin in future blog posts. Stay tuned.
Resources: Just Eat It (Documentary)
Plant-Rich Diet
I know we all love our meats and cheeses, but we need to start incorporating more fruits and veggies into our diets to help our planet. Focusing on a plant-rich diet is a great starting point to developing sustainable habits. Not only is it healthier for you to eat more fruits and veggies, but it is beneficial for the planet-win win! Livestock generate an immense amount of greenhouse gases and if cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.2
I know it can sound intimidating and people dread the word “vegan,” but we really want you to feel comfortable in this dietary journey. Since I have started doing more plant-based meals and dishes, I have found more flavor and tastier options than I ever expected. I am not asking you to go full vegan; I am asking you to consume a little less meat and dairy. Whether you instill “meatless Mondays” or choose to make one meal a day plant-based, it all makes a difference. The faster we can lower the demand for meat/dairy products, the quicker our planet can heal. We will dive deeper into this issue in future blog posts but don’t let that stop you from developing this habit sooner rather than later.
Making the transition to a plant-based diet may be the most effective way an individual can stop climate change.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Resources: What the Health (Documentary)
These five habits are a great place to start building a sustainable life for yourself and your family. The best part about these habits is they are not just good for you and your lifestyle, but they also help the planet. Develop these habits, make better choices, and feel good that you are making a difference in the world.
Actionable Tip: Choose a sustainable habit to bring into the new year! Let 2021 be better, healthier, and more sustainable than 2020.
Resources:
Sustainable Saplings 