When we were all forced to remain indoors last year , we witnessed something magical, nature restoring itself throughout different parts of the world. The COVID19 pandemic has awakened us to just how rapidly climate change is happening. With the growing awareness from politicians, concerned citizens and of course corporations, environmental sustainability is at the top of everybody’s mind. Superfluous waste and hyper consumerism are hurting our ecosystem, destroying our natural lands, weakening our agriculture systems and most importantly damaging the earth for the next generation. Here are some steps you can take today to live more sustainably, without breaking the bank.
Upcycle
Upcycling is the process of taking a previously used item that might have been discarded and repurposing it, essentially giving it a second life. This differs from recycling because the item isn’t being tossed away. Here a some ways to upcycle random items in your home
- Jars, wine, kombucha bottles: repurpose those by using them to save dry food items such as nuts, seeds, baking chips. Or use your old wine bottles to keep fresh flowers.
- Old clothing and merchandise: Sell it online and make some cash! There are tons of online market places that cater to second hand items. Platforms such as : Poshmark, Mercari allow you to sell your old clothes, shoes, accessories etc. Someone out there wants it.
- Utilize locally-focused commerce platforms such as Nextdoor, and Facebook Marketplace to sell or buy your furniture when moving or other items you no longer need. You’ll save on expenses and reduce your overall carbon footprint.
- Repair an item, furniture, shoes before going out to the store to buy something new.
Compost
Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants, and produce growth, and guess what, anyone can start composting today. Compost can be food scraps, leftovers, coffee grinds, eggshells, the list of compostable items goes on. To get started simply grab a bag or an old bin and leave it in the kitchen and as you cook toss your scraps there. Some communities offer compost pick up, while private companies offer this service for a fee. Check to see if there are any composting companies near you.
Most food waste ends up in landfills and adds to climate change. When you compost your food scraps your essentially closing that cycle of life, by returning food items back to the earth.
Recycling Waste
Before tossing something aside ask yourself: can this be reused, repaired composted or recycled back to the system. For most things the answer is YES! The best way to recycle is reduce your consumption of a product.