By Sophie Tuan
I’m sure everyone has had someone tell them to “be more sustainable!” or “be more green!” at some point in their lives. But what does that really look like? Most earth-friendly changes people initially think of involve giving up a certain lifestyle; for example, becoming vegetarian or vegan to ‘save the animals.’ Aside from never using a single-use plastic product ever again and keeping all your food in mason jars, there are actually many other small, simple changes you can implement in your life that will have minimal impact on your lifestyle. Besides the age-old “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, here are a couple of things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Use real cutlery and plates
When eating at home, there is no need for fast-food-style paper plates or plastic utensils. By using reusable plates and utensils, you can still eat whatever you want, but you just won’t be throwing away a new set of dishes after each meal. Currently, the US discards over 561 billion disposable foodware items annually; a couple of dishes after dinner won’t hurt you!
- Switch to LED lightbulbs
This tip is probably the least invasive tip, but it will help reduce waste while also saving you money from buying new lightbulbs. On average, LED light bulbs last 25 times longer than an incandescent bulb. By switching to LED, they not only consume less electricity but also have an exponentially greater lifespan.
- Buy in-season fruits and vegetables
Not only does in-season produce taste fresher, but it also significantly reduces the carbon footprint. Fresh produce is normally accessible in your local area, so the transportation and shipping emissions are much lower compared to produce shipped from abroad.
All of these tips are super easy to implement and will barely have an effect on your everyday life. However, consistent small changes still lead to the conservation of energy and waste reduction. By adopting any of these tips, you can do your part to “be more sustainable!”
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