Mankind has left an huge scar on this planet and it needs our help to heal! I'm not saying run and sign up for Greenpeace but we all need to do our part. If we all do a little here and there it will start to add up and make a difference! Countries are banning single use plastics, states are enforcing no littering laws, and people are more cautions on their carbon footprint. We are on the right track but we need to keep moving forward if we want to undo the damage we've done!
In this post I will talk about the steps I take in my everyday life to help decrease waste, clean up my city and reduce my carbon foot print. It may seem like a lot at first but once you do it a couple times it seems like nothing!
We will start with (in my opinion) easiest step, taking your own bags to the store. The hardest part of this is remembering the bags but after a few times it will become second nature to grab them when headed to the store. I have the Berghoff Trolley Bags, and I love them! They consist of four different sizes large canvas and mesh bags that Velcro together and roll up conveniently. Sometimes I just take a couple and other times I'll need all four. Back when I bought these they were the only kind, now you can find cheaper versions on amazon. I've linked a couple here and here. Even just one of these it pretty big, so I also bought a smaller canvas bag with a pocket for when I am grabbing a few things. I have linked a similar one here.
Another step to reducing your carbon footprint is as easy as changing a light bulb. Literally, just switch over to LED bulbs! You may wonder, well how the heck does that help? Traditional bulbs give off 90% of their energy off as heat. LEDs use one quarter of the energy that older bulbs do and last twenty five times longer! They also contain NO toxic elements, as where fluorescent lights contain mercury. This simple step is not only great for the environment but for you wallet too!
One of the biggest steps we took was eliminating plastic bottles from our day to day lives. We would get a large pack of water at lease once a week, that is A LOT of bottles just thrown away. We decided to buy a water cooler (bottom loading) for the house, I linked the one we bought here. We use a local company called Eco Water for our jugs of water. Buy a few reusable water bottles and your good to go! A few other smaller steps you can take are; taking your own cup to the coffee shop, using glass food containers, and rags instead of always grabbing a paper towel.
One of the harder steps, but also the most rewarding' is actually getting out and cleaning up your community! It doesn't have to be a difficult task, get some friends and family together for a day fun day outside while helping your community. Find an area to work on, grab a few bags and gloves then start picking some trash! Maybe even pack a lunch to enjoy once you are done! My husband started Peoria Plastic Project, which is a local organization that helps clean up Peoria and surrounding areas. We have also had a few ocean and beach cleaning days while on vacation!
It may not sound like a whole lot or anything super big, but all the small things add up! If we all just do our part in helping our planet it will make a difference.