Human impact on the planet is undeniable. Though not many of us can claim to have the answer to global warming or food shortages, there are simple ways we can alter our daily habits to help the planet.
From cutting down on our meat consumption to staying away from fast fashion, here are three easy lifestyle changes we can adopt to make a difference. Why not celebrate Earth Day this year by embracing at least one of these eco-friendly habits.
Eat your vegetables
Dedicate at least one day of the week to eating veggies only. No meat Mondays have become popular due to their impact on the environment and their health benefits.
According to Davide Yeung, co-founder and CEO of Green Monday, a platform that promotes sustainable and green living, and plant-based meat OmniPork, there’s an increasing number of people embracing the vegan lifestyle because of the environmental impact of the meat industry.
“Livestock industry is a huge reason for greenhouse gas emission, water consumption and pollution,” Yeung says. “When people choose plant-based products, the savings in water consumption, land use and greenhouse gas emission is well over 90 per cent. To put it another way, it is more than ten times more environmentally efficient.”
He believes as more people become aware of the ecological damages that meat consumption has on the planet, the shift in diet habits will play a crucial role in saving the planet.
Shop responsibly
Over the course of Covid-19, many of us have picked up the habit of stockpiling groceries and other household items. And if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need a lot less than we think to stay well and happy.
The World Food Programme estimates that a third of the world’s processed foods go uneaten. A lot of it comes down to poor logistics, but many of us tend to buy more than we need on a consumer level. When was the last time you had to throw away half-eaten a box of cereal or pieces of fruit past their prime just because we forgot about them?
This problem extends beyond food. The fast fashion and tech sectors are not only some of the most polluting industries in the world, but the products they produce often fall out of fashion and end up in landfills in a matter of months.
Be mindful of your purchases and their impact on the environment; next time you pick up a new shirt, ask yourself if you really need it.
Avoid single-use plastic
According to Plastic Oceans International, a non-profit organisation dedicated to ending plastic pollution, 10 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year- that’s a garbage truck full of trash each minute!
As much effort as some of us put into recycling, less than nine per cent of the plastic we use gets recycled. Cutting single-used plastic is one of the simplest ways we can help minimise trash.
Start small- keep a reusable shopping tote in your car or purse, or carry a water bottle with you to top up at one of the many water filling stations that are increasingly finding their way to malls and parks across the city.
