5 Ways You Can Contribute to a More Sustainable Lifestyle

Having a more sustainable lifestyle can seem overwhelming at first. While it is daunting to think of all that goes into reducing one's carbon footprint, there are many simple options available to choose from. Here are five changes that set the foundation for greener living.

1. Start a Garden

The beauty of this sustainable choice lies in the infinite ways in which one can design a garden. From a simple bottle, to elaborate raised garden beds, the creativity that goes into personalizing nature and being in control of that space makes it both special and efficient.

Growing fruits and vegetables on your own land allows you to be fully aware of all that goes into the food that you will be serving yourself and your family. Buying store produce separates us from the creation of that produce. We do not know what exactly was used to grow the food, how long ago it was harvested, or the storage conditions prior to being placed on the shelf. All we know is what is specifically communicated to us through mere stickers and unnecessary plastic packaging. For this reason, restoring the personal relationship one has with his or her source of food leads to a healthier relationship with the earth itself.

If you're ready to take on gardening but don't know where to start, check out how to make your own vertical hanging garden out of recycled plastic bottles. A hanging garden is an affordable option that adds aesthetic appeal to an otherwise underutilized space. Because the garden can hang from any location, this option is especially suitable for those living in apartments.

2. Compost Food Scraps

Gone are the days when composting is privy to only farmers. The composting movement has grown substantially in urban areas, as it's a great way to naturally dispose of biodegradable waste that would otherwise go to landfills. With over 7 billion humans living on this planet, it is unsustainable to continue to discard of organic matter as if it were inorganic. Fortunately, composting is a very effective solution to the waste epidemic that is sure to come of our liberal discarding of valuable wastes.

The easiest way to implement composting into one's daily routine is to use a recycled plastic container to store food scraps that would typically go in the garbage bin. Used (unbleached) coffee filters and coffee grounds are excellent for composting because they are a source of nitrogen, making them very beneficial additives to soil. Once the container is full, you either dispose of the scraps in a designated pile in the backyard and throw sticks, leaves, and grass on top of the pile as needed, allowing nature to take its course, or you speed up the composting process through using a composting container, which can be found here. If you're really ambitious or would like to save money, you can even build it yourself for a rewarding DIY project.

3. Eat Less Meat, Dairy, and Eggs

Vegetarianism and veganism have become their own movements in the early stages of the sustainable living era. These lifestyles can feel like extreme ways of living to those who have eaten meat and dairy daily for the majority of their lives.

Sometimes, the demanding energy some advocates for the movements possess ends up pushing those with the potential desire to change away.

The truth of the matter is that the dairy and meat industries are currently using unsustainable methods to raise and sell produce. Through purchasing items from unsustainable sources, we continue to demand for the supply of unsustainable practices. Many fish species have been over-fished, cows, pigs, chickens, and other livestock are often abused in tiny spaces where they cannot live healthy and fulfilled lives, and male chicks are sometimes killed in order to satisfy the demand for hens when we purchase their eggs. With a growing population, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain the demand for animal produce without cramming animals into tiny, inhumane living spaces.

There are various things we can do to protest the treatment of our animal friends. One of which is to select meat, eggs, and dairy from local farmer's markets. Having a direct relationship with the provider of the produce being purchased enables one to support small farms whose practices are often more humane than factory farms. The other option is to reduce the amount of meat, dairy, and eggs consumed. A little really does go a long way, especially if everyone collectively were to decide to eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains.

4. Avoid Using Toxic Products 

When we purchase soaps, shampoos, laundry/dish detergents, and the likes, it is important to make sure the ingredients are not harmful to the delicate biosphere in which we live. Using products with toxic chemicals in them might not seem like it's having a direct impact on our lives- out of sight, out of mind, right?- but once those wastes go down the drain, they either travel to a septic tank or to a treatment plant, which is where the majority of wastes go, before they are filtered and the water is released into natural bodies of water. This process, however, cannot filter out all of the different harmful chemicals that we put into our bodies and release through excretions. 

According to the International Joint Commission, "Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants." This may in part be due to outdated standards that deem the water to be sanitized. Furthermore, the article states that "six chemicals were detected frequently and had a low rate of removal in treated effluent: an herbicide, an anti-seizure drug, two antibiotic drugs, an antibacterial drug and an anti-inflammatory drug. Caffeine, acetaminophen and estriol (a natural estrogen) also were frequently detected in sewage but had high removal rates." These chemicals, and many more, are being released into bodies of water daily, unleashing unknown possible effects onto aquatic plants and animals, as well as the animals that eat aquatic matter. 

Small but simple steps can be made individually to reduce toxins from entering our natural environments. Checking to make sure that your home and body products do not contain harmful chemicals is key to preventing further contamination. If an item says "harmful if swallowed" or "keep away from pets and children," it is toxic and should not be entering our water supplies, the earth, or worse, our bodies. Reducing the amount of pharmaceutical items we consume or apply to our bodies also aids in the fight to remove toxins from our homes and surrounding areas.

In addition, if your products do not say they are environmentally friendly, chances are they are not. Companies love to advertise their ethics in order to appeal to potential buyers and seldom leave off positive information about items. It is also important to check if items have been tested on animals. If the product does not state it is cruelty-free, animals may have suffered in the making of that product through chemical testing, and the company at question is unethical. The best way to protest the poisoning of our only home is to stop supporting those predominantly responsible for the harm.

5. Reduce the Use of Plastic

In 2013, over 300 tons of plastic was produced globally. For this reason, reducing the amount of new plastic we purchase or receive is vital towards the overall prevention of more plastic production. Recycling plastic is the first step in the right direction, but it is far from the only step necessary in reducing plastic waste; the only way to reduce the amount of plastic that is produced is by purchasing products without plastic packaging. This includes microwave meals, toilet paper wrapped in plastic, grocery bags, individually-wrapped snacks and fruit, and many more. The current dilemma is the lack of items that use cardboard or plant-based alternatives instead of plastic.

Recently, there has been a push for plant-based 'plastics' that are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. A few companies are making an effort to incorporate environmentally-friendly materials into their products in an attempt to reduce the use of plastic. While some of these alternatives may have problems of their own, supporting the effort of these companies can encourage the discoveries of even more possible alternatives that can save our earth from pollution. 

In Conclusion

Daunting as it may seem, even making a single change can be the stepping stone to a world-wide movement. All we need is the will to live more a more sustainable life, a creative mind, and the means to make a difference, and change will present itself slowly, but surely. So, take a chance and see what you're capable of; you'll find that greener living is a rewarding phenomenon that inspires you to continue discovering the numerous ways in which you can positively impact Mother Earth.