Sustainable Lifestyle
Whether you’ll be volunteering at a beach cleanup event or planting trees in your local community, Earth Day is a day to remind us to take better care of our planet. But it doesn’t have to be a one-day event.
Creating a sustainable lifestyle might seem challenging, but there are ways to reduce household waste and find creative ways to reuse what you already have. Here are some practical tips to live a more sustainable life.
Plastic Begone
Plastic. From plastic straws to bottles and shopping bags, plastic is easily used and discarded. Only a few cities have banned plastic bags and straws. And although much plastic packaging can be recycled, plastic that is non-recyclable takes forever to decompose.
To avoid plastic being dumped into landfills and oceans, it’s better to limit the amount of plastic you use. Keep tote bags in your car whenever you go shopping to avoid using plastic bags. For trash bags, use biodegradable bags to discard waste. I like using the brand Unni, which makes compostable bags from plant-based materials. You can find Unni products on Amazon with this link here Unni Compostable Bags.
When it comes to having access to clean water, instead of buying cases of water, invest in a water purifier. Now if you’re hesitant to drink water from your kitchen faucet, call your water department to find out the results from the latest water testing conducted in your town/city.
If you want to bring H20 with you when you’re on the go, use a travel-size metal or glass water bottle to store your water. And instead of using plastic straws, simply buy a portable metal straw that can easily be folded and stored in a little compartment. Some brands will even include a special brush to clean your metal straw. Shop around and you’ll be amazed at all the different sustainable products that are in the market.
Reuse
Years ago, I visited a Kibbutz community in Israel. Members of the Kibbutz community believe that nothing is considered waste. Anything and everything can be reused/repurposed for something. For example, shoe boxes can be reused to store old photos and letters. Plastic food containers can be used as flower pot saucers. Instead of using rocks or pebbles, you can add empty plastic bottles inside your flower pots as drainage. And save your old broom and mop sticks so that you can reuse them to support your vegetable plants when they grow tall and need extra support. These are just a few examples but there are a ton of ways to repurpose household and plastic items.
Sow Your Seeds
My final tip is to channel your inner gardener. Help bees pollinate by planting flowers that bees gravitate towards like zinnias, sunflowers, and coneflowers. And take advantage of the warmer weather that’s ahead and plant your veggies in your backyard so you can always have fresh produce. And if you don’t have a patch of land to start your vegetable/flower garden, search for a community garden near you. Community gardens usually charge a small fee so you can purchase your own raised garden to grow whatever you like.
So instead of waiting for your State to ban plastic items, start reducing the amount of plastic you use. Invest in sustainable products. Find alternative and creative ways to reuse household and container/packaged items. And start preparing your garden now so that you will have flowers for the bees and edible greens for you to enjoy all summer long.
Happy Earth Day!!!!!
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