There are probably millions of things you would like to “start” doing: get fit, volunteer, read more books, watch less Netflix, eat more greens, call your mom back, learn to play piano, save more money than you spend, spend less time on Facebook—as the list grows, our motivation seems to dwindle.
Which is why, when it comes to being eco friendly, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task at hand. We are all familiar with the phrase “reuse, reduce, and recycle,” but how many of us feel like we are able to incorporate this idea into our daily routines?
Taking the first step is always the hardest part.
Beginning the process of being more mindful about how your habits affect the environment can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.
& we want to help.
A collective, common goal we can usually agree on is that we all want to live healthier lives. And more often than not, the choices made to benefit you as an individual, can also benefit our beautiful planet.
Here are 7 examples:
- Skip the drive to work or downtown for happy hour, and walk or bike instead. For a healthy heart, it’s recommended you exercise 40 minutes a day, three or four times a week. You’ll get your daily exercise without it feeling like a chore or having to spend money on a gym membership. At the same time, you’ll be lessening your carbon footprint.
Recycle instead of compiling your garbage in a plastic trash bag.
In theory it sounds like an easy concept, but not every town or city has a recycling system that is easy to navigate or locate.Check out iwantoberecycled.org and enter your zip code to find the recycling center closest to you, as well as information on all the cool products that are being made with recyclable materials.
3. Take canvas bags to the grocery store or your local farmers market.The plastic bags we use to carry our items frequently find their way into our oceans where turtles mistake them for food. Plus, canvas bags are sturdier, so you’ll never have to watch your jar of pickles break through the bottom of the bag and shatter on your apartment steps.
Photo by Troy Mayne
4. Plant your own garden and use collected rainwater to grow it. There is no better feeling than being able to eat and enjoy your hard work, and with 8 Best Gardening Tips from Huffington Post, you can be the organic farmer you’ve always wanted to be. After cultivating and watching your baby veggies and fruits grow, watching them disintegrate from neglect in the back of your fridge will feel like a crime, immediately improving your diet.
5. Plant a tree in your front or back yard. It will give you the shade you crave in the summer, while cleaning the carbon from the air you breathe.
6. Conserve water by being conscious of your faucet. This means shortening shower time and turning off the water while you brush your teeth and in between the dishes you’re washing.
7. Watch this National Geographic Online Video: Coral Reefs 101, and join us in protecting our complex reefs by using our environmental-friendly product line of sunscreens, lotions, shampoos & conditioners, and after-sun creams.
It might seem like one person changing his or her habits won’t make a difference on a larger scale, but change in increments is how larger goals get accomplished. So start today!