The number of births across the globe is increasing rapidly and as a consequence, the amount of waste produced by them is increasing at an alarming rate too. We rarely find time to take care of our environment, heck, we barely find time for ourselves! But the environment cannot, and should not, be ignored for too long.
Because when we don’t take care of ourselves, we are only causing harm to ourselves. But if we don’t take care of our environment, we are posing a threat to a thousand other humans, birds, insects, marine creatures, etc. The worst part about it is that the effects of such pollution will not be limited to us, rather they will put the lives of the coming generations at risk too.
ECO-FRIENDLY LIFESTYLE? SAY WHAT?
An Eco-Friendly lifestyle is just the change we need to bring to slow down the damage. And what exactly is an eco-friendly lifestyle, you may ask? Well, the answer to this is pretty simple. An eco-friendly lifestyle is a way of life that promotes love and care for the environment. This is something that can only be achieved through a conscious mind and effort because we are so used to living our life the “careless” way. Adapting to an eco-friendly lifestyle might be tricky at first, but with a little bit of effort, you will find yourself sorting waste and going plastic-free in no time! Here are some eco-friendly lifestyle tips which can help you in planning your journey.
1. START BY SORTING YOUR WASTE
Baby steps are what you need to take for making this life-long change. Start with the easiest thing….sort your plastic, glass and metal waste! You can do this by either buying three trash cans for your house, or you can collect all your trash weekly and take it to the nearest disposal tubs dedicated for this purpose.
2. AIM TO REDUCE WASTE
You need to consciously make an effort to reduce the amount of waste you create. This means you need to reduce the use of plastic and its derivatives. You need to rethink how you eat, shop, travel, exercise, EVERYTHING!. Switch to a glass bottle from a plastic one so that you can refill and reuse it instead of drinking from it once and tossing it in the trash. Ditch the plastic bags and go for eco-friendly cloth bags for shopping and carrying your stuff around. You can easily buy them or even stitch a few cute ones for yourself. Let this change to be gradual so that you can make a habit out of it.
3. CONSERVE WATER AND OTHER NATURAL SOURCES
Recognize the natural resources you use and record your daily consumption. This includes water, gas, petrol, electricity, etc. Try to reduce their usage wherever possible, for example, prefer walking to the convenience store rather than driving there. Take quick showers rather than long baths and remember to switch off all the lights and power plugs before you leave a room.
4. PLANTATION OF TREES
Trees and greenery are a natural way of getting rid of all the hazardous gasses produced in our environment. Sadly we are chopping off trees and other plants recklessly due to urbanization. You can play an important part in helping to save your environment by planting trees. You can plant them in your vicinity or tale part in the local tree-planting drives arranged by eco-friendly lifestyle enthusiasts.
5. PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE
Another very important need for trees and plants is that we need these for the security and preservation of our wildlife. Deforestation for urbanization has deprived many animals of their safe shelters. The consequences of their homelessness are that they are rapidly becoming extinct. The extinction of an animal is more dangerous for humans than the animals themselves because it forms a huge gap in the ecosystem.
Read Sustainable Consumption Of Meat And Fish: Its Effects On The Environment
6. SAYING NO TO CHEMICALS AND YES TO COMPOSTING!
Harmful chemical usage is a great cause of environmental pollution, which can be decreased significantly if you consciously make the effort. Using compost created from daily kitchen waste instead of chemical fertilizers can be a way of hitting two birds with one stone.
7. THE THREE R’s OF ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING
When in doubt, recall the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reduce the amount of waste you produce. Reuse your stuff, whether it’s your plastic water bottle or a shopping bag, keep reusing it until it doesn’t wear out. Once you believe it is time to trash it, check to see if you can recycle it yourself and use it for another purpose. If not, then take it to your local recycling plant so that it can be properly recycled and converted into a new item. These three steps can significantly cut down the annual waste production on a huge scale.
