There is a huge amount of statistics which show that climate change is happening, which is due to a lot of the activities that we do on a daily basis. Many times, it can be tempting to give up because it seems like no one else is trying to help the environment. However, you should still try to improve the environment. Here are six of simple ways how you can help improve the environment.
1. Shop Online
Even though shopping online may seem like it would burn more energy and create more carbon dioxide emissions. However, ordering online involves less power and carbon dioxide emissions. Many online companies are switching to eco-friendly packaging, which can be recycled.
2. Combine Your Errands
One of the best ways of cutting down on your emissions is to combine your errands, especially if you are driving your own vehicle. You should take time to plan one big grocery trip and make sure that you pick all your items up at the same time. The surprising thing about shopping is that multiple short trips can burn up twice as much fuel than one long trip does.
3. Meal Plan
Many people know that you should avoid shopping when you are hungry. However, walking around the store without a list will end up with you buying items that you are not going to use. This creates a huge amount of food waste. The best way to cut down on food waste is to plan out your meals for the week and make a list of the items that you will need. If you can stick to the meal plan, you should not have a lot of food left at the end of the week.
4. Understand What Expiration Dates are
There are different dates that are printed on food products. An expiration date refers to the quality of the item, not its safety. There is also the sell-by date, which is the deadline for the store to sell the item. The use-by date is when the item starts losing its flavors and quality. You can extend the shelf life of most food items by storing food in the correct manner.
5. Buy in Bulk
To save on packaging, you should be buying bulk food items that have long life spans. One large bag of rice uses less cardboard or plastic than 2 or more smaller packages. You should make sure that you can use the food before that it goes bad. If you and your family or friends buy the same items, you can save money and packaging by splitting larger packages. You will need your own reusable packaging if you use this method.
6. Bring Your Own Mug
The United States’ caffeine obsession leads to the average office worker throwing out around 500 cups every year. This is a huge amount of trash, which we can easily stop by carrying a travel cup. The bonus is that some coffee shops will provide a discount if you use your own mug.
Taking care of the environment is important. However, at times it can feel like what you are doing is not good enough. However, every simple activity that you do is helping the environment is some small way.