Every day humanity produces more than 3,5 million tons of waste, including plastic and other solid waste. According to official statistics, this amount exceeds the amount of waste that we used to produce a century ago. The effects of human activities on our planet are becoming more and more dramatic faster than many ecologists and experts used to predict.
Contamination of soil and water has a negative impact on species of plants, animals and fungi inhabiting our planet. At the same time, human consumerism leads to massive overproduction of goods and the growth of the demand for natural resources that are already running scarce in many parts of our planet. For instance, it takes about 1,799 gallons of clean water to produce 1 pound of beef and almost 600 to produce 1 pound of meat, which can have a catastrophic effect on the state of local water resources.
These are just some of the shocking numbers that have to make us all overthink our place on this planet. Rational use of resources and respect for the environment where we live is no longer a matter of choice. However, the only possible decision that we all have to make if we want to save our planet is to preserve resources and biodiversity for future generations.
This is not the first time I want to emphasize such important issues as the protection of animals and plants, our ecology, as well as water resources. Actually, everyone has an opportunity to help save our planet from ourselves, and it’s not even required to take any special action to be ecological. In fact, there are many simple things that you can do on an everyday basis that can help to make a change. At the same time, most of those simple eco rules will help you save your time and resources, so the profit will be mutual in the end. So here is the list of simple ways to change the world by changing some of your simple routines!
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Reusable Food Wraps and Bottles
In most cases, we use oil-based foil or plastic wrap to protect our products from temperature fluctuations and keep them clean and safe. This method may indeed be the fastest, but not the most environmentally friendly. Nowadays, you can easily find reusable food wrapping made of cotton and covered with natural oils in a way to prevent it from soaking. This wrapping cloth is sustainable, easy to wash, and helps to save the planet from pollution. Apart from it, such wrapping cloth normally comes in different colors, so you also have a chance to choose the one that fits your lunch atmosphere the best.
The other big ecological problem is soil and water pollution with plastic bottles. More than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year, and those terrible numbers are only growing up as the global population grows bigger. It’s important to reduce the use of single-use plastic containers and replace them with metal, glass or reusable plastic bottles and thermoses.
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Recycle and Donate Clothing
Never before in human history have we had easy access to a number of different clothing brands and types of clothes for a low price. Undoubtedly, we live in the golden age of the fashion industry. It is great to have so many options for expressing yourself, but the world of fashion and abundance also has its devastating effect on our ecology. The fashion industry is responsible for more than 10% of all carbon emissions that humans produce. Apart from it, synthetic fiber and plastic, which are widely used in the fashion industry, pollute soils and waters just like any other artificial waste piece.
However, today we have many options that may help us to reduce those effects and the first one is to reduce your consumerism. Apart from it, you can donate clothes, and there are many ways you can use old clothes after they are out of service.
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Reduce the Use of Chemical Cleansers
All chemical cleansers are very dangerous for our water and soils. All of them are dangerous for a person’s health as well. The company that produces сleaning products may assure you that it’s completely safe, but it’s not true. Small amounts of cleansers stick to the surfaces and dishes, and in the long perspective, can cause negative effects on human organism.
Of course, it’s almost impossible to say “no” to all chemical cleansers, but it would be a great idea to reduce their daily use and replace them with natural cleansers. There are many different things you can use for cleaning, and you can easily find some easy tips in some of my blogs too.
