Small Steps You Can Take to Become More Eco-Friendly
Earth Day is celebrated every April 22nd, sparking conversation on climate action that keeps the wheels of the environmental movement that started in 1970 churning.
There is a statistic that is becoming more widely known through this conversation on climate crisis: 71% of global emissions come from just 100 companies worldwide. This figure breeds the mentality that what we do as individuals doesn’t matter very much in the grand scheme of things. But what if we all thought that same way about voting, and no one showed up to the polls?
Before I ever earned my first dollar, my dad instilled a lasting economic ideology in me. I can still hear him cautioning, “every time you make a purchase, you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” This principle has stuck with me throughout my life so far and has played a huge role in my decision-making.
Integrating this thought process into the sustainability choices we make would mean a huge difference in the other 29% of emissions. If we choose to reduce, reuse, and recycle, we are casting a vote for a more promising planet for the future. If we take the easy and lazy way out, we are essentially selecting “doom” on our ballet.
Lobbying for a change in the aforementioned 71% is an uphill battle. However, if you are just beginning to evaluate your daily choices with the openness to make some changes, I’ve compiled a list of the easiest adjustments I was able to integrate into my own life! Most are small, but all are important and valuable. As they say, big journeys start with small steps, and we all need to collectively take some small steps like these to invest in progress.
I’ve even included an added personal benefit for each to appeal to your selfish side, because if the impending threat of earth becoming a big ball of fire isn’t enough to incite some action, maybe some self-serving details will.
Sign up for online emails instead of paper mail
If you’ve already selected this option and you are still receiving paper mail, you’re not alone and don’t give up. Just give a quick call to customer service to ensure they fully unsubscribe you from paper communications, it’ll only take a few minutes and will be worth it.
Extra benefit: Eliminating the potential of your sensitive information being stolen out of your mailbox is more secure for you.
Replace your paper towels with reusable dish cloths
This one was the hardest for me but also the most rewarding. The germaphobe in me loves the idea of a one-time use wipe, but I have to say implementing these re-usable mini towels has made a positive impact in my everyday kitchen life. I keep mine in a festive lil llama mug on my countertop for quick access.
Extra benefit: They will save you money on paper towels and Lysol wipe refills, just wash em after a couple of uses and they’re good as new!
Invest in reusable bottles for your household cleaners
There are a couple of different companies out there at the moment you can choose from for this one, I have Blueland and love them!
Extra benefit: decanting is very stylish (looks way better in your kitchen than a clutter of miscellaneous cleaning solutions), and you can store plenty of refill packs without taking up hardly any space.
Go meatless one day a week
Meat production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases, so keeping an animal off your dinner table once a week (even more if you can!) will be one of the most impactful changes you can make. If you’re a voracious carnivore and feel weak at the thought of not getting your protein for one night, I recommend introducing something like the Beyond Burger to your plate to ease the transition! If you are more of a diverse diner, this is one of my favorite blogs with over 1,000 creative and easy vegetarian recipes: https://www.loveandlemons.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/
Extra benefit: Reducing your meat intake is healthy for you and the earth! Studies have shown that less meat may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome.
Dump your dryer sheets
Traditional fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain a lot of hard to pronounce ingredients and fragrances whose potential side effects are currently being researched. Why subject yourself to questionable chemicals when you could use something more natural like a wool dryer ball and essential oils?
Extra benefit: I was hesitant to make this change because I was worried my clothes would lose that amazing fresh laundry smell, but in all honestly essential oils like lavender, lemongrass, and eucalyptus are 10/10 on the aroma scale.
If it’s not too far, ditch your car
Implement this rule into your life: if it's under a 30-minute walk, don’t take your car. This will be a tough ask for people who don’t live in a city, but if Greta Thunberg can sail for 15 days to get to NYC, you can take the 20-minute walk to get your morning coffee.
Extra benefit: Walking has a host of benefits to your mental and physical health; it sparks creativity, alleviates joint pain, strengthens your heart, and boosts your mood, to name a few.
Switch to cold water
Wash your clothes in cold water and introduce cold water into your showers if you can. As someone who runs perpetually chilly, I can attest to the former being a lot easier than the latter. Baby steps though! I used to treat myself to unnecessarily scalding hot showers, especially in the winter, but one day at a time I have been able to change to lukewarm water for the most part with slightly cold at the end. But I have to say, a blast of cold water towards the end of the shower has the same effect on me as espresso!
Extra benefit: Cold showers are great for your circulation and immune system. Bonus benefit: after pivoting from long hot showers I have seen a huge improvement in my skin and hair.
Drink from reusable water bottles
It’s not a cute look to have mounds of empty water bottles falling out of your car or amassing around your room. I drink from a Nalgene all day long, which is great because I can keep track of my water intake and I’m not paying for cases of water bottles every week.
My brother is a Navy vet and I remember him telling me once that his Nalgene survived falling out of a helicopter and being run over by a humvee. Is this story valid? I’m not sure. Do I tell it to anyone who is near me when I drop my own Nalgene (which is often because I’m clumsy)? Yes.
Extra benefit: You’ll remove exposure to harmful chemicals from plastic water bottles that can leak into your water (especially if you leave them sitting too long in the heat).
Revamp your self care routine
Ditch your cotton balls, cotton rounds, and wipes for items you can buy once and reuse.
Extra benefit: This will save you a lot of money in the long run (I’m repeating this extra benefit from earlier to demonstrate how easy it is to reuse things!)
Be mindful about your meal planning
Take stock of what’s in your fridge before you go grocery shopping and plan out your meals so you can make sure you eat your leftovers.
Bonus step! Replace your plastic baggies and tinfoil with reusable items like the pictured Lunchskins.
Extra benefit: No more having to clean out moldy Tupperware.
Shop consciously
Like I said earlier, we are voting every time we make a purchase. Did you know that Nearly ¾ of Fortune 500 companies still don’t have a plan to address climate change by 2030!? When you are in the decision process before you make your next purchase, do your homework! Does the company that makes your favorite shampoo give a damn? Are you buying gas from a corporation with a net-zero emission target? These are the questions you need to be asking before you submit your ballot by swiping your credit card or hitting the checkout button.