Each day, humans are constantly making decisions that impact the environment around us. Now that climate change has increasingly taken a toll on the world’s future, it is especially important to reduce our environmental footprint. After all, every sustainable choice made, whether big or small, has long-term benefits to make a difference in our society. 

• Shop secondhand 

For starters, secondhand clothing is a simple and substantial way to be more eco-friendly. Choosing to invest in items from a thrift store is one step toward helping the planet, wildlife, and ourselves. Not only are you eliminating waste and the use of extra carbon emissions, but thrifting is also affordable and cost-effective. To contribute further, you can donate your old clothes to these stores so that they can be repurposed and given a new life.

• Invest in sustainable packaging

Another pillar to address is green packaging which minimizes waste, water usage, electricity, and emissions. Sustainable packaging has become more popular and accessible, as some brands have begun to use less plastic for their products. In terms of school, using reusable bottles and containers is a good alternative to disposables such as plastic water bottles and Ziploc bags. 

• Conserve water

Considering the increase in droughts, conserving water is a significant action to aid these crises too. One can be water-wise by opting for shorter showers, making sure to not leave the faucet running, and efficiently fixing leaks. 

• Make the most out of beauty products

Your beauty routine can be improved in many ways as well. To ensure sustainability, always use up the entirety of a product before buying a replacement. If you don’t think that you will put the product to good use, give it to a friend or family member who can give it more love. 

Even some of your favorite beauty brands lend a hand with recycling beauty empties. For instance, Lush, Kiehl’s, Mac, Garnier, and more will take your finished products so that they can be recycled and later reused, or burned for energy recovery. As a bonus, many of these brands supply you with freebies for doing so!

The nonprofit organization, Wands for Wildlife accepts donations of used mascara wands that are repurposed by wildlife rehabilitators for grooming, cleaning, and treating animals. Instead of throwing away your old mascara wands to a landfill, you can do good by cleaning them off, placing them in a bag, and mailing it to their address. 

“The organization engages people in ways to support wildlife rehabilitation efforts and encourages greater mindfulness of the impact from human activities, including the use of plastics, on the environment,” said Wands for Wildlife president Kimberly Brewster to ABC News’ Good Morning America.

• Look at labels

When it comes to being environmentally friendly, labels can be your best friend. From clothes to food, labels can identify when companies practice sustainability with fabrics, beauty products, organic produce, and more. For example, look for Fair Trade certified goods and keywords such as “organic,” “vegan,” and “cruelty-free”. Although organic foods may be more expensive, they don’t include damaging pesticides so that farmers and wildlife can stay healthy. 

• Recycle

While possibly the most well-known way to be green positive, properly recycling glass, paper, metals, and plastics can do so much more than it is believed to be. It decreases pollution and the number of emissions released from greenhouse gasses, which are the main factors of global warming. 

In the end, it is up to you to do your part to save the planet. By participating in these ways to be more eco-friendly, you can help prevent global warming from getting worse.

Photo Courtesy of GREENSCAPES GEEKS