10 Easy Changes You Can Make to Help the Environment

By Vivian El-Salawy on August 7, 2017

When an individual makes a change in their own daily habits, they have a small impact on the world around them. However, it is an impact nonetheless. According to Worldwatch Institute, while the United States makes up less than 5 percent of the population on earth, we consume a gut-wrenching 30 percent of the world’s resources. Here are 10 easy changes you can make to help the environment:

Combine errands

This is something that is great for the environment and honestly, may be better for your schedule anyway. Rather than individually running errands (so, grocery shopping on Monday, running to the dry cleaners on Tuesday, making a stop at the post office on Wednesday, etc.), designate one day to run all of your errands. Drop off your clothes at the dry cleaners, go mail something off, and grab the groceries on your way home. Making one long trip saves more gas than taking multiple small trips. In addition, working from a cold engine to a hot engine for every small trip versus keeping a warm engine throughout a longer trip makes a huge difference.

Shop smart

College students already learn to love their leftovers when it comes to ordering bigger (and cheaper) portions at restaurants. However, consider transferring this over to grocery shopping as well. Grocery shopping can be difficult, especially with the serving sizes of fresh produce that expires relatively fast. Be smart about how much you buy when you go the grocery store. If there’s an awesome deal on something, snag it – but, if it something that expires relatively quickly and you know you won’t be able to eat that amount by then, maybe it isn’t worth the deal.

Reuse items that are meant to be discarded

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Nothing is worse for the environment than random plastic floating around in the ocean or on the side of the road. Of course, recycle as much plastic, glass, cardboard, and paper as you can. If you can find ways to reuse these items as well, do so! You can take advantage of a lot of packaging that comes with things you buy from mason jars to plastic/cardboard boxes. Look up “Do It Yourself” tutorials and learn how you can make something useful for your household. Maybe you need something to hold your jewelry/make-up. By reusing items that are meant to be discarded, not only are you helping the environment, but you are also saving money.

Bring your own bag

Many states legally enforce the idea of bringing your own bag when you go grocery shopping. States such as California or Maryland have ways of ensuring that their citizens bring their own bags when they go shopping to reduce the amount of paper and plastic bags used in stores. While paper/plastic bags are still an option, many states encourage you to bring your own bag, because if you don’t, there is an additional fee that is included with the use of every plastic or paper bag at a grocery store. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Hawaii has also put a ban on non-biodegradable plastic checkout, as well as paper bags with less than 40 percent recycled material. Whether or not your state has a ban on plastic and paper bags, do the environment a favor anyway and bring your own reusable bag the next time you go shopping. It is much better for the world around us and you can also fit about six plastic bags worth of groceries into one, large reusable grocery bag.

Don’t be afraid of “used” items

There are some things that are preferred to be bought new and that is alright. However, take a second to think of some things that you wouldn’t mind buying used. Have you thought of one? I mean, why not? The possibilities are endless: athletic clothing, furniture, shoes, holiday decorations, and so on. Why by new if you can reuse something that somebody else has already used? Making a small effort to turn to buying some used items instead of new ones can make all the difference. Think about it – you do the same thing with items such as textbooks so that you can save money. By doing this with other outlets of your life, not only will you save money, but you will also help out dear ole Mother Nature.

Avoid bottled water 

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This is a huge tip, especially for Floridians. Avoid buying bottled water! In some cities, it is unsafe to drink tap water. However, in the state of Florida, tap water is acceptable nine times out of ten. When you buy bottled water (Zephyrhills, for example), have you ever thought about where it comes from? Well, your own backyard. The state of Florida is full of springs with fresh, clean spring water. Much of the bottled water that you buy from the store comes from this spring water. Much of the tap water your use also comes from the same water source. One of these things are free, and the other is not. Once more, you will be saving yourself a great deal of money by turning to tap water more often than not, and you will be utilizing your environment’s resources without being wasteful.

Be mindful 

Speaking of not being wasteful, being mindful is just as important. Make sure that when you leave your home, you turn off any lights that are not in use. If you leave your home for the weekend or a small vacation, unplug all electronic devices from the wall because guess what, if it’s plugged in (even if it’s not on), it is still using power. Some people feel comfortable leaving a light on in their home if they are coming home to an empty house at nighttime. If that is the case, that is fine – but be mindful of which light you pick to leave on. Don’t leave on a light fixture with eight different light bulbs in it. Instead, turn on the security light at your front door.

Have a vegetarian meal every now and then

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A common misunderstanding when it comes to maintaining a healthy, daily diet, is that you do not need a meat/protein with every single meal. You do not need to go full-on vegetarian if you do not wish to do so, however many encourage eating at least one less meat meal per week. By doing so, you will end up saving both water and trees, are both are needed in order to help produce beef. Give yourself a Meatless Monday, even if it means ordering a cheese pizza for dinner.

Shop local

Shopping local helps both local community and farmers to maintain their businesses and continue to utilize the environment around them in a safe and efficient manner. Think about buying fresh produce at a local supermarket. Take a visit to your local farmer’s market on a weekend. Make it a date if you must. Run your errands on the same day and you can kill two birds with one stone.

Carpool

This sounds like an easy one, but you would be surprised how many people choose not the carpool with the opportunity is given to them. Talk to a person in your class and ask them if they need a ride to class. Often times, they do – and they’re most likely on your way. Establish a schedule and take turns picking one another up, then think about expanding that group. Same goes for out of town trips. If you are traveling alone or in a pair, consider carpooling with people from your university to get to your hometown. Saving that much gas on a longer trip makes an enormous, positive impact on the environment, so long as you are careful about whose care you are entering.

These are just a peak at some of the small changes you can make in your daily life and routine in order to make a difference. By making some slight changes in your weekly schedule, transportation, home life, and more, you can easily create an impact, both in your local community and in the earth that we share with every other

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