7 easy ways to save the environment

Do your part to conserve Planet Earth

Surprising as it may be, there are some ridiculously easy ways to help save forests, animals, and the planet. Ever thought about how waste piles up from bottled water or how eating less beef can curtail greenhouse gas emissions?

As compiled from Self, here is what you can do to take care of the environment.

Don’t eat meat for one day a week

Did you know that 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture or the cultivation of crops and livestock? According to a study published in the journal Climactic Change in 2014, meat eaters contributed twice as many emissions as vegans. So, eating less meat also made a significant difference of 35% less emissions between people who the researchers dubbed high meat consumers versus people considered low meat consumers.

Recycle whatever you can recycle

Everyone recycles papers and cans but what about batteries, used oil, and technology? Yup, these can be recycled too. Almost everything in our homes and offices can be. It’s a good idea to check first since recycling can help reduce the amount of waste in landfills, saves natural resources like timber and water, and overall saves energy.

Buy less stuff

A great way to help our planet is to just stop buying so many things. Try cutting back on how much you purchase – whether it’s groceries, flowers, clothes, or shoes. This reduces your carbon footprint as most new physical goods need raw materials from the earth to be produced, energy to process them, fuel to ship them, and so on.

Start cultivating a compost

About 20% to 30% of food scraps and waste we throw away should be composted instead. You can compost everything from fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags and anything yard related from grass clippings, to leaves and wood chips, to hair and fur. This is not just beneficial to the soil but also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and methane emissions.

To make compost, add some brown organic material and some green organic material to water. Mix dead leaves, branches, or twigs with grass clippings, vegetable scraps, or fruit peels. Then add water.

Buy sustainable seafood

Don’t bankrupt the oceans for future generations! “In how we catch and harvest seafood, there are harmful ways and helpful ways. Our oceans are our life support system so have to take care of them first,” Crystal Sanders, a sustainable fisheries scientist and the founder of FishRevolution.org, said.

Switch to reusable water bottles

If you’re already using a reusable water bottle, kudos to you! If not, time to make the official switch. Any kind of water bottle you can reuse is better than a plastic one, which you can only use once and then will have to throw away.



Try to support businesses with eco-conscious practices when making purchases

The great news is more and more brands are trying to use sustainable business practices. “Look for the Fair Trade Certified™ seal on products when you shop.

When you buy a water bottle (or anything, for that matter), it can be helpful to look for companies that donate some of their revenue back to a good cause, for example. Not all of them will be doing this but you can opt for the handful of ones that do.

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