What does it mean to go green? Aside from many people partaking in what they felt was a temporary fad, the reality is that going green is the only way forward. For those who do not see things from a holistic approach, there are clear signs of climate change like the harsh environmental changes such as more forest fires, hurricanes out of season, stronger earthquakes, and the epidemic of pollution. Fear not, though. While society’s consumption of unhealthy materials and habits is off the charts, the best solution is a steady decline and not to cut everyone off cold turkey. While it would be great to stop production of harmful practices immediately, the goal is to find sustainable solutions which takes time. In the meantime, as a consumer, it’s not about cutting off all consumption, it is about consuming LESS, which is extremely doable and available.
One of the biggest threats to our planet is our plastic consumption, so here is how you can start transitioning to consume less plastic and discover sustainable alternatives. One major thing to note is that the capability to go green is a privilege, so if you have the resources, financial stability to make the transition, do your part and help out.
Immediate Changes
Switch from plastic to a reusable water bottle. Buy fresh produce instead of packaged produce (it tends to be cheaper too!). Look for items that are made from recycled material and can be recycled again.
Identify All of Your Plastic Consumption
This can be lengthy, especially if you have never thought about it before. Plastic has infiltrated practically every aspect of a consumer’s life, so here are a few areas to start when it comes to identifying:
- Do your packages that you order online come with plastic packaging? While most of it is now recyclable, some areas do not recycle or make it easy to recycle.
- How do you receive your paper towels and toilet paper?
- What types of foods do you purchase that come in plastic wrapping?
Search for Sustainable Solutions
As you were (hopefully) taught in school, use your resources. Enter Google! We are so lucky to have the ability to quickly find an answer to anything and everything via the internet, so use it to your advantage. Many companies allow you to contact them to request less packaging or no plastic when shipping your order – all it takes is a few minutes to find out. With that, you can even ask them what their company is doing to transition out of plastic use. While it may be hard, the easiest way to ensure that you are doing your part is by picking companies that are eco-friendly – this perhaps means changing vendors. While it may be difficult, it will be worth it. If enough people do it, the company will learn that they need to make a change, too. It’s never too late to change your habits, especially if they protect the planet.
