10 Easy Things We Can All Do To Help Save The Planet
We all have a role to play, no matter how insignificant our tiny actions may seem to be, we can make positive change. Many of us become overwhelmed because we think we need to be perfect. In actuality, we don't need to be perfect, especially when we're just starting to make positive changes. The world doesn't need just a handful of people living perfectly sustainably, the world needs many people doing it imperfectly. We don't all need to be making HUUUUGE changes, but many small things add up to BIG changes. Fortunately, these tiny things are all quite easy to do with minimal effort.
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1. Reduce our single-use plastic
One of the best things we can do for the planet is to reduce our single-use plastic consumption. It is predicted there will be more plastic pollution in our oceans than fish by 2050. To reduce our reliance on single use plastics we can stop or at the very least drastically reduce our consumption of packaged foods and instead opt for non-packaged foods where possible.
Of course, large companies should be making steps towards eliminating plastic and taking more responsibility for the products they make. We should make it known to these corporations and to our politicians that plastic especially single-use plastic is something we no longer want.
Every plastic that has ever been made is still here somewhere on planet earth. Plastic breaks all of natures rules, it doesn't decompose and it doesn’t return to the earth to become food for another organism.
2. Reduce our food waste
Another incredibly important thing we can all do is to reduce our food waste and dispose of food waste in a way that benefits the planet. Food waste sent to landfill does not decompose properly, instead it rots and releases toxic methane gases. We can reduce our food waste in many ways including not purchasing too much food, using our leftover veggie scraps to make things like stocks and soups, creating all-purpose cleaners with citrus rinds, drying, canning, fermenting and preserving foods for later, and freezing and eating leftovers, rather than throwing them out. There are many options for reducing other foods often wasted. Always look to reduce, reuse and repurpose leftover foods.
3. Watch how we use water
Without water nothing on earth will survive so it is vital we use water wisely. Take shorter showers, catch rainwater, fix leaking taps, reuse greywater and install water-efficient appliances because every drop counts. Moving forward we must all be conscious of how much water we actually consume and use it wisely.
Using less water can be achieved without spending a single dollar, check out this previous blog post to learn more:
4. Start growing our own food
Growing some of our own food is imperative in helping the planet because it means we don’t have to full rely on the industrial agriculture system. The industrial agriculture system is completely broken and the biggest driver of global warming and climate change, desertification, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, animal extinctions, water pollution, loss of top soil, erosion, air pollution, worsening human health, war, famine, poverty and more.
On a smaller scale growing our own food means we are reducing less waste and destruction on the planet including:
less packaging and plastic
lower emissions from driving to the supermarkets less
lower food miles (distance that food is transported from farm to plate)
isn't treated with synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, ripening gases etc.
and many more
When we grow even just 10% of our own food at home we are saving the planet because we don't have to completely rely on the industrial system to provide for us.
If you want to know more about how growing food can help you and the planet you can find out more here:
If you have never grown food before don't stress, I have written an article about some of the easiest foods you can grow at home in pots:
5. composting
Home composting is one of the most powerful and effective ways to help the planet. First of all it means we don't need to buy plastic bagged compost which adds to plastic pollution.
Homemade compost is also great for water retention, meaning you shouldn't have to water as often. There is also no need for chemical fertilisers which pollute the earth and water.
But the most beneficial reason for composting is because we can reduce our food waste in the kitchen, therefore, reducing our waste output. Composting can help prevent food scraps being sent to landfill. Currently, about 40% of household waste in Australia is made up of organic waste that could be composted. Organic waste cannot decompose in landfill and creates methane gas. By composting just your food scraps you can reduce your waste by up to 40%, which in turn has a significant positive impact on the planet.
It doesn't matter if you live in a tiny apartment or on a large farm, you can compost. If you want to know more about composting then check out these other great articles:
6. use less cleaning chemicals
A lot of cleaning products including our shampoos, soaps, dishwashing liquids, general cleaners and laundry powders contain synthetic chemicals that can pollute our waterways and environments. Luckily there are many alternatives out there for us to switch to. We should all take a closer look at what ingredients the products we are currently using contain and whether they are good for the environment or not. If they are filled with harmful things we should make the switch to all-natural, eco-friendly products.
If you're interested in buying any toxin-free, all-natural cleaning products also free from palm oil, synthetic preservatives, petrochemicals and fragrances then you should check out Biome. They have everything ranging from body and beauty products to laundry, kitchen, and bathroom cleaners, including DIY options.
Click on the Biome banner below to learn more and purchase your next environmentally friendly product.
7. Use less fossil-fuelled power
Reducing our use of power can not only help the planet but save you money too. The best and most effective way we can do this is to lessen our reliance on our motor vehicle and make a conscious decision to either walk, bike or catch the train or public bus where possible. Obviously cars are for many of us, myself included, necessary and often the most convenient option for getting around, particularly in places where public transport is insufficient or does not exist at all so don’t despair if you can’t avoid it. Instead be aware of how much you drive and take note of your habits. Are all of the trips you take actually necessary or can you combine multiple errands so you don’t have to take multiple trips. There might be still be ways to reduce your car usage.
There are also other smaller things we can do to cut down on fossil-fuelled power usage. For example, we can opt for a non-powered grinder to grind our coffee beans, rather than an electric grinder. We can use an old-fashioned push mower instead of a petrol powered mower. Putting on a few extra layers of warm clothes and covering ourselves in blankets during cold weather, instead of turning the heating on and hanging your clothes outside to dry in the sun instead of using the tumble dryer. The majority of these appliances and things we do every day are powered by fossil fuels so making these slight changes in our daily lives are a positive step.
8. Use what we have
It’s important to start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. We can implement small changes to our lives and make use of what we have at our disposal right now. When it comes to gardening, what do you already possess that can be used as substitutes? For example, can you hang an old unused trellis onto your fence and attach some hanging pots to grow herbs? (this is exactly what I did). Can you start a compost bin with an old bin or can you transform a milk bottle into a small spade?
A couple of other examples to consider are hypothetical questions like, do you really need to go out and buy ‘sustainable, ethically made clothing’ because your current wardrobe wasn’t? Surely, holding onto these clothes, looking after them and wearing them for many years to come is better than buying that ‘better for the environment brand?’
What is better? Replacing your perfectly working 2-star energy rating refrigerator you bought 7 years ago with a brand new 5-star energy rating refrigerator? Think of what will happen to the fridge you replace, will it be taken to the landfill?
These sorts of questions should be considered before going out and spending money, always try to use what we have and what we have access to first.
9. Buy second hand
There comes a time when we do need to purchase something but when we do we should ask ourselves, do I need this thing brand new or can I purchase it second hand? Op shops are always filled with high quality kitchenware, clothing, furniture, tools, children’s toys, artworks, books and more. Consider looking in these places these before buying brand new. Also ask your family and friends about some of their old things they no longer use or no longer want, they probably have some old gardening tools, unused photo frames, old puzzles or board games and other things they see as junk but you are looking to own and use. Remember to only purchase and take things that you will actually use and cherish so you don’t just end up hoarding or storing things in your own cupboards and garages.
10. Buy less
And of course buying less stuff, especially brand new stuff is critical. There are mountains of stuff that have been thrown out, discarded and gone out of fashion too quickly. Buying less overall will save you money but it will also help you to appreciate what you already have. We live in a consumer society and the economy is built on us needing to buy more, upgrade to the latest model and keep up with the Jones’s. We do not need more useless stuff, we do not need to pile our wardrobes high full of things and we do not need to have the latest and greatest just because our friends, neighbours, social media influencers and biggest celebrities have something.
Buying less is actually adding more to your life in the form of more happiness, more time for friends and family and more time to spend outdoors. Buying more, more, more doesn’t make us happier and it doesn’t fill any void in our lives. The more material posessions we own the more maintenance required, the bigger our houses need to be to store them, the more mental clutter we have, and the more money we waste on acquiring them and most importantly the more waste we produce.
