As 2020 begins it’s impossible to ignore the impact our lifestyles and consumption as humans are having on the planet we call home. We are on track to have more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 and global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels were on course to hit a record high in 2019. Change is needed and it starts with each of us. Here are 33 achievable goals…
1. Refuse plastic bags (everywhere!)
I think we’ve all seen enough pictures of turtles and other cute critters killed by discarded plastic bags. Refuse bags at all shops and get into the habit of taking reusable ones (and mesh produce bags) to the grocery store or mall. If you leave your bags in the car, don’t give in to plastic – ask for a spare cardboard box, paper bags, or put everything back in your cart and pack at your car instead. Recycle any unavoidable plastic bags and packaging by placing them in the designated bins outside grocery stores like Publix, Target, Walmart, and Harris Teeter.
2. Compost your food waste
When food goes into landfills it takes ages to rot inside trash bags resulting in higher amounts of methane – a gas 21 times more destructive to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Yard trimmings and food waste make up about 30 percent of what South Carolinians throw away every year. You can help by turning food scraps into compost to nurture your backyard or garden or using a service like Compost House.
3. Buy second-hand clothes or ethical brands
With 80 billion items of clothing consumed across the world annually, fast fashion has a huge carbon footprint. When cheap, fast-wearing, non-biodegradable clothing ends up in the landfill it releases harmful gases and toxins into the environment. You can help to reduce this by buying less or opting for better quality, durable clothing choices from ethical, sustainable clothing brands. Instead of constantly buying new, accept hand-me-downs or choose second-hand clothing from consignment stores or via online stores such as thredUP or Kids on 45th. Download the Good On You Ethical Fashion App to find fashion retailers with a sustainable approach.
4. Eat less meat
Unfortunately, our consumption of meat and dairy can contribute to deforestation, climate change, and the destruction of wild animal populations. Maybe your family can go meat-free a few days a week, or you could go all out and try Veganuary this January?
5. Consume less (and rent or borrow what you need)
Our consumption obsession is ruining the planet and our happiness. Ultimately, filling our homes with more stuff makes us stressed. Do you waste time trying to find things, shoving annoying impulse purchases in cupboards to get them out of sight, or constantly tidying up growing piles of belongings? Before you buy, think, ‘Do I really need to buy it? Is this something I could do without, borrow, or rent?’
6. Repair, make-do, mend and preserve
Before you throw something away, can it be fixed? Ask on Nextdoor.com and Facebook for local recommendations for repair services and consider investing in the book Make it Last by Raleigh Briggs.
7. Take a reusable cup/water bottle wherever you go
It takes more water to make a plastic bottle than the bottle actually holds and then you toss it out! Instead of buying water bottles I use a Yeti Rambler tumbler. It is made from durable stainless steel and is great for both hot and cold drinks. I didn’t pay much for it as I found it in a local Goodwill store. FYI Goodwill usually has dozens of barely used tumblers and reusable water bottles that will cost you little more than a dollar.
8. Fly less & offset carbon emissions when you do
This has been a trickier one for me. Although I have cut down the number of flights I take each year, I do rely on a transatlantic air trip to visit my parents and siblings in the UK. That being said, I try to reduce the impact by donating to carbon offset projects and tree planting nonprofits (Carbon Fund and One Tree Planted are two good ones). Incidentally, the New York Times recently reported on ‘flight shame’ stating that a small group of frequent fliers (12 percent of Americans who make more than six round trips by air a year) are responsible for two-thirds of all air travel and therefore two-thirds of aviation emissions. If companies and employees cut back on work travel, persuading people to speak via video conferencing instead imagine the impact it could make?
9. Use washable diapers and wipes
When diapers end up in landfills they can introduce pathogens into the environment, potentially polluting groundwater. With many breaking down super slowly (it is estimated up to 500 years), methane and other toxic gases form and escape into the atmosphere helping to warm up the planet. I’ve written about swapping to cloth diapers here. We also love our washable wipes system which we use instead of throwaway baby wipes.
10. Swap the fruit pouches for reusable ones
Food pouches are awesome for snacks on the go for our little-ones but there’s no escaping they are difficult to recycle and often head to the landfill. Thankfully BooginHead’s reusable food pouches are a game-changer as you can fill the pouch over and over with homemade purees or apple sauce. They are also very easy to clean with a baby bottle brush.
11. Grow your own
When food travels it has a carbon footprint. Be eco-friendly and save money by growing your own. Whether you opt for a few pots on your doorstep or a raised bed in your backyard there are plenty of veggies you can grow for yourself. If you need some help check out local organizations such as The Life Center, Keep Greenville County Beautiful, Greenville County Soil & Water Conservation District who all host workshops throughout the year. The Soil and Water Conservation District and County Library System have also combined their resources to establish a free seed library at the Berea branch!
12. Plant a pollinator garden – even a tiny one
Pollinators such as butterflies, bees, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, birds and bats have an important role in our eco-systems and are essential for crops, food, clean air, and wildlife. They add 217 billion dollars to the global economy yet somewhere between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination, according to nonprofit organization Pollinator Partnership. Consider nurturing some bees and butterflies with blooms in pots or go all out and plant a colorful pollinator garden.
13. Take action at a local level
The decision-makers in your hometown need to hear your voice. Support a local climate strike, ask your city to pledge to be 100% Committed to clean energy, or suggest your mayor signs the Mayors Monarch Pledge. Volunteer for litter pick-ups and check in with local conservation nonprofits. Speak up about decisions that are bad for the environment. If you don’t, who will?
14. Use your political voice
I volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a bipartisan nonprofit organization working for the political will for a livable world. Chapters across the US, including Greenville, are advocating for the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which would put a gradually rising fee on carbon emissions at the source. The money raised would then be allocated as a dividend to US households. Crucially, it would reduce America’s emissions by 40% in 12 years.
15. Spread the ‘less waste’ message
Ask your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, and cafes to ditch plastic and styrofoam and use biodegradable food boxes, and paper or compostable straws. Encourage them to rethink handing out brand new packets of crayons to each child. Request no plastic knives and forks for takeouts and thank establishments that use less plastic or compostable packaging. You can do this in person or via a comment on their Facebook page or website. Ask personal shoppers from Shipt or Instacart to use their own reusable bags or pick paper ones when they deliver to you. Suggest dentists, pediatric clinics and hair salons stop handing out plastic crap as treasures for kids and opt for something more eco-friendly. Suggest your dentist swaps from plastic to bamboo toothbrushes – you can do this at home too!
16. Divest from fossil fuels and deforestation
Are you inadvertently funding the fossil fuel industry with your investments? Animal welfare might be high on your list yet your savings could fund the palm oil industries destroying wildlife habitats with deforestation. Take responsibility for where your money is headed by researching your investments and retirement plans on fossilfreefunds.org and deforestationfreefunds.org. These websites highlight plans being used to extract and consume fossil fuels or assist palm oil production. Likewise, find out if your bank is funding extreme fossil fuels.
17. Ask your kid’s school to be more eco-friendly
Educators are invested in your child’s future and protecting the planet for the next generation aligns with that. Ask your child’s teacher to initiate the Crayola ColorCycle program which takes used markers and repurposes them. A class could also be hands-on planting a pollinator garden at school. Think of other ways the school could ‘go green’ – could you offer to help plan some Earth Day initiatives for the classroom?
18. Buy local, in bulk and take your own containers
Shop local whenever you can to lower your carbon footprint and experience better-tasting food! Bulk groceries can be cheaper and you immediately cut back on packaging. The Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Wholefoods have options for customers to fill a bag, or their own jar, with nuts, pulses, or rice from their bulk sections. Likewise, take your own containers and bags to Farmers Markets as an alternative to receiving throw-away packaging. Doing this once earned me a free pastry from an eco-impressed vendor!
19. Throw an eco-friendly birthday party
Birthday parties can quickly become eco crime scenes with all the balloons, straws and disposable plastic. Opt for colorful bunting (instead of balloons), and compostable plates, cups, and straws. Ask children’s party venues to provide eco options as the more they are asked the more they will consider it. Buy compostable wrapping paper and decorate it. Ask guests to bring a previously loved toy as an eco gift.
20. Avoid spraying your backyard for mosquitoes
When you spray you don’t just kill the mosquitoes. You also obliterate other insects including the pollinators we rely on for food crops. Opt for eco-friendly methods to repel mosquitoes instead. You could install a bat house or plant citronella and lemongrass.
21. Rethink Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is super convenient but having goods shipped to you at rapid speed also means a larger carbon footprint. Opt for no-rush shipping whenever you can or agree to wait an extra day to have all your purchases shipped together. You could also contact Amazon Customer Service (cs-reply@amazon.com) to request a note on your account asking for less or no plastic packaging.
22. Reuse everything you can
Save wrapping paper, ribbons, cards, corks, and jars and get creative to reuse and repurpose them for gifts or art projects with the kids. I even wash any ziplock bags that turn up at our house so I can reuse them!
23. Swap to beeswax wrap
Instead of using throwaway Saran or plastic wrap, invest in beeswax wrap – fabric coated in beeswax that can be wiped clean and reused.
24. Purge your plastic beauty products
Swap plastic packaged beauty products for soap and shampoo bars, dissolvable toothpaste tablets, or opt for a subscription service for shower product refills like the stainless steel bottles sold by Plaine Products.
25. Say no to palm oil
Did you know that palm oil, vegetable oil derived from the African oil palm tree, is found in approximately 40-50% of household products in the United States? Sadly 85% of it is not obtained using sustainable measures and its manufacture has led to environmentally devastating deforestation and timber burning, not to mention endangering species of animals. Want to know which foods and products contain palm oil? Check out this guide from WWF. I’ve also written a post about how to stop deforestation as a consumer.
26. Recycle efficiently
Visit your city’s waste management webpage to discover what should go in your recycling bin. Think about ways to cut down on or redirect household waste instead of sending it to the landfill. Greenville doesn’t recycle glass at present but other nearby counties do, and stores like Target have a glass recycling bin for customers. A new doorstep glass recycling service is launching in Greenville in 2020 – Less & Green will have the lowdown on that on our Instagram very soon!
27. Swap to refillable
Could you buy a refillable K-cup? Pick up dish-wash or hand-wash liquid in bulk and then refill glass dispensers? Will you make your own cleaning products? Where else can you cut down on excess plastic and waste in your home?
28. Turn it off!
Turn off lights around the house and pull phone chargers out of the socket when you are not using them. Adjust your thermostat to a more efficient temperature or program it to set times to avoid pumping out heat or air conditioning when you’re out of the house.
29. Away with wipes
Try washable make-up pads and face cloths instead of disposable cotton wool and throwaway face wipes. Ditch the Clorox wipes and cut up old t-shirts or blankets to make reusable homemade cleaning wipes.
30. Tweet a meteorologist!
Meteorologists are trusted sources to their viewers and have the ability to explain to the public how rising global temperatures impact the weather and in turn the community and local industries such as farming. Yet many meteorologists avoid or bypass this important issue. Tweet, email or post an Instagram or Facebook comment asking your local meteorologist to talk about the weather and climate change during their coverage.
31. Be water wise
Using water equates to using energy when you consider the process it takes to make that water safe to drink. Likewise, leaving the hot water running for five minutes is the equivalent of using a light bulb for 14 hours.
32. Organize a clothes swap
This would be a great idea for sourcing free Halloween or Christmas outfits for your kids or for friends to clean out and refill their wardrobe at any time of the year!
33. Start small, go big!
Choose one or two things on this list and implement them. Then once they are a part of your routine pick some more and go from there. I’ve been on my eco journey for over three years now and, little-by-little, I have evolved from someone who made a few changes at home to an environmental activist striving every day for a better, cleaner, livable world.
Pick your thing and do it with passion! Please share your progress and tips in the comments below…
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💚 Please note I did not receive any perks or financial gain for recommendations I made for this blog 💚