The ongoing climate crisis is one of the most talked-about topics everywhere lately, prompting climate strikes in various cities, including one that took place in Montreal on Sept. 27. Many people, however, aren’t really sure how to help and feel hopeless and powerless.Because small actions can go a long way, here are five simple things you can do to help the environment.
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Reusable everything
This is probably one of the easier ways to help the environment. Most people have reusable water bottles, which is great, but we can’t forget about coffee cups, to-go packaging and many other items we can reuse. When you go to Tim Hortons or Starbucks before class, for example, ask to put your coffee in a reusable mug. You can also bring reusable containers when buying food. Those are simple steps that will help reduce waste tremendously.
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Composting at home
Having a compost bin at home is becoming more and more popular, however, many people don’t know how to use it or refuse to do so. Composting is one of those things that looks a lot harder to do than it actually is. Most things you throw out can be composted, like napkins, tea bags, many cardboard boxes, and obviously, any kind of food waste. Composting table scraps also reduces the amount of stuff that goes in your waste bin. For more information about composting on campus and at home visit Concordia’s compost website.
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Buy sustainable clothing
One of the most toxic industries for the environment is the fast fashion industry. To put it in perspective, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) found that ten per cent of global carbon emissions come from the fashion industry it contributes to nearly 20 per cent of global wastewater. Many textiles manufacturers dump chemicals, dyes and plastic in nearby rivers, which end up in the ocean. Instead, you can support more sustainable clothing companies and encourage environmentally-friendly brands by avoiding to shop at fast fashion stores.
Another way to buy clothes in a sustainable way is to shop at second-hand stores and apps. This is a good way to recycle clothes and avoid producing more waste.
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Use public transit
Driving is a popular mode of transportation, however, cars are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions around the world and contribute to air pollution, especially in urban areas. Taking the bus instead of your car helps to reduce the amounts of vehicles on the road. It might not seem like the most practical thing, but taking the bus is an effective way to help save the planet.
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Dispose of your electronics wisely
Many people are less familiar with electronic waste, or E-waste, which comes in many forms. The most popular is electronic consumption and disposal of old electronics. Unfortunately, we live in a society that promotes having the best and newest phone or computer. This means that a lot of electronics end up in the garbage or in the recycling, which becomes E-waste. To fix this problem, many cities have established toxic waste recycling industries. This way, we can bring our electronics to be recycled properly. There are ways to reduce email emissions too. Certain search engines, like Ecosia, do not generate as much CO2 as other more popular search engines. Plus, a tree is planted after every 45 searches.
Those are the 5 things I believe are the easiest to help save our planet. I hope these tips have convinced you that small actions have a huge impact.