Spring is in full-swing. We finally get to spend more of our time under the sun, amidst the beautiful Victoria cherry blossoms and daffodils. With Earth Day on April 22nd, now is a wonderful time to show our appreciation for the planet we live on by practicing mindful sustainability. However, I also recognize that sustainability can be an expensive investment, especially when people tell you to do things like buy local or invest in vintage clothes, so here are some things you can do to take care of the Earth without spending a cent!
Upcycle Your Clothing
Upcycling the clothes that are in your closet is a great way to practice sustainability. Basic mending, such as how to patch a hole in denim or sewing on a button, is a great life skill to learn that will help your favourite clothes last as long as you want them to. Darning socks is a fun way to start learning how to mend and takes nothing more than a needle and some thread. Likewise, ironing patches over stains or even embroidering them not only repairs the item but adds a unique flair!
Clothing Swaps
A fun and sustainable way to get rid of old clothes and get some new ones is to attend clothing swaps, or even better, organize your own! Gather up a few of your friends, raid your closets, and trade clothes for some new-to-you pieces instead of something new.Â
Trash Pickups
While some organizations put together trash pick-ups, you don’t need to attend a fancy event to get some of the garbage off the streets! Make a point this month to pick up any trash that you pass by either on campus or in your neighborhood. You could even go a step further and grab some friends and some gloves and clean up a beach or roadside that could use a little bit of help! It’s an easy task and it helps keep wildlife safe and our environment clean.
Reduce Food Waste
There’s a few ways that you can reduce your food waste, but the first way is to prevent food going bad in general. Properly storing your food, produce especially, is one of the best ways to make sure your food lasts as long as possible. Saving veggie scraps in the freezer for veggie stock is an easy way to keep food out of the bin, and all you need to do is boil the scraps to turn them into veggie stock for soups and other cooking!
On UVic’s campus, composting is highly accessible because of the green compostable waste bins next to almost every garbage can. When throwing your trash away, please take a few seconds to consider if it could go in the compost! Not only can food scraps be composted, but things like paper napkins and paper packaging can be as well. If you’re off-campus, the City of Victoria collects organic waste —including food scraps—with curbside pickup. But it’s important to know what can and can’t go in these bins. Additionally, you could even start your own compost bin in your backyard! Especially if you like to garden, a home compost is a wonderful way to both reduce food waste and to help other plants to grow.
Reuse Glass and Plastics
Reusing things that you might otherwise throw away, such as glass and plastic items, is definitely sustainable, and a great way to save money as well. For example, my cupboard at home is filled with glass jars from pasta sauces, salsas, peanut butter jars, and more. We use these for food storage as well as drinking glasses! Yogurt containers for food storage work well, too. Soft plastics are trickier, but consider reusing washing and reusing plastic ziplocs, or using larger plastic bags for garbage bags.
Walk / Bike / Public Transport
Even if you have your own vehicle, consider building in a few extra minutes into your day to walk, bus, or bike somewhere that you’d usually drive to. Walking in general is underrated, so make the most of spring and stretch your legs. Take it easy with some music or an audiobook and feel good knowing that you have nothing else to do at that moment! And don’t be afraid of bad weather—rain can be a lot of fun to walk in every once in a while. Also, don’t be afraid to break out that bike that’s been sitting unused, or take advantage of public transport and save on that gas bill.
Get Involved
One last way, and perhaps the most fun way, to contribute to a sustainable environment is to get involved with local environmental organizations. Some organizations plan events like beach clean-ups, invasive ivy pulls, and workshops! Lots of these are free events that bring together the community to help the environment. A couple of Victoria’s local organizations are Surfrider South Vancouver Island and Greater Victoria Green Team. Patagonia Victoria also tends to hold exciting events every once in a while, too!
Although sustainability isn’t the most glamorous lots of the time, doing our best does make a difference. Remember that every action counts, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Every individual action counts towards collective change, and together, we can continue to foster a healthy environment around us for the Earth!Â