Small daily changes in how we live can make big impacts for the environment. Check out the list below on ways to make a change every day.
Waste
Not all waste has to be thrown away. Glass bottles, aluminum cans, plastic containers, and newspapers can often be recycled. You can start by implementing recycling at home and at your school. Ask your parents if you have curbside pick-up of recyclable materials in your neighborhood and check with a teacher or school administrator about recycling on campus. To determine what can and cannot be recycled visit http://www.wm.com/thinkgreen/what-can-i-recycle.jsp. Or, see if any of the items you’re about to throw away can be reused in your home or school for containers, art projects, bird feeders, and more…Use your imagination!
Food scraps can be composted. Your parents, teachers, or librarians may know how to find information for you on starting a compost pile at home or at your school. As you toss food scraps onto the pile, they break down into tiny parts, making fertilizer to grow new plants and flowers. See if your school will start a compost in the cafeteria. For more information on composting, what it is and how to do it watch this video.
When you are buying items in the store, try to pick ones with less packaging, so there’s not as much to throw away when you get home. About 1/3 of all garbage we throw away is packaging. Remember to bring your reusable grocery bags when you go shopping to reduce the use of plastic bags!
Energy
Turn off lights and appliances when you leave a room. Remember, whenever electricity is being used at home, fuel is being burned in power plants, polluting the air.
Try to cut down on the number of car trips you take by running as many errands as you can in one trip. If you’re only going a short distance, think about walking or riding a bicycle instead of getting a ride in a car.
Carpool with friends or family to school/work or use public transportation if it is available to you.
Water
In some parts of the country, there are water shortages. You can conserve the amount of water you use by not letting the water run while you’re brushing your teeth. That saves about 5 gallons of water each time. In a year, you would save enough water to fill up a swimming pool!
Make sure your family fixes all leaky faucets. Steady drops of water can add up to 9 gallons during a day, enough to fill a large fish tank!
Wildlife
Be respectful of wildlife habitats when you’re in a park, on the beach, or in any other natural area. Never leave trash behind. If you know of species that might be endangered in your area, write letters or emails to your local paper or local leaders, urging them to protect that species’ habitat. Or start your own advocacy campaign.
Food
1 in 9 people doesn’t get enough food to eat. Farmland is often used to graze cows for beef, but could be used to produce other crops which could feed many more people than the beef from the cows could. Consider reducing the amount of meat you consume by participating in meatless Mondays and don’t eat meat on Mondays of each week. Also, think about eating more meals that are vegetarian or becoming vegetarian/vegan.
Food waste is also a large contributor of methane gas emissions. According to the U.N. Environment Program, roughly 30-40 percent of food grown globally is lost to waste. Be mindful of how much food you purchase and try to compost food that you do not plan to consume.