Leading an eco-friendly lifestyle

Written by: Caroline Kim

October 16, 2021

Leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle can be overwhelming and difficult at first glance: volunteering, going no plastic/waste, consuming exclusively sustainable goods, etc. However, there’s no need to worry because there’s many ways you can begin to incorporate healthy practices into your life step by step. You can start with building a simple habit such as bringing your own bag to the grocery store or bringing your own cup to your favorite coffee shop. There are so many ways we can contribute to this cause every day.

Plastic is among one of the top items that pollute our planet. More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually, and about 8 million tons of this end up in our oceans. This inevitably results in the injuries and deaths of ocean creatures. Moreover, this excess plastic circulation/pollution poses a threat to food safety, human health, economic deficits, and tourism. Acknowledging this, consider switching biodegradable plastic bags (compostable), using reusable shampoo/conditioner/body wash containers, bringing your own reusable bag to the grocery store (as mentioned earlier), bringing your own containers for takeout, and using reusable straws.

Plastic pollution may have seemed a bit more familiar, but what about beauty. Did you know the products you use when you get ready every morning could be harming the environment? Did you know your seemingly harmless beauty products could contain toxic chemicals, parabens, and phthalates? In fact, the same can be said about your clothes; Did you know polyester can take over 200 years to decompose? Not only can certain fabrics be detrimental to our environment, but it can also be unfair to those who work in labor factories for unethical brands. Therefore, consider checking to see that the beauty/clothing brands you purchase are eco-friendly: Everlane, Boden, Pact, thrifting, Alima Pure, and RMS beauty.

Building up small habits and incorporating even the smallest eco-friendly practices makes a difference, so I encourage you to try some out!

Sources:

“Eco-Friendly Habits: 105 Ways to Live an Environmentally Conscious Life.” Eco Friendly Habits, 30 June 2021, www.ecofriendlyhabits.com/how-to-be-eco-friendly/.

“Marine Plastics.” IUCN, 5 Dec. 2018, www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics.