5 Ways to Actually Make a Positive Difference to the Environment

Does the state of the planet have you worrying and wondering what you can do to help? In this post, we explore 5 lifestyle adjustments you can adopt to make a difference to the planet.

Understandably, many feel that at this point in time, saving the environment from irreversible damage is out of our hands and falls solely on the shoulders of giant corporations. This feeling has led to a sense of jadedness among everybody who puts in their efforts to contribute positively to the protection of the planet. 

However, whilst the responsibility does mainly lie with big corporations and governments to lead the way environmentally, there are still valuable things we can do as individuals in our daily lives to help slow down the human-led destruction of our planet. In case you want to know how to make a positive difference in your own small way, read on to find out five minor adjustments that will make your lifestyle greener and actually effect change.

Travel Sustainably

Transport is one of the leading pollutants in the UK. That’s why it is vital to ensure you travel responsibly and in the least polluting way manageable; that is to say, avoid overusing your car or switch to public transport where possible. Even better, try walking, cycling or using an electric scooter if they are legal in your town or city. 

When it comes to holidays, try to maximise the number of staycations you do by travelling locally, instead of hopping on several short-haul flights per year, each of which can equate to around 10% of your annual carbon emissions. Alternatively, try to use trains to get yourself to a European destination, or road-tripping in an electric vehicle, using a handy charging app to find EV charging stations UK along the way. Making these small travel adjustments will reduce your carbon footprint considerably.

Eat Responsibly

Massively reducing the number of dairy and meat products you and your family consume as part of your diet is a great start to being the environmental warrior this planet needs. The farming of these animals for such products is a major contributor to forest loss and, in turn, animal extinction, as we are expanding agricultural land for animal farming.

As we know already, and often is the butt of the joke, animals release carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere where vegetables, grains and legumes do not. Plant-based diets are nowadays more accessible given that, as a society, we are moving away from meat and towards plant substitutes. As a result, many of the leading British supermarkets now have their own brand of plant-based goods to facilitate your shift away from meat-based meals.

Another way to eat in a greener way is by reducing your waste: save and eat any leftovers from bigger meals and use spare ingredients whose expiry date is approaching to make meals. In that vein, remember that if you see a yellow sticker on a product in a supermarket which says “reduced”, buy it! It might not be as fresh as the other products on the shelf, but it is certainly still good to eat, and you’ll be doing the planet a favour by preventing it from ending up in a landfill. And if you don’t fancy it for yourself, consider giving a reduced product to a homeless person en route home.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!

As a society, we are generally very good at recycling, but we can’t stop there and think that throwing out our empty beer cans in the green bin is enough. Recycling and upcycling are vital daily rituals you should practise so as to reduce the number of new materials we produce and consume. Otherwise, any plastics or other materials you dispose of in the general waste end up in landfill, serving as a major source of pollution, both to our atmosphere and our marine life.

Repurposing materials you already have at home is a great way of reducing your contribution to the production of new materials. For instance, try reinventing an old jam jar as a container for olive oil, homemade sauce or salad dressing. 

Of course, don’t try to recycle materials that aren’t recyclable, as this will contaminate the rest of the bin’s contents, potentially rendering the whole thing unrecyclable and fast-tracking it straight to a landfill. Ensure that you hire rubbish removal professionals and that your waste is disposed of in a safe and responsible manner. In addition, try to avoid buying non-recyclable materials that can’t be separated and don’t try to recycle anything smaller than a credit card like a straw. 

Avoid Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is an enormous issue in today’s consumerist world, with the fashion industry being the second largest pollutant on the planet after the oil industry. Fast fashion refers to the rapid and low-cost production of clothing, which unsurprisingly ends up being of a cheaper and poorer quality. Fast fashion outlets will often make their clothing using cheaper materials and sell them at a lower price, often using cheap labour and disregarding human rights during the production process. 

Among the dozens of reasons that fast fashion is so problematic is the damage it does to the environment. Such brands as ASOS, Shein, Zara, H&M, Nike and so many others have an enormous turnover of new clothes and styles, in many cases burning old stock and returned items rather than donating, repurposing or reselling them as the former is easier and cheaper. 

Some of the synthetic, non-biodegradable materials frequently present in fast fashion clothes are polyester, polyamide, polyurethane and nylon, to name a few. These not only require harmful chemicals to make, but are adding to plastic pollution in our oceans and threatening marine life.

The solution? Where possible, try to avoid fast fashion brands and buy your clothing from local independent boutique shops, charity shops, second-hand or vintage shops or online services like Vinted, eBay and D-pop. Try to practise hand-me-down rituals with family and friends, adopting clothes and shoes from loved ones and restyling them to your taste. There are also lots of clothes-swapping and rental services, both of which have seen a surge in popularity as we all become more environmentally conscious. 

Donate!

No matter how big or small the contribution, put your pennies towards making a positive difference to the environment and the hugely deserving causes working tirelessly to protect it. You can help fund projects and initiatives around the world to remove plastic from the ocean, prevent animal extinction, or build trees and combat deforestation – the list of ways to help is endless. Birthdays are a great opportunity to raise funds via social media, as are challenges such as marathons and mud runs. Consider switching gifts for donations on your next birthday to make a positive mark on the planet.