16 Ways To Treat Mother Nature Like The Lady She Is

16 Ways To Treat Mother Nature Like The Lady She Is

It's 2018, and the conversation about climate change and global warming is at an all-time high. Not to scare you, but this is because it's a huge problem in the world, and unless we each do our part in bettering the environment, nothing is going to change. Here are some super easy, super life-changing tips to be more environmentally conscious

1. Bring a reusable water bottle or travel mug to class/work.

This saves money AND the environment— I know of a lot of coffee shops that give discounts to people who bring reusable mugs in.

2. Invest in bags that you can reuse in the grocery store.

They can range between one and three dollars, and you save money in the long run because most grocery stores now charge for plastic bags!

3. Switch over to acrylic or stainless steel straws.

These are so affordable on Amazon, and they come with a little cleaning wand, so it's super easy to make the switch from disposable plastic straws to something more reusable.

4. Be cautious about what you put in the recycling.

I didn't know until a few years ago that plastic water bottle caps needed to be taken off of the bottle in order to be properly recycled.

5. When buying new clothes, try to find companies and designers that use sustainable methods.

I've been looking into this a lot lately, mostly because I don't agree with a lot of the practices a lot of clothing companies use.

6. Shop secondhand when possible.

I have found so many incredible clothing pieces while shopping secondhand, and my boyfriend and I buy books for our little library in order to keep them out of the cycle of garbage.

7. Donate things you need to get rid of.

There are a lot of things that I know I personally don't need anymore but somebody else might put to good use.

8. Reuse old fabrics.

I cut old t-shirts that are ripped or too frayed and turn them into reusable rags to use around the house. You can also sew them into bags that you can bring to the grocery store!

9. Walk, bike, or use public transportation when possible.

Think of how much gas money you'll save by taking the bus or walking to work instead of driving, and how much less stressful it is! Glorious.

10. Utilize the calendar on your phone and laptop.

This makes my life so much easier — the calendar on my MacBook syncs to the calendar on my iPhone and iPad, and it saves so much paper. 

11. Shop in bulk to avoid excess packaging, and bring your own jars.

This honestly saves me so much money too. You can skip disposable packaging by bringing your own jars — just get them weighed beforehand.

12. Invest in reusable produce bags.

This is for when you want to take that extra step to be more environmentally conscious. You can buy them or make them, but they eliminate the need for the produce bags in the store

13. Switch to paperless billing.

This is probably the easiest way to be more environmentally friendly. Switching your bank accounts and cellphone bills over to paperless billing reduces paper and helps you keep track of everything better.

14. Keep a set of reusable utensils in your bag.

Honestly, keeping a fork and knife from your home cutlery set in your bag makes the biggest difference in reducing your disposable plastic usage.

15. Go meatless once a week.

This is important — the amount of water and energy it takes to take a cow and turn it into a hamburger is alarming. Going meatless once a week makes a bigger difference than people realize.

16. BUY LOCAL.

This is probably my favorite way to help the environment, mostly because I'm obsessed with farmers' markets. You save money while supporting the local economy and limit transportation costs and excess pollution.