COMMUNITY & COLLABORATIONS - EARTH DAY: 10 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR IMPACT ON THE PLANET
22 April 2020 - Posted by The Sisterhood of Sustainability
Earth Day is today and we want to celebrate with you by sharing 10 epic and creative ways that you can reduce your impact on the planet. Every step towards a sustainable and ethical lifestyle is a step in the right direction and we're going to show you how beautiful, luxurious, rewarding and meaningful it can really be...
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Let's celebrate Earth Day 2020 by reducing our impact on the planet...
There are so many beautiful things in nature to be thankful for and we believe that Earth Day is severely underrated. The sunshine making golden sparkles on the sea, towering trees filled with luscious leaves and swirling turquoise waves are just a few of the things that we are most grateful for...
10 SIMPLE WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Whilst saving the planet can seem like an overwhelming task, if we all contribute our eco efforts and change small things within our own lifestyles, together we can make a huge and positive difference. Our mission has always been to inspire and empower women to live in a sustainable and ethical way and now we encourage you to share these tips with the friends, family and community around you...
1 - GO PLASTIC FREE
Plastic brings us so many emotions but mostly sadness and anger at the way it litters our earth, suffocates our oceans and the fact that it is mostly used just to service human convenience with no other real purpose. Plastic is everywhere and whilst its virtually impossible that the earth will every be rid of it, its important for everyone to do their part in preventing more of it being created. We encourage you to take a tour through your house, make not of the plastic items you own (especially in the kitchen and bathroom) and to see what you can swap with an eco-friendly alternative. For example, choose toilet paper like Who Gives A Crap which is wrapped in paper rather than plastic or invest in reusable produce bags rather than using the plastic ones at the supermarket.
2 - DRIVE LESS, WALK MORE
Choose to walk or ride whenever you can. Rather than driving to the shops, take your bike and a backpack or instead of driving, walk to nearby friends houses. You'll save money on petrol, will reduce carbon emissions and will improve your health and fitness just by introducing one small change.
3 - FOCUS ON MEANING, PURPOSE & IMPACT
In every decision making moment, focus on meaning, purpose and impact. For example, if you've decided that you want to buy a new dress and you've found one that you love, before purchasing ask yourself if that particular piece of clothing is able to serve its purpose for years to come, if you'd be able to repair it if necessary and what kind of sustainable and ethical impact it has made whilst being created. If it doesn't tick these boxes and isn't a meaningful, purposeful and positive purchase, then keep looking until you find a dress that supports these ethics.
4 - LIGHTS OFF
It's important to turn lights off when you're not using them but by "Lights Off" we mean actively deciding to turn your lights off for a few hours a night or one night a week. Replace your electricity powered lights with candles and enjoy the beautiful ambiance. We guarantee that you'll love it...
5 - TAKE IT SLOW...
Life wasn't meant to be rushed and neither are. everyday moments. You'll find that once you start to slow down, appreciate the small things in life and make the most of every day that sustainable and ethical habits will naturally fall in to place. For example, taking some time on the weekend to walk to the farmers markets and buy fresh produce for dinner, tackles several issues - You're preventing excess carbon emissions by choosing to walk rather than drive, you're eliminating plastic packaging by choosing to buy fresh produce and you're supporting sustainability and ethicality by purchasing from local farmers and suppliers.
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6 - MAKE THE MOST OF THE OUTDOORS
The more time you spend outside, the better! You'll fall in love with the fresh air, will spend less time relying on electricity and can improve your lifestyle in various ways. Start a vegetable garden in your backyard, make eco improvements around your home or eat your meals on your verandah...
7 - GIVE MORE, TAKE LESS
It's a well known saying that you should always give back more than you take and when it comes to the planet, this certainly rings true. Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year and the scary part is that Earth Overshoot Day is occurring earlier and earlier each year. Global ecological overshoot leads to diminished resource stocks and waste accumulating faster than it can be absorbed or recycled. The consequences are dangerous climate change, water scarcity, food insecurity and ongoing wildlife declines.
8 - BECOME COMMUNITY ORIENTATED
Rather than tackle environmental issues on your own, turn towards your local community. Join an existing group who plant trees, facilitate rubbish clean ups and care for wildlife or create a group of your own with a sustainable and ethical mission that you wholeheartedly believe in. Alternatively, our very own community The Sisterhood of Sustainability hosts many events and workshops which we'd love for you to become involved in.
9 - SAVE MONEY BY MAKING YOUR OWN
There are a trillion everyday products that you can make at home which are earth friendly and will save you money at the same time. Toothpaste, deodorant, disinfectant, face scrubs, dishwashing liquid and soaps are just a few of many. Learning how to make these essential items is not only a great skill but will prevent the creation of toxic chemicals and will reduce your shopping budget significantly.
10 - FOSTER A SUPPORTIVE APPROACH
We've always believed in community over competition and it is so important, now more than ever. Whilst you may already be well on your way to leading a sustainable and ethical lifestyle, it's important to reach out to those around you and be a supportive and encouraging shoulder to lean on. Offer help to those who also want to reduce their impact on the planet and contribute to the greater community by sharing ideas and solutions for a better and brighter future...
Thank you for celebrating Earth Day with us and for actively helping to create a cleaner and greener future for all...
As well as these ten creative ways to reduce your impact, we've also created a challenge for you in the form of a downloadable checklist. See how fast you can complete each task and the posts the result below.
