Annie Malpass
When we address problems such as climate change and pollution, it’s easy for one to get overwhelmed. Such worldwide problems make us and our actions seem insignificant to the final outcome. However, I’m writing this article to tell you that there are things you can do that have a major impact, even if it's not affecting your life directly. Sometimes it only takes a small alteration to your day to create change bigger than that day itself. And trust me, it’s empowering.
#1 - Put a recycling bin in your room/ bathroom
We put small garbage bins in our room for the convenience of not having to go to the kitchen to throw something away. Though, why don’t we make recycling this easy for ourselves? Once you give yourself two easily accessible options, you’ll begin to see all the things you were chucking improperly.
#2 - Download Ecosia to your phone/ set it up as your default browser
Still using Google? Ecosia is a search engine that functions the same as Google but the money made from your searches is used to plant trees in the places that need it the most. Ecosia also provides jobs for people in impoverished countries. It only takes around 45 searches to plant a tree! Such a simple alteration to your life that is affecting the planet greatly.
#3 - When you’re out, avoid/refuse plastic
Plastic is everywhere and on everything, making it very hard to live a plastic-free life. However, this doesn’t have to stop us from trying to cut back. Bringing a water bottle from home instead of buying a plastic one (which takes 450 years to break down). Switching from plastic pop to glass or canned pop is an effort that adds up significantly. Asking for no straw in your drink will cut down your waste a ton as well, and most of us are perfectly capable of drinking a beverage without the help of a plastic tube- which cannot be recycled due to its size and will eventually break into small microplastics that are hurting our planet. That’s a big ouch for such a small moment of pleasurable ease.
#4 - Bring your own stuff- it’s not as hard as you think
It’s insane how much waste comes from eating out- from the add up of sugary Starbucks drinks to the times we forgot to bring our own cutlery. Although the thought of hauling a bunch of metal with you can sound like a pain in the butt, there are easy ways of approaching it. One would be to think out your day. If you are meeting someone for coffee in the afternoon, bringing your mug goes a long way- as well as setting a nice example for your friend. You could even be using that cup for water throughout the day, avoiding plastic water bottles in the process.
#5 - Knowledge yourself and start caring
This can be overwhelming, and it will sometimes make us want to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it’s not there. However, teaching ourselves about current events or simply searching how to recycle something is the start. Awareness and consideration of how pollution is affecting our earth, even if we can’t see it yet, helps us understand why we should start putting in the effort. This will help change our perspectives as well as slowly changing the perspectives of the people who surround us. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen.
It is easy to forget how much power we have as individuals. Every choice we make does have an impact, even if we can’t see it or if it doesn't affect us directly. It’s time to address the bigger picture head-on and realize that our actions, no matter how small, are making an impact. It’s our futures, after all, and without your contribution, we are all paying the price. The first step to change is changing our habits and choices, and that alone can change the world.