5 Cheap Lifestyle Choices You Can Make To Help Save The Planet | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

5 Cheap Lifestyle Choices You Can Make To Help Save The Planet

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." – Robert Swan

19
5 Cheap Lifestyle Choices You Can Make To Help Save The Planet

Our planet is dying at an alarming rate whether you believe it or not and we need to make drastic changes quickly because our future depends on it. If one person can make a small difference in their lifestyle, that's already a difference made in the right direction.

Thrifting

The fashion industry throws away tons of waste each year. On average, consumers throw away about 70 pounds per person of clothes and shoes. Additionally, 95% of those textiles being thrown away in landfills could be recycled. Thrifting is undeniably a one-of-a-kind experience; you never know what you're going to find for a bargain, you are helping the planet by minimizing waste being sent to landfills, and you can donate your clothes to organizations, local churches, etc. who are in need of clothes.

Reusable utensils 

Making the transition from plastic to reusable utensils can help reduce the number of plastic utensils that end up in landfills each year. According to Whole Foods Magazine, it's estimated that about 40 million utensils are produced each year, to which a majority ends up in landfills. Whether it's utensils, straws, or water bottles, reducing the need for plastic material will inevitably help our oceans and lands in the long run.

Reusable bags

Everyone has an area in their home that is full of grocery bags and produce bags that are overflowing. Switching to a reusable bag will not only clear space in your home but help fight against the issue of excessive plastic in our oceans and landfills. Your local grocery store will provide paper bags, tote bags, or canvas bags that you can use instead of plastic bags. The online company BAGGU sells custom, stylish reusable bags for as low $10 and can be used for multiple occasions.

Plant-based diet 

Having a plant-based diet is not ideal for everyone (and that's okay). The Animal Agriculture industry contributes to climate change through excessive greenhouse-gas emissions, carbon dioxide, and usage of water. Making the effort to eat more ethically by incorporating more plant-based products can reduce your carbon footprint by five times.

Composting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that approximately 1.3 billion tons of food produced ends up getting lost or wasted each year. Composting is an easy way to reduce methane emissions from landfills, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and enriches the soil for plants. As a mother to some beautiful, apartment-grown produce, using the food scraps from cooking to enrich the soil for gardening can do wonders for this planet.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

46
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1307
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2266
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments