Whenwe think about the environment and how much human presence changes it, there seems little we can do. The problem is so giant (global, in fact) that we often shrug, thinking that our individual impact is so negligible that we might as well do nothing. Alone we cannot affect much, but together we can. In fact, if we change our perspective and see our behaviors as an incentive to change habits to feel better, we can really make a difference. Just think of how normal it once was to throw garbage into the same bag. Today this is no longer possible, and we are so used to differentiation that the idea of going backwards bothers us physically.
Do you want another example? I have not been drinking water in plastic bottles for about ten years. Given an average consumption of one 2-liter bottle per day, I avoided throwing about 3,600 bottles into the garbage (and then into the sea). Me, alone. Multiply by millions of people and consider how much and what a difference a simple habit change can make.
So I urge you to consider the following tips not as the manual on how to save the planet but as a list of habits you can acquire that will make you live more at peace with yourself.
For simplicity’s sake, I have divided these tips according to the acts you do every day, so as to compose a kind of daily check-list that will help you acquire virtuous behaviors.
1. Wake up: breakfast
At breakfast, consume non-industrial products or zero-mile fruit. By doing so you help local producers, consume what nature offers in season, and feed yourself well. One component of the energy cost (which then becomes an environmental cost) of fruits and vegetables that come from far away that is often overlooked-in addition to transportation-is refrigeration and storage. These, too, weigh heavily.
Brush your teeth with a recyclable toothbrush, preferably made of bamboo, and use up all the toothpaste in the tube. There are also tubes made of recyclable material: they cost a few cents more but it is an economical effort that can be made, right?
2. Mature training and responsible clothing
If you had a light breakfast maybe it is because you are going out for a run. Even in the practice of our beloved sport, there are environmentally responsible behaviors: it is already a respectful and environmentally friendly sport in itself, but you can make it even greener by using garments made of natural materials (organic cottons, merino wool or the like) or produced from recycled materials. They cost a little more but have higher quality and therefore last longer. The more you spend, the less you spend.
The same goes for shoes: there are ones made from recycling and even ones that are completely recyclable (really!) such as the On Cyclon but the most valuable advice is to use them up until you wear them out completely, resisting the temptation to have more than your feet.
There is a very interesting app that also helps you choose brands based on their responsibility not only to the environment but also to the workers they employ: it is called Good on you and gives you interesting insights into the most virtuous manufacturers (you can find it for both iPhone and Android).
Always keep this mantra in mind when you have to buy something: “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” It means, in other words, that before buying something new you should ask yourself whether you really need it, whether you don’t already have something that can do exactly that function, and, if possible, recycle, that is, use durable, non-disposable items for the bare minimum. Which does not mean not taking off cravings and giving yourself an “unnecessary” gift sometimes-it means not doing it all the time and irresponsibly.
3. Hygiene
Now it’s shower time, right? There are excellent soaps, shampoos and conditioners in soap bars. You can find them everywhere now, and once you get over being wary of the fact that they produce less foam than the usual bottled (plastic!) ones, you can admire the fact that they disappear when you use them! In short, their waste is zero, except for the component that you remove by rinsing but which is still environmentally sustainable. You just can’t use them? Then continue with the plastic bottles but at least having the foresight to refill them when they are emptied with the appropriate refills, without buying new ones (i.e., more plastic that you will then throw away).
One last thing: showering is one of life’s pleasures but consider that in 5 minutes it consumes up to 45 liters of water. Do you need that much to clean yourself? He thinks that if you take half the time you only consume 22.5 liters of water. Also consider whether to turn off the water when you soap up: in hot months you can easily do this without fear of getting cold.
4. Moving, work, meals
Time to go to work. If it is not that far away, you can go there by bike or on foot, perhaps starting a little earlier from home, although it is true that in many large cities the fastest way to get around is not by car or bus or subway but by bicycle. Barring bad weather, there are very few reasons not to use it. He also thinks that every move that requires physical exertion results in calories burned and is a low-intensity workout that increases endurance. Double advantage!
If you have to make longer commutes, however, choose the train as much as possible. If a car is the only solution, consider sharing it with colleagues, perhaps putting it on rotation with other people’s cars. You will achieve a twofold positive effect, namely that you will use it more efficiently because you will be transporting more people instead of just one, and you will be able to use it less often, since with rotation you will be able to “take advantage” of those of your colleagues as well. If you hate them–well, that’s a big problem that’s not limited to car sharing, but that’s another issue.
The Clean Outdoor Manifesto: fare qualcosa di concreto per l’ambiente
There is, of course, also the option of anelectric car. However, the discussion is complicated by the fact that, to date, it is very expensive and not widely used, in addition to the fact that electricity generation is largely from nonrenewable sources. In the hopefully near future, the lower cost of electric vehicles and the production of electricity from renewable sources alone may solve the problem, but now it is too early to consider this a viable solution.
At lunch you can opt for the home-prepared meal or other solutions. If you make do, the same rules still apply: seasonal fruits and vegetables, liquids in glass or aluminum (or, generally, metal) bottles, and limited consumption of meat and fish. We understand that omnivores also exist (I myself am one) but one can be one conscientiously, trying not to overconsume and preferring quality, non-industrially processed, local and inevitably more expensive products. The cost issue is an advantage in the long run, however, because it teaches that good things have value and it is right to consume them sparingly.
The well-deserved rest
You come home at night and maybe stop to buy something at the supermarket. For some time now I have been paying special attention to wrappers (as well as provenance). I find it paradoxical that many organic foods come in non-recyclable packaging, so I prefer to buy bulk fruits and vegetables that I store in biodegradable bags. It is also preferable to buy sliced meats, meats and cheeses served at the counter because the only wrapping to be disposed of will be the paper containing them and not the plastic trays. As always, buy as much as you can liquids in glass bottles or refills for soaps, detergents, etc.
You are finally home but first you check the mailbox: apart from the usual advertising flyers, you find nothing. Very good: it means that you have long requested that all paper correspondence (bills, invoices, various communications) be domiciled electronically for you. The environment thanks.
Dinner prepared and eaten, it is time to clean up the kitchen: for some time now, it has also been easy to find recyclable paper towels. There are bamboo versions that you can use over and over again and are perfect for cleaning stoves and countertops. On the other hand, I do not go into the question of what is better ecologically speaking between washing dishes by hand or in a dishwasher because schools of thought are divided between those who say that, paradoxically, by hand consumes more water and those who see the dishwasher as an evil tool. All I know is that my back prefers the dishwasher, see her.
Now it is time to watch TV or read a book. While I am a lover (obsessive, I would say) of the paper book, I cannot deny that ebooks have an infinitely smaller environmental footprint, as well as being more practical and fit hundreds in a single ebook reader. By the way, you can finally read that 900-page Russian novel in bed without fear of suffering a head injury if you fall asleep while reading it and it falls on your face. Think about it!
Regarding electricity, I have one piece of advice. Neglecting photovoltaic panels (great if you have them), you can still contain consumption by not lighting the whole house like a Christmas tree, especially by lighting unoccupied rooms. When leaving an environment, it is a good rule to always turn off the light.
This is only a partial list of tips to respect the environment and reduce your impact. Certainly you will have others and I will be happy to supplement them. To do something for the environment, we must show solidarity with each other: let us try to preserve it for ourselves and for everyone. As I said at the beginning, a single virtuous behavior does not make a difference, but thousands of virtuous behaviors do, indeed.
(Main image credits: Szefei on DepositPhotos.com)