How Can An Individual Contribute To Sustainability
Sustainability may sound something that requires a complex approach and strategy from “the above“, however, an individual is not as helpless as it may seem at a first glance. On the contrary, every individual counts in the transition to better sustainability and reduction of resource consumption.
There are many ways to contribute to sustainability as an individual. For a start, follow the directions of your local authorities. If there are separate waste containers, make sure to sort your waste and dispose it properly. Check your cleaning company and whether it offers an eco clean service. It does not cost you anything to sort your waste according to different materials and helps the transition to sustainability more than you may think. Most of the things we throw away on a daily basis can be reused and recycled, while each reused and recycled item significantly reduces the pressure on non-renewable resources as well as helps reduce waste pollution.
In addition to proper waste separation and disposal, you can also take measures to reduce the amount of waste you create. How? There are a number of ways to create less waste. For a start, get a reusable shopping bag and cancel junk mail to reduce paper waste. Also, donate things that may be useful to other people such as clothing, old toys, etc. or sell things you do not need anymore such as a TV that still works for example. People are willing to pay for all sorts of things even those that seem completely useless. There are really millions of ways to reduce the pressure on the landfills and subsequently on the soil and groundwater as well as air because recycling uses less energy than virgin production which in turn decreases the carbon dioxide emissions.
Decreased energy consumption is an important part of sustainability as well. Most of the energy is generated from non-renewable sources, in the first place fossil fuel burning. There is not much you can do about the way the energy is produced but you can do a lot to reduce energy consumption even without installing the green technologies such as solar panels and waste water recycling systems for instance. Turning off the lights when not needed may sound negligible but it is a good start. Other ways to reduce energy consumption in your home include turning off the tap while brushing teeth, washing full loads of laundry, catching rainwater with barrels for watering plants, paying attention to energy efficiency when buying new appliances, etc.
Another important aspect of sustainability which perhaps is not receiving enough attention is avoidance of chemicals in gardening and agriculture as well as in your home. Artificial fertilizers, pesticides and in the end, cleaning agents have a devastating effect on the environment as well as on human health. There are many natural and non-toxic ways to deal with pests, while artificial fertilizers can be replaced with compost and manure. Giving up cleaning agents may seem radical but there is an environmentally friendly alternative - organic cleaning products. They are just as good as the conventional ones and yes, they kill those germs too if you are perhaps wondering.
The above mentioned ways to contribute to sustainability are only a few of many ways you can reduce your impact on the environment. Everything that reduces your ecological footprint is helpful no matter how insignificant it may seem.