Of course, no one person can fix every environmental problem. That's absurd! But while we all know that the big companies are doing most of the world's polluting, we, the people, don't exactly lack agency, either. We're totally capable of making choices that reduce harm to the planet, and that's a good thing!
In the interest of learning more earth-healthy habits, I recently asked the BuzzFeed Community for their cheap, easy habits that help the planet. Here are some of the best answers:
1. "I bring my own drink, a bottle of water, every time I go out to eat to avoid ordering bottled water in the restaurant. I live somewhere in Asia where a bottle of mineral water can cost up to $5 in restaurants."
3. "Stop buying fast fashion. I know it feels good to feel 'trendy' — I do. But those clothes are made with plastic [and] horrible chemicals, [and are] made by people working for pennies in horrible conditions."
4. "Buy less stuff."
—Anonymous
5. "Recycle everything that you can. If you do use certain disposable products like foil or paper towels, try to reuse them before throwing them away."
6. "One totally free idea that will save you money and take quite literally ZERO effort is to stop buying stuff like the following things: dryer sheets, avoidable plastic, and cars with low MPG. Also, recycle."
7. "Trying to reduce food waste as much as possible has been my biggest [change], and we're winning! We make [only] enough to eat, anything else is leftovers/frozen, and [we] buy only what we need."
"I was ashamed of our waste before; we were not only eating out four to six times a week, but [were] buying enough groceries to cook for the whole week, too. We'd get lazy [and] end up tossing out so much food, it was disgusting.
"Now my husband and I are more conscious about what we buy, prepare, and eat, and the food waste has gone down quite drastically. Now we feel guilty for tossing a quarter of an onion, LOL. But seriously... once you get the hang of it, have backup recipes for everything you buy so you end up with as little waste as possible, or plan a lot for leftovers so every scrap is used, it gets so easy and addictive and you end up getting very creative in the kitchen, too."
8. "Weed out single-use items, [like] paper plates... paper towels, plastic utensils, [and] straws — anything that has a sustainable, long-lasting [alternative]."
9. "Invest in quality products (look for used!) and repair rather than replace. Support a local business! (Handymen, cobblers, tailors, etc.)"
10. "I recycle my used batteries in the bins at the supermarket. I also found a place with bins outside the entrance for recycling small electronics, and when my kettle stopped working, I took it there to be recycled."
11. "Air-drying clothes. I have a fairly inexpensive clothesline horse. It’s been going strong for nine years."
"I can line dry four loads of laundry in across two days in the North Carolina summer. [There's] no cost beyond getting the clothesline and clothespins."
—Anonymous
12. "Single-use plastic. Obviously, no one person can eliminate plastic [altogether], but it's been a change that makes me feel so much cleaner; I try to avoid single-use plastic WHEREVER I can, and I've found that I actually used it a lot more than I thought."
13. "I’m vegan, I buy 95% of my clothing second-hand, and reduce-reuse-recycle like a madwoman."
14. "[I use a] SodaStream rather than bottled, carbonated water, a fold-down clothes dryer when I can't hang washing out, [and I] reuse coffee grounds in the garden as plant food."
—Anonymous
15. "Create 'no car' days, arranging your life so that you don't need to drive anywhere for as long as possible, even if only for a day each week."
16. "Cold water for washing all your laundry."
—Anonymous
17. " As Vivienne Westwood said, 'Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity.'"
18. "I soak my orange & lemon peels in vinegar, strain, and then use the glorious smelling potion to clean and freshen my kitchen."
19. And finally: "A change I found easy and constructive was to stop buying clothes from places like Shein and Forever 21. Once I learned about how bad their clothes and business practices were, I stopped forever."
In short, most answers seem to be along the lines of less plastic, less energy use, and less consumption in general — which is so easy to do, because it actually involves not doing stuff. Let me know your thoughts down below. And if you have any more positive habits to share, I'm happy to hear them! Who knows — your tip might help someone make a positive change in their life.
Note: Some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.