Sustainability plays a huge part in our environment’s health. It’s extremely important to reduce the amount of waste and energy we use on a day to day basis in order to preserve Earth’s natural beauty. Some of the ways to become more environmentally friendly are effortless and can make a massive difference in the way we live today. 

Up to 90% of today’s waste consists of plastic debris. Even the smallest pieces of plastic can destroy an animals habitat so it’s crucial to prevent as much plastic waste from invading the homes of animals. Some ways to reduce your plastic footprint include: carry around reusable water bottles and travel mugs, avoid plastic cutlery, ditch plastic straws, don’t buy fresh produce packaged in plastic, use reusable shopping bags, opt for bars of shampoo and soap instead of bottles, invest in reusable ziplock bags etc. It takes years for plastic to decompose and it’s hurting our environment significantly and quickly. 

Another way to reduce waste is to not throw out your food! Approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally each year which is ⅓ of all food produced for human consumption. If there is leftover food from a meal, put it in a container to eat the next day. To prevent fruit and vegetables from going bad, freeze them so they last longer, plus there are so many things you can make with frozen goods like smoothies or you can use berries to flavor your water. It’s always better to use food that goes bad quicker first before using foods with an expiration date far in the future. Meal planning is also a good idea because it prevents you from over-buying foods that will sit in the refrigerator or cabinet and won’t be eaten. 

Saving energy seems to be the least difficult thing to do yet it’s so easy to forget. When leaving a room, turn off the lights, fan, and television. This decreases the amount of energy in a household significantly and can even save money on an electricity bill. Before it gets too hot, take advantage of windows and open them to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and sunshine. 

I would like to thank my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Poremba, for inspiring the topic for this article because it’s so important to care for the world around us even though some might not think so. Helping the environment is so simple but can bring a big change. It’s time to make a difference!