If one of your resolutions for the new year is to live an eco-friendlier life, just look here for some ideas. You can take a myriad of actionable steps to help save the planet from the ever-changing climate, and we’ve listed a few of them below. From supporting climate organizations to donating old clothes rather than tossing them, there are plenty of ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Donate Your Clothes
If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, then you need to think about the harmful effects of fast fashion. With shopping holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, you need to think about what you’ll do with the clothes you hardly wear. Rather than tossing them in the trash, lend them as hand-me-downs or donate them to charities such as Purple Heart. Textile waste is a huge problem, so do your part to counteract that by donating pieces you no longer wear.
Walk and Bike More
For years, people have talked about how harmful vehicles are to the environment. This new year, do your part to cut down on those negative effects by walking and biking more. The more often you decide to use your own feet instead of a car, the more you work to eliminate those hazardous gases. If you can’t walk or bike, at least try to carpool or use public transit instead.
Embrace a Minimalist Lifestyle
Minimalism is a great way to incorporate your goal of reducing your carbon footprint into your lifestyle. Decluttering your home and living off less won’t just create a more organized home—it will also help your community and the environment.
Stop Eating (or Eat Less) Meat
You may not buy into this if you’re a hard-core bacon-lover, but if you really want to reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment, then going on a plant-based diet is a necessity. In fact, eliminating meat consumption is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change—even over walking and biking. Red meat production consumes 11 times more water and causes five times more emissions than the poultry industry—and even poultry isn’t great for the environment. Even if becoming a vegetarian truly isn’t in the cards for you, try adding a few meatless days into your diet instead.
Plant a Garden
Finally, try planting a garden. Even if you live in an apartment, planting some greenery around the house is a simple way to reduce your carbon footprint. Pot some flowers, plant some trees in the backyard, start an herb or vegetable garden—the choice is yours. There are plenty of fun ways to start a garden, and doing so is even easier when you use Bloomin’s seed paper to start off.