Those of us who live a low-waste lifestyle aim to use as little single-use plastics as possible. We use sustainable and reusable alternatives instead. Individuals who get into the low-waste lifestyle work to steadily replace everything from food packaging to hygiene products to clothing with more sustainable, plastic-free alternatives. If you're not sure where to start on your low-waste journey, check out these three easy habits that you can start today!
Here are 3 Eco-Friendly Habits for Low-Waste Living:
Eat Sustainably
Researchers at the Loma Linda University in California found that vegans have the smallest carbon footprint, generating 41.7% fewer greenhouse gases than meat-eaters do.
You can eat more sustainably by:
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Choose sustainable seafood. Avoid seafood caught by trawl, longline, and dredging and choose wild-caught seafood whenever possible.
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Limiting your consumption of animal products in general and experimenting with vegan and vegetarian alternatives.
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Buy local and organically grown foods whenever possible.
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Grow your own food.
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Avoid foods with palm oil.
Reduce Your Food Waste
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of the food produced in the world is wasted. A total of 40% of this food waste happens at the retail and consumer level – contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
You can help reduce food waste by:
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Keeping an updated list of your fridge, freezer and pantry inventory.
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Avoiding take-out as much as possible.
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Meal planning and only buying the foods that you will use.
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Storing food properly to maximize shelf life.
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Serving smaller portions.
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Using your leftovers or freezing them for future “easy meal days.”
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Giving away excess food to food banks, charities, friends, family, and/or neighbours.
Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle
Recycling plastic takes 88% less energy than making plastic from raw materials. Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the Earth four times. Only about 25% of the plastic produced in the U.S. is recycled.