April 22, 2024

Charity Begins at Home: Here’s How You Can Contribute to Sustainability Efforts

As the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, India has its work cut out when it comes to sustainability matters.

The government has taken steps to work collaboratively with global and domestic stakeholders to create a more sustainable future. While this is impressive, there is a lot more that can be done more so on the individual level. If ever there was a time for you to make your mark on this, the time is now.

Here are 4 simple ways you can contribute to a more sustainable world.

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4 Ways To Contribute to Sustainability Efforts

1. Grow Some Plants

If you have some space on your property, how about planting some vegetation? Depending on how much space you have, you can go for trees, shrubs, herbs, or flowers. If you live in an apartment or other high-rise buildings, a balcony is all you need.

Green plants absorb some of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generate oxygen. The increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can be blamed mainly on deforestation. While it will take more than a few potted plants to correct the situation, mother earth will appreciate your small efforts.

2. Shop Smart

While certain products in the market leave a trail of destruction behind them, some have little to no impact on the environment.

You want to shop for the latter if you care about making the earth a better place. The more people begin making environmentally-conscious purchase decisions, the more motivated manufacturers will be in ensuring they operate sustainably.

Therefore, shop for eco-friendly mattresses, electronics, beauty products, and so on.

Support green companies in other ways as well, even when you can’t make purchases. You can do this by following them on social media, supporting their CSR activities, and even sharing their online content.

Also read: Money-Saving Tips for Smart Shoppers

3. Re-Think Your Transportation

Car emissions significantly contribute to greenhouse gases. This is another area where you can make your mark.

If you drive your kids to school every morning, consider letting them take the bus or carpool with other neighborhood kids. It makes no sense to the environment to have one or two people in a car that emits almost the same level of emissions as a car ferrying five or more people.

Aside from being good for the environment, carpooling is also likely to be more convenient and affordable for you.

Something else you can do regarding your transportation is to buy more efficient vehicles. This does not necessarily mean electric cars. There are numerous petrol and diesel-powered cars that offer excellent fuel economy and release low levels of toxic nitrogen oxides.

4. Minimize Wastage

Buying things and food only to throw them away later creates a lot of wastage. Think about the marketing, packaging, manufacturing, and transportation processes each product goes through to reach you.

For food, there is also water for irrigation and fertilizers to think about.

Whenever you need to but something, try and find out if there is anything in your house that can be repurposed to serve the intended purpose. Similarly, think of how an item can be used differently before throwing it in the bin. Things in good working order can always be resold or donated.

The same goes for food. Be keen on learning your consumption patterns. This is the first step towards buying just enough for your family and minimizing wastage.