This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at App State chapter.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” -Dr. Suess’ The Lorax

Here at App, sustainability is one of the most popular and important conversations on campus. Each year, many students make Boone their home because of ASU’s famous devotion to sustainability. With initiatives like the Carbon-Neutral Commuter program and “GreenApps,” the new partnership between the Office of Sustainability and University Housing, Appalachian State aims to protect the environment on a large scale.

But sometimes, it’s difficult to realize how an individual can help protect and conserve this beautiful world we live in. Here are just a few simple habits that can help you do your part to save the planet:

1. Shop local!

In Boone, there are a ton of places to buy and eat locally like EarthFare, Comeback Shack, Wild Craft Eatery, and so on. Eating locally-produced food has a wide range of environmental and economic benefits. Food bought at chain grocery stores travels at an average of 1,500 miles to get from a farm to your plate. Eating locally-produced food can greatly decrease the distance that food is transported, and therefore reduce its carbon footprint.

One of the best places to buy locally sourced food is the Watauga County Farmer’s Market, which is held at Horn in the West each Saturday morning from May until November. Shopping at the Farmer’s Market also benefits our community by supporting local businesses. Also, smaller-scale farmers are much more likely to practice sustainable farming techniques which make food taste even better!

2. Use reusable shopping bags

Americans use billions of plastic bags a year, each of which take at least 15 years to biodegrade. Taking reusable bags on shopping trips can help eliminate your contribution to the world’s plastic problem. Most grocery stores sell reusable bags, but there are slightly more trendy options. Kate Spade actually has a line of reusable grocery bags. Woven by Wander also offers Fair Trade certified bags. Next time you shop for groceries, bring your own reusable bag to be stylish and sustainable!

3. Cut down on meat consumption

In 2014, the agricultural industry accounted for 9% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Unlike cars, factories, and other industrial players that produce carbon dioxide, the main gas associated with agriculture is methane. Livestock, particularly cattle, produce tons of methane each year. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane is one of the most detrimental gases to Earth’s atmosphere. In addition, beef production contributes to an incredible amount of water use. Studies have shown that it takes 441 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. Limiting beef consumption can reduce your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and to water-waste.

Likewise, cutting down your seafood intake can help protect the oceans’ shrinking fish populations. Fish like tuna, domestic cod, and imported shrimp are highly endangered species. Eating locally sourced fish and using helpful apps like Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch” can help ensure you eat the most sustainably sourced fish!

4. Rethink your skincare products

Many skincare products contain microbeads, which are tiny plastic spheres that are used for exfoliation. However, this trend for clear-and-clean skin has caused aquatic environments to suffer. Microbeads, like other body care products, are washed down the drain and into water treatment plants. Due to their size, microbeads oftentimes pass through the plants and end up in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Here, fish can consume the microbeads and the toxins that they contain.

Microbead toxins can be potentially dangerous for the aquatic food web, which includes humans. Choosing skincare products without microbeads can prevent further plastic pollution of waterways. Brands like Aveda, St. Ives, The Body Shop, and Burt’s Bees produce skincare products without microbeads.

5. Be socially sustainable!

Involve your friends in your decision to live a more sustainable life! If you want to learn more about environmental sustainability, grab your friends and attend one of the many speakers, movies, or events that ASU invites to campus with the Sustain Appalachian campaign.

If you are planning on attending an event or going on a trip, carpool in order to minimize carbon emissions. Take the stairs and walk to campus with friends to be sustainable while getting some exercise. Whatever habits you choose, don’t be afraid to share them with your friends! Join in on the conversation of environmental sustainability in any way you can.

Saving the planet is hard work, but hopefully you can adopt some of these habits in order to help create a healthier, happier Earth!

Sources:

seafoodwatch.org

http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/04/how-green-is-local-food/

http://www.npr.org/2014/05/21/313157701/why-those-tiny-microbeads-in-soa…

http://www.explorebeef.org/cmdocs/explorebeef/fact_sheet_beef%20and%20wa…

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions