When Earth Day inevitably rolls around every year, it can be tempting to share a post to social media and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe you even add in a hashtag to #stopclimatechange or #preserveourearth, so you’ve done your part to raise awareness. This year, consider doing more than just the post and look into incorporating these three things into your life for Earth Day.
Limit Shopping at Fast Fashion
I know that the low prices can make it tempting to buy $200 worth of clothes for the latest new trends. However, you might only wear them once before throwing them away. Fast fashion is responsible for large amounts of microplastic pollution and water consumption and over 57% percent of discarded clothing ends up in a landfill. This means that excessive consumption from manufacturers like Shein are leading to huge amounts of pollution and the endangerment of local communities. A great way to combat this and be sustainable is to donate your clothes or give them away to friends and family instead of throwing them away once you are done wearing them. Completely cutting out fast fashion can be hard for many people, and I recognize that not everyone can afford clothes from often expensive eco-friendly brands. However, a great alternative to buying fast fashion is thrifting or buying fast fashion secondhand. If you have the means to cut out fast fashion this Earth Day, the Earth will be thanking you for helping contribute to a reduction in pollution.
Volunteer at a Cleanup
It may feel like it is impossible to contribute to helping the environment, but local cleanups can have a huge impact on the local environment. The removal of trash and litter is not only environmentally friendly by keeping plastics and other trash out of the water and soil, but it is also aesthetically pleasing. The Environmental Protection Agency can help you find local cleanups that are going on in the community. Also keep a look out for events advertised by local groups that help out the environment. You can also help cleanup by starting to recycle and advocating for widespread recycling in your community on social media.
Eat Less Meat
The meat and farming industry contributes to over 60% of Greenhouse gas emissions. A vegan diet is the most sustainable way to make an impact through diet habits. However, a vegan diet is not feasible for most people and so I recommend being conscious of how much meat you eat. Keep track and write down how much meat you consume in a week and then see if you can decrease your meat consumption by 25%. After a few weeks, see if you could cut back to 50% of what you originally consumed. This will allow you to still eat meat, but also be more conscious of what is being put into your body. Ultimately, corporations and large farms also need to be held accountable for their pollution, but that does not mean you cannot make your habits more sustainable.
Earth Day
These Earth Day options are a bit more complicated than a simple instagram post, and they may seem impossible when you are reading about them. However, I implore you to even try just one so that you can be more aware of your environmental impact. This year I invite you to celebrate Earth Day with change instead of just performance activism.