How To Reduce Your Impact:

It's in our nature to want to be healthy, look healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. We also all (well... mostly all) care about the world around us and want to do our part to protect the environment. It's also commonly misunderstood that you need to have a degree of power to make a difference to causes you care about and that, as an individual, it's difficult to make any impact on these global environmental issues.

We look at this differently and see the actions that individuals make every day are incredibly powerful and can make a huge difference towards the causes they care about. It's simply about changing your daily habits to show your support to the causes that are close to your heart. Maybe you already know this, but maybe you simply don't know where to start, or maybe you simply need some motivation to start acting. And so... we've put together a helpful list of 5 simple ways you can start reducing your daily environmental impact and  start living a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle:

1) Buy Organic 

We understand 'organic' is deemed to be a more expensive food choice these days and in a lot of cases, it is. But we urge you to think more about what you are actually buying, the nutritional value it has, and the manufacturing impact it has on the world around you. As consumers, We only deem organic to be a more expensive option because we have become used to seeing the cheap, chemically endorsed, non-organic foods during our regular visits to the supermarket. These foods are indeed cheaper, but what you are actually buying is in fact a lesser version of the real thing. You are getting less 'nutrient-bang' for your buck - not to mention all the extra artificial chemicals you would be consuming and the effect they may have on your health and the surrounding environment.

By purchasing organic, not only are you buying delicious natural tasting, chemical free foods, you are also supporting a far more sustainable way to farming and showing your support towards the protection of our soil for generations to come. Essentially, you are casting your vote in support of detoxifying our earth. After considering these important details, we find it hard to believe that organic foods are truly the more expensive option. Check out how you can Eat Organic on a Budget. 

2) Use a reusable cup, and carry a reusable water bottle.

Eliminate single use items from your lifestyle by simply being a bit more prepared throughout the day. By having a reusable cup and water bottle at the ready, you immediately have a sustainable 'on the go' tea/coffee/water option in your life. By providing your own container for your beverage, you are instantly reducing your contribution to landfill by simply not having anything to 'throw away'. Not only this, but you will actually save money from buying plastic water bottles on the fly, as well as by taking advantage of the awesome 'bring your own cup' discounts that many cafes now offer. Not a bad excuse to get your coffee fix!

3) Pack your own bag.

Similar to getting used to carrying your own coffee cup and water bottles, you can also go a step further and provide your own shopping bag. It's easy and they are certainly more durable than the cheap plastic ones you get given at the shops. This means fewer unfortunate events in your life crying over spilled milk after your plastic bag breaks (there's an environmental joke in there somewhere). 

But seriously, providing your own bag is one of the greatest ways to reduce your impact on the environment. Single use items such as plastic bags are one of the no.1 offenders when it comes to sustainability. Say no to plastic bags!

3) Purchase items with less packaging.

These days, almost everything you buy comes packaged in different materials, some recyclable and some not. The answer to this issue is easy - always aim to choose the products with the least amount of packaging (if any at all). With this in mind, you will be consciously reducing your impact by contributing less waste to landfills and requiring fewer resources for your weekly recycling trips. A quick tip for food shopping is to  bring your own bag/container and purchase your dry goods in the bulk section. You'll find this uses up less packaging but also that these items are generally cheaper than the pre-packaged goods on the shelves!

4) Purchase Less

The less you purchase, the less your negative environmental impact is. We're not saying that everyone needs to live a minimalist lifestyle, but what we are saying is that you should be considerate of what you are buying and how long you expect to use it for. This resonates with the above points of avoiding single use items, but this point speaks more towards the quality of the products you are buying and it's manufacturing process. Simply put... is the product well made? how much are you going to use it? is it durable to last you a long time? and can it be recycled or reused?  

5) Get outside, move more and live an adventurous lifestyle.

You're probably asking how this point relates to reducing your environmental impact? Well, if you don't go outside and take in the world around you, then how can you care for something that you don't take time to actually enjoy? You simply wouldn't be motivated to do so and that is why we ask you to make an effort to spend time outdoors, moving more and living a more adventurous lifestyle.

Just to be clear, we're not talking about the short commute to work where you spend half the time on public transport or the time you spend going to the gym where, once again, you'll be indoors and under cover. We're talking about actively making the decision to spend time outside by going for a walk, going for a hike, going camping for the weekend, running the streets or your closest park, or quite simply, organizing a picnic outside with your friends. Take a breath of fresh air and actually look around you, open your eyes to what is surrounding your day to day life and appreciate the small details. Not only will doing these things make you feel 100 times better about yourself but you'll gain an appreciation for the world around you. You'll start having a favorite walk, a favorite tree, a favorite view... you get the point.

By doing these simple things, you'll start to care for the environment around you and maybe, just maybe, you'll think to start acting on living a more sustainable lifestyle so that you can do your part to protect your 'faves' in life.