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 that the actions that individuals make every day are incredibly powerful and can make a huge difference towards 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 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 option and in a lot of cases, on the surface, 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 so used to  seeing the cheap, chemically endorsed, non-organic foods during our  regular supermarket visits. 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 have on your health and the 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 protecting the 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. To learn more on organics - click here. 

Here are 3 easy ways to introduce organics into your daily lifestyle:

 

(1)  Sign up to an organic veg box delivery. 

 

Fresh, delicious, nutrient packed foods delivered to your door? Sign us up! Not only is this a convenient way to get fueled on organics, but  we find it also teaches you to know you way around the kitchen more. What's even better is that these boxes often contain less packaging than if you were to purchase the same items from a supermarket. Locally grown, fresher, chemical free fruit and veg with less packaging? What's not to like!

 

(2) The Dirty Dozen.

A great guide from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) determining which fruits and vegetables are best to buy organic. In other words, this is a guide which shows the 12 fruits and vegetables requiring the highest amount of chemicals to grow and that contain the most pesticide residues, and are therefore, best to avoid purchasing non-organic. If you're wanting to buy organic foods but have a rather tight budget, then keep this guide handy on your next shopping trip so you can reduce your exposure to these chemicals. Check out the guide here.

 

(3) The Clean Fifteen.

Another great guide from EWG to aid you with buying organics on a budget on your  next shopping trip. This guide brings us some brighter news by showcasing the fruits and vegetables requiring the least amount of artificial chemicals to grow and that  also contain the least amount of pesticide residue. Essentially, if you are to buy non-organic foods, then these are the 15 best items for you to put in your basket. Check out the guide here.

 

 

 

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 for another 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. 

 

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 in 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 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.