home & hearth Living a More Sustainable Life By Aleta Daniels, Executive Director of Keep Prince William Beautiful
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he trend toward a sustainable lifestyle is a hot topic right now. Companies are shifting toward incorporating more sustainable messages, indicating they see the world leaning into products and consumable goods that have healthier ways of using our planet’s renewable resources (i.e., wind, solar energy and hydropower), rather than our non-renewable resources (i.e., coal, oil and natural gas). The thing about a sustainable lifestyle is, there is always more that one can do to live a little more sustainably. Whether you already embrace and enthusiastically pursue a sustainable lifestyle or you are just now peering over the edge and are ready, or just about ready, to take that first step toward practicing habits that minimize your own ecological footprint, there are easy swaps to make to your current lifestyle.
Clothing
The clothes you buy can have a huge influence on your ecological footprint. Just a few decades ago, our society switched from more natural fibers like wool, cotton and linen, to manmade (plastic-based) fibers like nylon and polyester. At first an applauded new invention, we now know that clothing made from plastic-based fibers have raised major concerns, from harmful chemicals in the production stage to shedding microfibers and microplastics when worn or washed, which all cause myriad problems for our environment. Here are three actions you can take to improve your relationship with the clothing industry. 1. When possible, purchase clothing made from 100% cotton (organic cotton being an even better choice) or other types of natural fiber, such as wool or linen. 2. Take advantage of nice weather and hang your clothes up to dry rather than using a dryer. Not only do dryers consume a large amount of electricity they also blow microfibers out of the dryer vent. These microfibers can harm wildlife and human health when they end up in our drinking water or are ingested as food by aquatic organisms. 3. Consider purchasing a Cora Ball (coraball.com). These can be thrown in the washer with your clothes and collect microfibers that shed from your clothing during the wash process, keeping them from polluting our environment.
Groceries
According to Forbes research, food production contributes to approximately one third (34%) of the world’s man-made greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock making up about half of that number. Our decisions about the food we purchase and consume can have a huge influence on the impact our
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September 2021 prince william living
global food production has on the environment. Here are a few examples of small changes you can make to your grocery shopping and cooking habits that can have far-reaching impacts on the environmental effects of the agricultural industry. 1. Focus more on vegetables, legumes, fruits and grains to fill your dinner plate, rather than making meat the star ingredient. Beef production is particularly notable for its environmental impacts, consuming more water and more land and causing more environmental damage than any other food product. 2. Buy as many organic products as you can. Organic agriculture uses fewer pesticides and herbicides, which helps protect our water supplies and our pollinators. 3. Take advantage of your seasonal farmer’s market. Buying locally grown food reduces your agricultural footprint and supports local land remaining in agricultural production as small farms and homesteads.
Shopping
When you maintain a more conscious approach to your shopping habits, you can ensure the items you purchase are more meaningful to you, are higher quality and are produced by companies dedicated to having a gentler impact on our planet. 1. Create a designated spot by the front door where you can hang your reusable shopping bags. Having them in a conspicuous location helps you remember to grab them as you head out the door. 2. Look for B Corp Certification. This means the company underwent a rigorous certification process that considers the company’s impact on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment. 3. Websites like Good On You (goodonyou.eco) can help you find out how your favorite companies rate on categories like pollution, waste and human rights. These are just a few examples of things you can do to contribute to the eco-movement that is sweeping the globe. Other small steps include keeping a reusable travel mug in your car for those midday pick-me-ups, refusing plastic straws, bringing and using refillable water bottles rather than purchasing single-use plastic bottles, and recycling any items you can rather than tossing them in the trash. To learn more, visit kpwb.org or call 571-285-3772. We’d love to hear from you! Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ keepprincewilliambeautiful and Instagram at @kpwborg.
