It is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world badly. Jobs were lost, commerce was limited, so many people have lost their lives. But if we look at it from another perspective, there had been positive outcomes. We can’t say that it balances the negative because they are different concerns.
One positive outcome of the pandemic is the wider awareness and consciousness of people about the environment. Even as the debate as to where the virus came from has not been settled, people understood that the imbalance in the ecological system has affected animals and their cohabitation with humans. Although the matter of environmental protection and conservation as this stage of rapidly advancing technology looks frustrating, individuals have taken the initiative to help in their own ways.
We have here some suggestions on how you could aim for zero waste lifestyle into your daily routine. It’s as simple as reusing the promise ring for a girlfriend, which you got from your ex-boyfriend to tie electrical cords hold together a bunch of items. Or it can be a lifestyle switch as opting for a refillable water dispenser instead of packs of bottled water.
- When you wake up, immediately turn off your AC or heater. It will also help you get rid of your desire to go back to bed once you feel uncomfortable with the temperature.
- As much as possible, don’t use hot water to shower. Cold showers actually have a lot of health benefits which include waking you up, increasing your blood circulation, and improves your skin and hair.
- In the bathroom, use eco-friendly products. For example, instead of using a plastic toothbrush, there are now options for biodegradable brushes, the ones made of bamboo the most popular. Shampoos could now also come without plastic containers. There are organic shampoo bars in the market that are packed with a variety of essential oils perfect for any kind of hair. The same goes for bath soaps.
- Use your bathtubs sparingly. The water to shower is less than what you waste when bathing in the tub.
- About your clothes, keep your fashion extravagance in check. If you don’t need to buy new clothes, make do with what you have. Buy classic pieces instead of trendy ones so you don’t have to buy every fashion season. There are also brands that accept old clothes in exchange for points you could use later to shop in their stores.
- In the kitchen, have a compost bin. Clear up the bin daily in a compost pit that you could use in your garden.
- In buying food, opt for groceries that don’t have individually packed meat and vegetables. Bring paper to wrap them instead of plastic. You could also bring your own container so that they don’t have to be wrapped. For condiments, buy large containers instead of tiny packets of products you often use.
- Cook only what you could consume in one meal or a day. So much food is wasted because people don’t know how to estimate how much their family actually eats in a meal. Take note that you might have members who are on a diet, or who don’t like a particular dish you are serving.
- If mass transportation is efficient in your area, opt to use this instead of bringing your car to work. It will greatly help lessen the carbon emissions from vehicles. If it’s not too far, walk to your workplace instead. It’s not just helping the environment. It’s also contributing to your health.
- Stop the throw-away mentality. People have the tendency to throw things that they no longer like. In the first place, if you are buying something for one-time use, see if you could borrow instead. For example, if you need plastic storage to transport something once, if you don’t foresee using it again, just borrow. Otherwise, it might end up in the garbage or gathering cobwebs in the attic.
- In line with this, when your gadgets break, have them fixed instead of buying a new one. It will save you money and will also contribute to resource conservation.
- Finally, don’t buy groceries when hungry. Studies say a hungry shopper buys more than what they need.
These are all simple things that you could do. However, a lot on the list needs strong willpower. Especially since we are in a very consumerist society, we have been trained to consume as much as we can instead of consuming only what we need. Change your mindset from the start. The by-product will be beneficial to you. You will save on unnecessary expenditures.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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