You are not doing it alone.
Across the world, millions of people are making similar choices and building habits — small and significant — that together help build the momentum needed for lasting change.
Here are some tips to help you live sustainably:
Example tip: Trashed food ends up in a landfill, where it rots and emits methane — a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes more to global warming than CO2. Toss your leftovers in a compost bin instead. They’ll emit no methane, and you’ll reduce the energy needed to haul your garbage to the dump. And if you’re a gardener, adding compost to your soil will enrich it while increasing moisture retention, reducing the amount of watering you’ll need to do.
Example tip: Producing just one plastic bottle of water — including transporting and refrigerating it — requires 2,000 times as much energy as producing the same amount of tap water. It also creates massive amounts of plastic waste. Save money and keep plastic out of landfills and oceans by carrying a reusable bottle instead.
Example tip: Go meat-free — especially avoiding beef — at least one day each week. Beef is not great for the planet: Production of one quarter-pound burger requires 460 gallons of water and emits 0.126 pounds of methane — a greenhouse gas roughly 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Globally, about 15 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are due to livestock, nearly two thirds of which come from cattle.
Example tip: Paper towels are designed for seconds of use — then they’re gone. Most can’t be recycled once soiled, and billions of pounds of disposable paper end up in landfills each year. Instead, switch to reusable options: cotton kitchen cloths, linen napkins or Swedish-style dishcloths made from cellulose and cotton. They’re absorbent, washable and built to last for months — sometimes years — before composting. Keep a small stack within reach and toss them in with your regular laundry.