How to become Environment Friendly?

Best Tips to Become an Environment Friendly Person

Everything in our culture is designed around consumerism. All of us are aware that leading a wasteful and selfish lifestyle is very damaging for us and the environment. The environment is changing fast, and climate change is a reality. The public discourse on industrial pollution, climate change, and the greenhouse effect has made ‘save environment’ a priority for all of us.

Sustainable consumer habits have gained quite a lot of significance over the years. The major driving forces are a strong desire to make eco-friendly choices and an understanding of environment-damaging practices. It's all about giving back to the earth, what you are taking from it.

When it comes to sustainability, everybody has an important role to play.

Sustainable development should be done in such a manner as to not harm the environment. We can all do our bit for the environment by making small changes in our lifestyles.

Fire-cracker pollution caused the air quality in the National Capital Region to plummet on Diwali; this, despite a nationwide ban on the burning of fireworks. According to a study, the smoke emitted by one cracker causes enough harm like smoking a dozen cigarettes! We have to create awareness about how firecrackers are harmful to children & how we can limit the use of firecrackers.

What is environmental safety?

Environment safety involves creating systems for complying with environmental regulations, managing air or waste pollution, and helping to reduce the carbon footprint of industries. It is one of the most important areas of health and safety practices. In simple language, it is what organisations must do so that their activities do not cause harm, directly or indirectly, to any living being.

Many transnational companies are working on energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards sustainable sources. Climate activists are moving the courts in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from companies and governments. Under the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions target is to reduce the 1990’s emission levels by at least 40 percent by 2030.

The Earth has limited resources, and our consumption patterns are over-exploiting them. Concerted efforts are underway from businesses, governments, and individuals to make Earth a Green Planet. Environmental protection programs also include emergency plans which provide the appropriate actions to be taken in the event of a hazardous release or spill.

There's a very fragile ecological balance that sustains all life on earth, and when you over-extract or you over-use what nature is providing you with, it causes an imbalance in the ecology of the planet. This leads to all kinds of humanitarian crisis and destruction and devastation of habitat and land.

How to be an environmentally conscious person?

Each one of us wants to change and become more responsible for the environment. But we are often in a dilemma about where to begin. But you can make a start by taking small steps for the better. Here are some ideas:

Making eCommerce eco-friendly

Items shipped online are often packed in boxes with bubble wrap or Styrofoam cushioning the sides. Or, they are often packed in plastic covers. This practice is not sustainable. Just as eCommerce companies are responsible for safe environmental practices, so also the consumers have to learn to prioritise sustainability over convenience. It is our responsibility also to make e-commerce an eco-friendlier option.

However, eCommerce has one advantage over physical shopping. If we shop individually, there will be greater travel emissions. In this respect, eCommerce is more environmentally sustainable, because their delivery service can send a single vehicle to drop off orders to numerous locations on the same trip.

Recycling

We recycle stuff, we can keep the waste out of landfills, thus conserving natural resources. For this, we have to buy a multi-compartment recycling bin to separately collect food waste, metal parts, paper, and plastic. Food waste can be anaerobically digested or composted to produce biogas and nutrient-rich fertiliser.

Turn it off!

Adopting methods that aim at energy conservation is one of the significant ways to bring down the carbon footprint. Leaving your electrical devices on standby needlessly uses up energy-you should switch them off. You will save hugely on energy bills.

Sustainable Fashion

Ecologically conscious Millennials are taking the sustainable fashion movement forward. Generation Z customers not only follow the latest trends but look for fashion that is fair, circular, and sustainable. The increased usage of polyester fabric in making apparel is creating harmful chemicals and plastics which are non-biodegradable. So, the retailers have also become more responsible, and are looking towards more eco-friendly products like organic cotton.

Slow fashion is the 'in' thing now. Whether it is fair treatment of human resources or raw materials like dyes and fibres, slow fashion incorporates the best of all things. The end products have longer shelf-lives in wardrobes thus reducing exploitation and waste of resources. So your mantra as a consumer should be 'Buy Less But Buy Smart', as every purchase matters. Don't buy the clothes that you won't need-they will end up in a landfill.

Zero Waste Home

Many of us are not aware of the fact that we all produce a huge amount of garbage in our homes, which gets dumped into the environment. You can simplify your life by reducing the waste in your home. To do this you have to follow the five 'R's:

• Refuse- What you don't need e.g. single-use plastic bags that cannot be recycled. Whenever you go out, carry a cloth bag with you. And, in a restaurant, carry a glass straw and refuse the plastic straw. Remember, whenever you use these unnecessary products, it creates a further demand for them.

The retail industry has already started to tackle issues concerning sustainability. Supermarkets are charging fees to restrict the use of paper or plastic bags to encourage eco-friendly shopping habits.

• Reduce- What you need, e.g., buy the food that you will consume. You can also cut down on junk food, which will be good for your heart. Don't waste food because it is not just the money but it adds to the amount of carbon dioxide being created in landfills.
• Reuse- What you can, e.g., a reusable coffee cup. Also when you go to the supermarket, try to buy in bulk. This will reduce packaging because when you buy small items over and over, more packages are used up.
• Recycle- What is wasted, e.g., your old clothes, plastic toothbrushes, etc.
• Rot- Compost whatever you can, e.g., organic waste. A third of our wastes are organic and should be kept out of landfills. You can set up a compost plant in your backyard. After the waste is treated you can treat your soil with nutrient-rich compost.

Switch to Renewables

Changing your energy supplier to one that is 100% renewable, like solar energy, is a great eco-friendly tip for any home. Solar power is the most popular alternative energy. Worldwide, lots of homes and businesses are powered by solar energy systems.

A potential way to harness solar power is to put solar panels on your roof, which will not only provide 'Green Energy', but generate attractive revenues through the sale of surplus power.

Eat less meat

Cutting down on the amount of meat that you eat will set the way for a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Especially, giving up red meat can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Environment Protection Act

The Environment Protection Act,1986, authorises the central government to improve and protect environmental quality, prohibit or restrict the operation of any industrial facility on ecologically sensitive areas, and control and reduce pollution from all sources. This comprises of the following:

• The Environment ( Protection ) Rules lay down procedures for setting standards of discharge or emission of environmental pollutants.
• The objective of Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1989, is to control the collection, generation, import, handling, storage, and treatment of hazardous waste.
• The Export, Import, Manufacture, Use, and Storage of hazardous Micro-organisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms, or Cells Rules 1989, were introduced to protect the environment, health, and nature in connection with the application of gene technology and micro-organisms.

The National Pollution Control Board (NPCB) conducts check on industries to see whether they are following government guidelines to control pollution or not.
No single party can change the system on its own. We are all stakeholders in this battle for environment safety and have to do our bit. " A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". So, let us first change ourselves, and be more eco-conscious. Our kids deserve a better future!

Also read:
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Electric Vehicles: Is India ready for EVs?
Green Architecture: What is the purpose of Green Architecture?
What Is Rainwater Harvesting & How to Start This Business?