How You Can Help By Jay Patil

While we are limited in what we can do for the environment, as a whole and individually, every act counts. Every piece of trash, amount of water saved, and item recycled makes a difference. Even in our busy school lives, we can all do our part to care for and preserve our incredible planet. No matter where or when, there is always something we can do better. There is always something we can do, to impact our ecosystem positively. The main issues facing the world are wasting plastic, polluting the planet, and burning fossil fuels. If you think these are grueling tasks to take on, they are. They may be too big for us individually, but together we can make a difference, and here are some of the best ways.

Recycling may sound like only putting plastic, bottles, and boxes into the blue bin, but it is so much more than that. Recycling is saving not just plastic, but products, clothes, and previous items we have already used. Reusing is the best way to repurpose and preserve the many essentials and non-essentials manufactured. The best, and most effective ways of reusing include, thrifting, using old bottles, jars, and boxes for plants, and keeping the to-go containers restaurants give you. Simple, even possibly enjoyable acts like these can make a big difference.

Thrifting is my and many others’ personal favorite. You can get good clothes, in good condition, and for a good price. Additionally, while doing so, you are saving the environment and putting a wall up in fast fashion. As Solene Rauturier says in – “What is Fast Fashion and Why is it So Bad,-“ “Fast fashion is a relatively new phenomenon in the industry that causes extensive damage to the planet, exploits workers, and harms animals.” This idea and the unsound trend have so many negative effects and little to no thought is put into it. For example, when a cute sweater is trending, and everyone is wearing it, many people are mentally forced to buy it just because so many others have it, whether they truly like it or not. When they are done wearing it for the short period it is popular, is discarded. This is where thrifting comes in! When you buy used clothes, you are continuing good use of clothes already made.

Besides putting action into, “reuse, reduce, recycle,” it’s the choices you make in your daily life that can make a change. For example, biking, or walking to places instead of driving, turning off the faucet when you’re not using it, taking shorter showers to conserve water, or even using reusable bags at places like the grocery store. Very simple, little things can make a big difference in our community, ecosystem, and our world.

For those who do want to take the extra step in improving the overall health of our earth, you can volunteer at so many places doing so many things, even just in your local community. Trash pick-ups, planting trees, and helping those in need are great ways to get involved.