Do you ever ask yourself what difference you can make—especially as you read the headlines? I get it. It can be difficult to see the value of one person’s actions against such heavy topics. But, remember: every social movement in history was comprised of individuals working together.
So, here are five things your sustainability can do for the planet:
- Reduce wasteful manufacturing – by reducing consumption, you can move manufacturers to limit their product runs; with social media, you can create market shifts.
- Eliminate ocean plastics – getting that single-use cup each time you buy coffee can add up to over 365 cups a year. Using your own mug keeps all those cups from the waste stream.
- Conserve precious resources – Recycle your electronic devices responsibly and keep all those precious and exotic materials in the resource pool for future products.
- Prevent toxic-waste pollution – reusing and refurbishing or donating your devices prevents those devices winding up in a landfill or some third-world country.
- Cut emissions – the average American creates 8 Tons of carbon emissions per year. That’s insane. The good news is that anything we do more sustainably will reduce that number.
Being sustainable is a personal choice—but that may not always be the case. Start believing in your own ability to affect change today, when it can still make a difference; you have more power than you realize to make the world a better place.