COMPOST
food waste should not be in your bin, going to landfill. it's a waste of very useful resource, and food waste in landfill becomes methane, an even more powerful green house gas than carbon.
 
I compost mine, using the bokashi system. for those who don't know, bokashi is an indoor composting system. It's great for people like me who live in an apartment and so can't use a regular composting system. It takes all your food scraps and turns it into awesome goodness you can put into your garden.
.
Why do I love it? Not throwing out any food item at all makes me happy. No sloppy smelly rubbish bins makes me happy. Not having to use plastic bags as bin liners makes me happy. Knowing I've reduced even by a little bit, rubbish heading to landfill makes me happy. Knowing my food waste isn't in landfill becoming methane makes me happy. Adding the compost and seeing it magically break down in my little courtyard garden makes me happy.
I love my bokashi!

SWITCH TO SHAMPOO BARS

there's one less plastic container you need in your bathroom!
make the switch to shampoo bars. they work just like soap but the bubbles go on your head. most bars will last at least 2-3 times longer than your average shampoo bottle.
also they look really pretty on your bathroom shelf.

PLANT FLOWERS

now that it is starting to warm up in the northern hemisphere, we should all be filling out gardens and terraces and balconies with flowers. plant them almong your veggie patch too.
.
insect numbers have been plummeting all over the world and there are many reasons behind that. one nice thing we can do as individuals is to grow flowers and not use any nasty chemicals on them either, the bees and butterflies of your neighbourhood will love you for it! .

START A VEGGIE PATCH

something more of us could be doing, growing our own fruit and veggies! having your own veggie patch reduces the carbon emissions associated with large scale production of food, and those created in its transportation.

composting your kitchen waste to feed your garden reduces emissions even more and leads to healthier soil. and you avoid the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in large scale farming, meaning it is healthier for you and for our bees and other pollinators.
think of all the time and money people are putting into their lawns, that instead could be spent growing your own food!

if you are in a small space or apartment, try some pots for herbs and a few tomatoes, the ones you grow yourself taste so much better!

check out #ediblegardens #rooftopgardens #urbanfarming #climatevictorygardens for inspiration!

REUSABLES ARE BEST

in the US each year, the average person goes through around 160 plastic bottles, 170 plastic bags, 500 plastic straws and 500 coffee cups. the vast majority of these items will never be recycled and a frightening amount of them are ending up in the oceans.

swapping to a reusable option is such a simple thing to do when you're at home, and taking them with you on the road helps you be a more responsible traveler.

here are 5 easy swaps to make, items we should all carry with us! it's a small investment at first but most will save you money in the long run.

A TREE FOR CHRISTMAS

this christmas, instead of choosing between a real cut tree and a plastic tree, why not get a living tree in a pot? enjoy it through the festive season, and after christmas plant it somewhere outside.

and it doesn't have to be pine tree, a christmas mango or avocado or rosemary bush will be a gift that keeps on giving!

ORDER YOUR ICE CREAM IN A CONE

save a cup and and plastic spoon from heading to landfill and order your ice cream in a cone. not to mention saving the energy it takes to make that cup and spoon.

EAT LESS MEAT

the single best thing the average person can do, to have the most impact on the climate and environment is to start eating less meat.

industrial livestock production creates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the world's cars, trucks and airplanes. it contributes greatly to deforestation, extinction and the pollution of waterways.

cutting back on meat is hard for some, but eating more fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes is better for your health as well. just having a few less meals each week can make a positive difference.

so try #flexitarian try #reducetarian try #plantbaseddiet
for beginners try #meatfreemonday or #meatlessmonday - get excited about veggies.

TRY SECONDHAND

buy something used: second hand, vintage or antique.
 
the benefits to the environment are many - you prevent the extraction of new, raw materials, you save the energy spent on producing something new, and you prevent yet another item ending up in landfill. And unless you choose to buy an antique, you're going to spend less than if you purchased something new.

LINE DRY

save energy and money by air drying your clothes.
.
clothes dryers use lots of electricity and for most of us it's totally unnecessary. dry your clothes outside on the line, it's free! In winter (or if you're in an apartment without a balcony) use a clothes horse and hang them inside. a small change that can make a big difference!

OUR CHOICES EFFECT THE AMAZON

The Amazon fires are frightening on many levels.

A couple of positives since they hit headline news, are the Ecosia installations increased by 1000% in the following week, meaning they'll have the reasources to plant an additional 2 million trees. If you haven't made the switch already, do it!

Also in the days after the fires made the news, the website for the charity The Rainforest Trust crased, with so many people heading over to make donations. The Rainforest Trust purchases acres of rainforest land, all over the world, to protect it for all of us. Consider donating to them, in some locations an acre of rainforest costs less than $1, so your donation goes a very long way.

One concrete action you can take at home, eat less beef. The top cause of the fires in Brazil is clearing land to raise cattle for export. The top buyers for Brazilian beef are the USA and EU, with China on the rise. The choices we make in our rich nations extends beyond our own borders, so we need to informed and make responsible choices.

SWITCH TO PAPER TAPE!
clear sticky tapes, cellotapes, whatever you call them are made of plastic!
switch over to paper tape, an important change to make especially now in the lead up to christmas.
get yourself some pretty washi tapes instead, it's much more fun than the clear stuff anyway!
.
for those who have to pack up big boxes, there are some heavy duty brown paper tapes out there, and you can use twine for extra security and some old school charm

---

SEARCH GREEN

start using Ecosia as your default search engine - Ecosia is a search engine that commits 80% of its profits to reforestation projects and conservation.
.
reforestation is one of the most important things that we can do to slow down climate change, and by using Ecosia we can support their programs just by searching for stuff online!
.
check out their Instagram @ecosia and get a look at all their cool projects around the world

REPLACE WITH REUSABLES

probably the most common forms of litter you see out on the streets... straws, (straw wrappers), water bottles, coffee cups, plastic cutlery.

All these are so easily replaced with reusable items, that you can carry with you in your bag. In my handbag I always carry a set of reusable cutlery, a refullable water bottle. For those who love their coffee, you can add a reusable coffee mug and a stainless steel straw.

How clean would our streets be if everyone did this. How much waste would be saved from landfill!

---

MEND!

the fashion industry is one of the top polluters, coming in after coal and oil. I've read that 60% of clothing is thrown away within a year of being purchased, which is shocking! (who can afford that?)
.
with that in mind we should all start being more careful with what clothes we buy and looking after the pieces we own.
buy carefully. buy the best quality you can afford. don't just buy something because it is on sale or cheap.
buy second hand, or swap with friends.
look after the clothes you own. washing at cooler temperatures increases the lifetime of your garment.
repair. mend holes before throwing something away. check out #visiblemending for some inspiration!
sometimes I have a garment where I no longer like the fit or style, but I still love the fabric, so I take it apart and use the fabric to make something new

FLY LESS OR FLY GREEN

flying is pretty bad for global warming, we all in know that right?? if you can take a train or bus instead you definitely should!
.
but if your journey requires a plane, I've just discovered @flygrn a flight search engine that uses part of their advertising commission to offset the flights you book through them!
.
another great thing they do is let you know when there is a better solution to flying as you search.
.
It looks like they only got going mid 2018, but I think it's a great idea, and I'll be using them next time I have to take a flight!!

UGLY VEG

buy (and eat) the ugly fruit and veg! heaps of imperfect looking fruit and vegetables get thrown out before they even reach the supermarket. nowadays some supermarkets have ugly fruit sections, or support your local farmers market or grocer so we can help stop perfectly edible food from heading to landfill!
.

PLANT MORE TREES

results from a new study show that planting 1 trillion trees could remove two thirds of all the planet warming carbon from the earth's atmosphere. this means restoring degraded forests is the most effect (and cheapest) way to tackle climate change. so what can we do in our every day lives to help?

1. eat less beef. eat less palm oil. deforestation needs to stop and reforestation needs to start. these two industries are the top causes of deforestation.
2. switch your search engine to ECOSIA who use their revenue to plant trees. they've just passed 61 million trees planted with only around 7 million active users. imagine if we were all using them!
3. support reforestation charities. The Eden Reforestation Project just surpassed 250 million trees planted. $1 donated plants 10 trees.
4. contact local councils and parliamentarians, tell them you want action on local and national scale.
5. if you have the space, plant some trees of your own, every one is a carbon capturing device! some make delicious treats while doing so.

info on the study from at CNN.com