How to Care for the Earth in 6 Simple Ways

Happy Earth Day! 🌍🌎🌏 The Earth is such an amazing ecosystem and it is our home in this lifetime. It sustains our house, grows our food, holds our water, creates our breathable air.

The Earth contains everything we need to survive and thrive. It is truly our support system.

Last year, I started this habit of thanking the Earth and the Sun for making food happen for me and I do it before I eat my meals. It sounds cheesy, I know.

But I believe we’re taking the Earth for granted. We forget that we exist because the Earth embodies the perfect conditions for life to evolve. Having this little ritual is a reminder of all the gifts the Earth has put forth for my existence in the world.

Globally, we have a tendency to treat the Earth as this separate entity from us and trash it like there’s no tomorrow. Literally. We have forgotten that we are one with this planet.

There’s no humanity without planet Earth. At least for now. I know we’re out there looking for expanding human life on other planets.

If you ask me, what we’re doing is just looking for the next planet to trash. We need a change of consciousness to make human life sustainable. Not a change of planet.

Climate change has been in the headlines within the last few decades. If you’re able to read this, chances are you’re already aware of what’s going on. We’re facing some serious challenges in the future when it comes to living life on Earth.

Yet I don’t want to go doom and gloom in this article. I’m convinced that we have what it takes to live sustainably.

Even though Earth day is April 22nd, I think Earth Day is every day. Yeah, it seems cliché, but here’s what I mean.

For the average person, taking care of the Earth is rather about small, habitual actions than big, audacious movements. Not that movements aren’t important.

Yet unless you’re incredibly passionate about the environment, an activist, some world leader or working in sustainability, I believe the impact of the average person lies in the small stuff. And it takes little to start working on it today.

So let’s talk about 6 ways in which we can care for this beautiful Earth:

1. Use what you already have

We live in a highly consumerist society. Some of us were born into it. It’s easy to think that it’s “normal” to have that much stuff. We tend to acquire more and more and more stuff and fill up our homes, our yards and every little bit of space with stuff.

Do we really need that much stuff? I’m not necessarily waging for minimalism, even though I do want to keep my belongings to a minimum for right now. Mostly because I actually don’t use that much stuff. I purchased things that I haven’t even used once. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Think about it. When was the last time you used that cool thing you bought after seeing it in a really awesome video on Instagram?

Since I’ve been at home for the past year, I noticed how many things I don’t use on a daily basis. It’s true, we’ve also been homebound, so it’s safe to say we didn’t need the same things we did before the pandemic. I have clothes I haven’t worn in over a year 😆. Still, there are a lot of things that we won’t need even after this pandemic ends.

One of the rules I have set for myself is that I’m going to use what I already have. I basically avoid buying things. Just because something is flashy or cool doesn’t mean I should buy it. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I never buy anything.

I’ll spoil myself with new purchases every once in a while. For the most part, it’s stuff that I really need and that I’ll actually use. But to be honest, my shopping has decreased quite a lot over the years. And going through this pandemic has helped me realize that I already have pretty much everything I need.

Based on the answers to these questions, I choose to buy or not to buy. I do my best to not buy things just because there’s a sale going on. There is always a sale going on. It’s part of the marketing game.

Now of course, there are things that we absolutely need or want to live lives we love. We can’t all become monks and live in caves up in the mountains, without any belongings. So here’s what we can do:

2. Buy sustainably

If you’ve been through point no. 1 and still, you decide that you absolutely need to make a purchase, bring some consciousness to it.

The next question I ask myself is:

What are the most sustainable options to meet this need?

Depending on what you need to buy, there is no scarcity of brands that have adopted more ethical and sustainable processes in the production, distribution and marketing of their products and services. At the same time, buying products made of materials that are eco-friendly is becoming easier and easier. It just takes a little bit of research.

Clothes, toothbrushes, food containers, dish sponges, straws, dye, shampoo, laundry detergent, menstrual products, packaging, food wrap, you name it. Pretty much anything has more sustainable alternatives these days.

Yes, I know that some of these items may be way more expensive than their less sustainable counterparts, but it is not always the case. There are more and more affordable options out there. Plus, even if something costs more, it will last for the long-term, so it ends up saving us money anyway.

For example, buying one brush to wash dishes will probably last a few years, rather than a sponge that we need to replace every month or more. And going back to my first point, if money is an issue, maybe we don’t really need certain things. Maybe we can use what we already have and save money like that😉

A few general guidelines that I keep in mind whenever I’m about to make a purchase are:

• avoid plastic – still really, really difficult to do, since almost everything comes wrapped in it, but doing my best (I bring reusable bags when I go shopping, I buy unpackaged goods as much as possible)
• buy from local businesses – to reduce emissions generated by transportation
• buy used, when possible – flea markets, second-hand stores have awesome items

3. Reuse & repurpose

If you end up buying plastic or less sustainable products because there’s no better choice at that moment, you can always bring more mindfulness into the lifecycle of the item. I always reuse the plastic that I buy as much as I can. I use plastic boxes to store and organize things around the house.

_{My pantry shelf}

The cardboard boxes from the shoes I purchased over 10 years ago have become storage for all sorts of things from cards, postcards and other little memories to post-it notes, pens and even clothes.

_{Part of my closet}

Some months ago, I saw a post on Instagram saying something like this: “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but throw away that box your iPhone came in. You’re not going to need it”. Well actually, I used my iPhone box to store pens and markers. I think it looks pretty sleek, what do you think?

There are plenty of other DIY ideas to create cute decorations, to use jars as flower vases and everything else under the sun. I sometimes keep a box of things I might use for crafts if I don’t want to throw them away yet. Pinterest is my source of inspiration when I want to repurpose something.

You just have to play a little bit and ask yourself this before you throw it away:

How could I make good use of this?

Where can I find ideas to repurpose this?

Again, that doesn’t mean we keep everything. But a lot of the things we throw away can absolutely find a new function, if we shift into the mindset of reusing and repurposing.

I like decluttering and reorganizing at least once a year – Marie Kondo style. Naturally, there will be things that don’t spark joy anymore and simply fill up the space for no reason. I set up a box of things for donations and I find people who need the stuff I no longer use.

Donating to those in need is another great way to reuse items that still have time left, but don’t align with our needs anymore.

4. Handle your waste consciously

Now, let’s say we can’t find any use for an item and it’s definitely going to go to waste. We can still handle its “death” consciously.

We have the option to recycle (hopefully). When it comes to recycling, a lot of it is not really in our hands, unfortunately. We don’t know for sure how much of our waste gets recycled and figuring out all the types of materials and the differences between them might be confusing at first.

Yet, once we clarify this, it really doesn’t take much at all to do our part and separate our trash based on the categories available in the area where we live.

In terms of food, we know there is a lot of food waste happening worldwide, but some food scraps can absolutely be given new life. We live in the countryside and our neighbor raises goats. Pretty much all of our vegetable scraps become goat snacks.

At the same time, organic waste can be “processed” to become different things. If you live in a house and/or have a garden, there is composting equipment that you can buy to make your own compost at home and use it as fertilizer.

I heard there are many initiatives that pick up organic waste to create compost in bigger facilities, so looking up what’s happening in your area in regards to this is totally worth it.

Another type of waste we don’t talk enough about is energy waste. Devices that aren’t in use but are plugged in are really just a waste of energy. Leaving the lights on in the kitchen while you’re sleeping or hanging out in another room is a waste.

I have created this habit of unplugging things during the night or while I’m away from home. It’s a small thing, but it definitely saves some amount of energy that would otherwise go to waste.

The last two points are actually the biggest ones. They are the most damaging, as they account for the biggest carbon footprint globally.

5. Watch your transportation habits

Using environmentally friendly means of transportation would be ideal. We’re still in the early stages of making that happen globally and unfortunately, very little depends on what us, average humans can do.

Some of the things we absolutely can do are driving less, biking more and using more public transportation. I know these are not options available for everyone.

But we can absolutely plan to get more done when we do need to go for a drive, for example, so we don’t have to make the same drive for another little thing the next day. We can also carpool with friends and co-workers, when possible and take the bus or train when traveling short-distance.

Fortunately, I am seeing more and more environmentally friendly trains, trams and busses being used for public transportation, so if you live in an area where you can make use of it, the planet will definitely appreciate it.

As a passionate traveler, this is an area where I’m torn. Both short and long-haul flights cause a great deal of damage to the planet, so avoiding flights makes a huge difference. When I lived in Portugal, I was able to travel across the country by train, bus and boat and I only took one flight to return home.

I understand it’s not something we can do everywhere and all the time and traveling less is not something I am ready to commit to. However, if we have the opportunity to choose, we should definitely consider means of transportation that are more gentle with the planet.

Some things to remember about transportation:

fly less

drive less

use more public transportation

use more Earth friendly vehicles like electric cars or bikes

6. Change your diet

It is absolutely more comfortable to keep doing what we’re doing. Until a pandemic hits. This pandemic that is still ongoing more than a year later is serious proof of why we should reconsider our food choices.

Some viruses are transmitted from animals to humans. The more sustainably we choose to live and the more in harmony we live with animals, the better we’ll have it in the long-term.

I’m not even going to get into the damage done by farming practices in terms of land and water use or the amount of greenhouse gas this industry creates globally. Only to see a lot of the food products going to waste afterwards.

We really can do better. I’m striving to. I don’t know if I’ll ever go vegan, but I eat very little meat and dairy. There are a few things that I’m struggling with. I absolutely love eggs and I eat them almost every day.

Then, there’s the comfort feeling. One of the foods I cannot say no to is our traditional Romanian dish of mămăligă with cheese, bacon and sour cream. I eat it about once a month or less. I generally eat it when I’m at home, because it’s available. If it’s not, I’ll crave it every few months or less.

Yes, it is absolutely about comfort and pleasure. And I truly believe life is about enjoyment, as well. I’ve already seen some and I hope we’ll have more and better alternatives for the things I enjoy so much. Maybe I’ll reach a point where I won’t need to continue eating eggs, meat and dairy at all, which is ideal for the environment.

For now, the fact that I’m reducing the consumption of animal products as much as possible, while enjoying food is my contribution and my commitment. About 70-80% of the foods I eat are plant-based.

But any small reduction in consumption is better than maintaining the same eating habits, that’s for sure. Not to mention that eating more plant-based foods is generally beneficial for our health.

According to a BBC article, “by reducing your consumption of animal protein by half, you can cut your diet’s carbon footprint by more than 40%”.

Some general rules for a more eco-friendly diet:

eat what’s in season wherever you’re at

eat less animal products

Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to be more mindful about my consumption, my waste and take every little thing that I do to make it more sustainable. I brought more consciousness to the way I live my life. I am definitely not perfect at it and I do my best to keep a healthy balance between meeting my needs and making sure I do as little damage as possible.

I believe we can all do that. We’ve seen first hand that if we do enough damage to the planet, we start feeling the consequences in our own health and wellbeing. Of course, there are many changes that need to be done to move from working against nature to living in harmony with nature. Changes that need to happen on all levels to preserve and restore our beautiful Earth.

Using renewable energy that can be implemented in our homes and beyond or creating a more sustainable infrastructure in every aspect of society require much more involvement, cooperation and changes on a large scale.

But while those big things are set in motion, we can still do our part through the 6 simple ways I spoke about in this article.

I don’t want to say that it was better in the past when we didn’t have x, y, z. I honestly believe we can create a world where we stop playing this either-or game. We either make great money while hurting the planet (and humanity) or we keep the planet safe and stay poor and malnourished, living at a low quality of life.

It doesn’t have to be that way. We have so many resources and a great deal of intelligence to create an abundant lifestyle while maintaining a healthy and abundant planet.

There is so much abundance on Earth! It’s just a matter of using it mindfully. At the end of the day, we can only do our best. Of course we’re going to fail at these things at times. But I always vouch for an 80/20 balance. If I do it at least 80% of the time, it’s a win. And every small win matters.

I am by no means an expert in sustainability. This article is simply based on my own life journey of including sustainable habits. It’s a process, but just like in anything we want to accomplish, a little goes a long way.

I learned a great deal of information through different podcasts, videos and articles on this topic. And I have much more to learn.

There are also many documentaries on sustainability and how our daily actions influence the Earth, so we have a wide variety of resources to look into and create small and sustainable habits in our lives.

Some Instagram accounts worthy of a follow to learn more:

@get.waste.ed

@sustainable.collective

@sustainablebabes – they haven’t posted in a while, but there is some great content on the page already

If you speak Romanian, ianca has a category of articles on her blog just for sustainability. @go_earthfluence on Instagram has content in Romanian, as well.

I’d love to know what are the ways in which you care for the Earth in the comments below. What is one extra thing you commit to start doing today?

I’ll end with this “ode” to the Earth:

Earth, I do my best to celebrate you and appreciate you every day
Forever in awe at the beauty, abundance and magic you hold!
Grateful to be here, to call you home and to receive life through you!