12 Small Ways To Make This World A Better Place

If you’ve been watching the news at all lately or even just scrolling on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the horrible fires happening in Australia. It’s my favorite place in the world and breaks my heart to see all the devastation to both the people and the animals who have lost everything. Thankfully, I have an amazing community here in my small corner of the internet and we were able to raise $20,168 this month for Adelaide Koala Rescue, Wires Wildlife Rescue, WildLife Rescue South Coast, CFS Foundation, Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and Balu Blue Foundation!!! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated – I know it feels small in the grand scheme of things, but I believe every bit counts.

Because of everything happening in the world today – and not just the fires in Australia, but also pollution, overuse of plastic, divisiveness, etc., I felt the need to put together a quick list of small things we could all do that I think would add up to make our world a better place. After all, I think it’s fair to say that all of us want to leave this place better than what we found it, and we can EACH make a difference!

• Reduce your plastic use. A few simple things you can do to start reducing your plastic use include using reusable grocery bags— as of late, I’ve been buying bunched leaf lettuce at the store and throwing it in one of my reusable produce bags instead of going through 1-2 plastic tubs of mixed greens every week. Same with spinach! Instead of buying 2 bags of organic spinach each week for smoothies, I’ve been buying the bunched spinach, bringing it home/washing, then chopping it up and throwing it in a Stasher bag for the freezer. I love throwing 1-2 handfuls in my daily smoothie each morning. Buy a water bottle to keep with you so you don’t have to rely on constantly buying disposable plastic ones and replace single-use sandwich bags with this reusable silicon option. I’ve acquired a whole collection over the years and I use them for everything! Leftover produce, proteins, snacks, nuts, travel essentials like toiletries, perfumes, etc.
  • Plastic takes 700 years to breakdown
  • 8.8 million metric tons of plastic enters our oceans every year.
    
    
• Drive less. Consolidate any errands you have so you can be more efficient and produce less exhaust. Carpool!
• Volunteer. There are a TON of great causes out there that need our help! Google opportunities in your area.
• Conserve water. Simple things like turning the water on right before you get in the shower instead of letting it run for a while, cutting back on how often you water your lawn really adds up, turning the water off while you’re washing dishes, so many things to be more aware of.
• Recycle. A lot of cities have made recycling super accessible and it’s a great way to start reducing your carbon footprint. Buying items that are made of recycled materials is also a great thing to do! Look for glass containers, boxed waters vs. aluminum or plastic, reusable products at the store. Think about what you’re buying online– does this company use sustainable shipping products? Or is every single item packaged in plastic/styrofoam/bubble wrap.
• Be kind. The next time you’re feeling impatient with someone, instead of reacting in the moment, take a step back and think about how being kind in the moment would make such a positive difference to the conversation.
• Donate. When you don’t have time to volunteer or get involved with a cause, donating is definitely a great option if you’re able. Donations can be clothes, furniture, money, food – whatever you have to give.
• Educate yourself. Watch documentaries, read books, follow environmental activists on social media – the best way to understand what you can do to help is to know what’s going on in the world.
• Pick up litter. If you’re ever out at a park, at the beach or even just in a parking lot and you see trash, pick it up. It’s these small actions that can make a difference in your local community.
• Pay someone a compliment. I don’t know about you, but receiving a compliment always brightens up my day and generally motivates me to pay it forward. Be the person to start the domino effect!
• Spend wisely. Where you spend your money makes a huge difference for small and local businesses. If you truly want to support what someone is doing, do it with your dollar! Support local, organic, sustainable practices 🙂 Also- check out this zero waste online shop!
• Reduce food waste. As someone who is always cooking, this is so important to me and something I’m constantly working on to try to reduce greenhouse gases (what happens when you throw food in the trash). Look into composting! I have this little kitchen compost bin and love it!

I hope this is helpful and that sharing these ideas feels motivating to anyone who has been wanting to make some changes but wasn’t sure where to start. 🙂

Let’s all do our part to make this world a better place!
xx