A good place to start is by measuring your carbon footprint. Over time you can see your impact getting less and less, and it shows you how you are making a difference! If you are someone who likes to see their impact this is a good way to keep motivated to be sustainable. Alternatively, being aware of general impacts is important too. We need to keep these things in mind in order to know why being sustainable is worth our time.
"“Everything we do makes a demand on nature. The food we eat, the clothes we buy, the way we travel, everything." (WWF, Live Green).
According to the WWF the demands we all put on the earth is 50% too much. This is due to over fishing, over farming and a lack of diversity in our diets (as well as other factors). Over fishing doesn't just affect our supply of fish but the general ecosystems of the sea, just like many other parts of nature, many fish species are at critical limits. Many of the crops that we use haven't been subjected to agro-ecological practices. This means that practices which keep soil and water supplies healthy have been skipped, this leads to crops yielded in the next growth having less nutrients and benefits. It also means that carbon sequestering is affected, and by missing out the vital process of restoring soil to it's healthy state the planets natural processes are disrupted. This is why shopping from local green grocers and knowing where you're sourcing your food from can be beneficial, it helps to tackle issues of over farming and makes people more conscious of the food buy.
Looking out for and avoiding products with micro plastics and excessive plastic packaging prevents plastic pollution in rivers, lakes and oceans. Every time we avoid these products and buy something which is friendlier to the environment we are sending messages to business to make more sustainable products. It also means that we are supporting businesses which have more environmental practices and encouraging them to do even better. Everything we do makes a difference even if it's just about reducing your waste, or once a week you buy local goods.
A fun way to be sustainable is to make a small organic farm in your garden and maybe try new vegetables, herbs or fruit. Maybe you would like to have a supply of your favourite vegetables at home. If you don't have the space for a vegetable patch, why not try growing a few pots of herbs in your kitchen to spice things up! My favourite way to do this is by using old jars or large empty candle holders. It's entirely up to you!
Let me know what you try as a sustainable swap that suits you? Or maybe what plants you have decided to grow at home. If you want to calculate your carbon footprint here is good place to start: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/.