Top Ways to Lower Your Environmental Impact

Inevitably, at some point in everyone’s life, the thought of how they can lower the negative impact they might be having on the environment crosses their mind. Sometimes though, it can be hard to know how to start and if what you are doing will really make a difference in the long run. At Ben & Annie’s Trees for Tomorrow, our company came about due to a desire to help our community do more in terms of helping the environment for the individuals who lived around us as well as the world we all call home—so we’ve decided to dig deeper into this list to help you realize the little things you can do in your everyday life to lower your impact on the environment and help make the world a safer place for future generations to cherish. 

Focusing on transportation 

With remote work steadily gaining popularity, making the pledge to drive less is surely a doable activity. When you live in a larger city, it’s also a great idea to take public transportation when you can, to walk or bike or to carpool with others when you need to get a little further out of the city. If you do have to drive often, it’s important to ensure that the car you drive is being properly cared for to ensure that the vehicle’s fuel efficiency is high. Finally, when you can, plan to have one day a week where you need to drive to errands, meetings, or other trips to limit the amount of time you spend behind the wheel. 

Shopping local when you can

When you make the pact to buy local where you can, this ensures that you are getting food that hasn’t had to travel far to arrive at your front door which inevitably helps lower any greenhouse gas emissions that come about due to transportation. When you go shopping, taking a reusable bag is always another great thing to get in the habit of doing while lowering the amount of plastic you’re using. Finally, be mindful of where you do your shopping. Look into the details behind certain companies and businesses you typically buy from and ensure that they are being environmentally responsible with what they are producing and how they are producing it. 

Being mindful with your clothing

The fashion trends of the day might be tempting to constantly keep up with, but when you choose to buy classic pieces with a higher quality, you’re ensuring that you will keep them for many years to come. Another great way to get incredible clothing pieces that will fit your personal style is by buying second hand, vintage or recycled clothing—reducing the amount of natural resources and energy that goes into creating any newer clothing that is coming out of the fashion industry. The main thing everyone can do, though, is to be mindful that you are taking care of the clothing items you own so you can prolong their life—and by using cold water to wash your clothing can cut your energy use enormously.

Every little bit helps

Anything you can do to help lower your own carbon footprint will always be a good thing—and with easy ways to help the environment, there’s no reason not to. If you’d like to know more about the work our incredible team does at Ben & Annie’s Trees for Tomorrow or if you would like to make your own donation, give us a call at (210) 670-5297 or fill out our online form today.