Do you love the earth? Are you trying to be more sustainable? Here are 5 ways YOU can better love mother nature! 

1.Use a reusable water bottle

The average American uses 156 plastic water bottles a year, causing people to use up to 500 billion water bottles annually. Instead of using single-use plastic, try switching to a reusable water bottle. The brand Yeti is even made in the US, so you can have peace of mind that worker conditions are up to ethical standards. 

2. Meatless Mondays 

Factory meat farming is the leading cause of CO2 emissions. By eating less meat, you are then not supporting the companies that are causing the downfall of our ozone layer. Eating vegetarian is not as hard as it seems, you can try swapping meat for meat substitutes or by having simple recipes like spaghetti or rice and beans. 

3. Thrifting 

Not only are companies like Shein, Fashion Nova, and Forever 21 not paying their workers a living wage and creating hostile factory conditions, but the majority of clothes that fall out of trend are thrown out every year. This creates tonnes of waste just because the trend cycle goes faster and faster every year. To combat this, try checking out thrift stores for clothing! You can also check out sites like Depop or eBay to look for specific clothing items while still shopping ethically. 

4. Compost 

Food waste is a huge problem within America. One way you can help that is by composting leftover food scraps and turning them into fertilizer. Directions are super simple and you don’t need any fancy equipment. Here is a tutorial from NPR on how to do it and tips! 

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/07/828918397/how-to-compost-at-home 

5. Join SECO!

SECO holds events throughout the school year to help foster a passion for the environment, including park pick-ups, recycling events, and presentations on things like climate change. Come to a meeting and help out, you get service hours! You can email Elle Dickson ([email protected]), Katie Lavelle ([email protected]), or Bee Daughtry ([email protected]) 

Keep loving the environment, St Joe!