Palm oil is often found in makeup, shampoo, noodles, chocolate, laundry detergent, ice cream, baked goods, soap, and bread. [3] X Research source If you do need to buy a product with palm oil in it, make sure that you’re buying from a company that’s making an active effort to source their palm oil responsibly. [4] X Research source You may need to do some research on specific companies, but as a rule of thumb, it’s safer to buy products made in countries with stronger environmental regulations.
Paperless billing is a great way to cut back on the amount of paper you inadvertently create. Bring a reusable mug with you to the coffee shop and ask them to pour your coffee in there. Get a reusable water bottle to cut back on the need for paper and Styrofoam cups at the office. Used or reclaimed wood furniture is often cooler than the new stuff anyway, and it’s a great way to avoid waste. Buy used books or get an e-reader so that you don’t need to purchase paperbacks hot off of the press. If you’ve got to move, borrow or rent plastic bins instead of buying cardboard boxes.
It can be hard to figure out if a company’s claims that their paper is recycled are accurate or not. You may need to do some independent research on certain brands to see if they actually use recycled paper. In general, products that say they’re “made from 100% recycled materials” are more trustworthy than other, vague claims. [9] X Research source Just to give you a sense of how much of an impact you can have here, we can save 250 million trees a year just by recycling our newspapers![10] X Research source
It takes 17 trees to make a ton of paper towels, but you can always use cloth napkins. [12] X Research source Tissue paper is made out of tree pulp, but a washable handkerchief is better and more sustainable![13] X Research source The average child requires over 8,000 disposable diapers, but cloth diapers can be reused over and over again. It may seem icky at first, but it’s worth it if you want to save as many trees as possible. [14] X Research source Get yourself a few washable totes and use those instead of the paper and plastic bags that stores use.
You can always write your local lawmakers if you can’t show up in person to make your voice heard. A lot of cities and townships have tree planting services where people can ask for a tree to be planted in your yard or on your street. If your city doesn’t have a service like that, you could push for them to start one.
Looking online and reaching out to local groups on social media is a great way to get leads on volunteering opportunities near you. If you can’t get out to volunteer yourself, don’t sweat it! You could consider donating to a nonprofit organization that focuses on saving and protecting trees. [17] X Research source You can find volunteer organizations looking for help near you by getting online and visiting https://arbordaynow. volunteermatch. org/.
Meat production also requires a lot of energy. If you’re also concerned about global warming and the health of our planet, cutting back on red meat is a great way to help. If you live near rural woodlands and are comfortable firing a gun (or bow and arrow), you can look into hunting wild deer and consuming their meat like venison. Although you still have to kill an animal to get the meat, this is much more natural, healthy, and environmentally appropriate than raising animals on factory farms.
A lot of irresponsible lumber companies tear down protected forests to produce wood products. By purchasing from responsible manufacturers, you promote safe and sustainable practices!
Deforestation and tree removal speed up global warming by trapping more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Tree removal and deforestation often damages the communities that live in those areas. It takes a lot of gas, chemicals, and energy to remove natural woodlands. Trees help clean the air that we breathe, and the more trees you destroy, the harder it becomes to fight back against pollution.
Planting a tree in your yard can be a lot of work, but it’s going to dramatically improve the air that you breathe. You’ll also have some shade whenever you want it![23] X Trustworthy Source US Department of Agriculture U. S. agency responsible for promoting good agricultural practices and protecting consumers Go to source If you do not have the resources or space to plant a tree, you can still get many planted in your area by contacting your city’s public works department. There is also a project called Team Trees that was started by large YouTubers including Mark Rober and MrBeast and that aims to plant one tree for every dollar donated to their fundraiser.
