Earth Day 2022: 9 Things You Can Do to Invest in Our Planet

April 22nd is Earth Day, and in 2022, the motto is: Invest in our planet. Investing in our planet is important, and I think we can all agree on that. It’s no secret that our planet is taking a huge hit from the way we humans treat it. Whether it’s polluting the oceans, or dropping our trash on the sidewalk, to cutting down our rainforests and overfarming animals, we’ve done enough to cause significant damage for the foreseeable. And, if we’re not careful, the future generations are going to have a hard job at putting their world back together. Here are 15 things you can do from now on to help invest in our planet.

Rid your life of plastic

Not all in one go, of course, but slowly. Ridding your life of plastic is a fantastic way to start investing in the planet. And nowadays, most companies are helping as much as they can to help us achieve this. Whether it’s using biodegradable packaging, or fully recycled materials to create durable and long-lasting products for the future, or simply charging for plastic bags, it’s these small changes that’ll make a big difference in the long run.

Seek out sustainable brands, and buy from smaller businesses who are committed to downsizing their carbon footprint and doing a bit of good for the earth.

Try plant based foods

You don’t have to become a fully fledged vegetarian or vegan if you don’t want to. But you can help minimize the impact on the planet by trying plant based foods or a plant based diet in the short run. Not only does it help save animals lives, but it’ll help pull down the strain that overfarming can cause. Plus, plant based foods are delicious, and much better than they’ve ever been, so you don’t have to worry about being put off completely. Try a plant based meal once a week and go from there.

Get into slow fashion

Fast fashion is one of the worst things for our planet. Literally. The amount of waste that comes from fast fashion brands who have new trends every season is disproportionate, and the child labor hidden in the background is criminal. Slow fashion means practicing capsule wardrobes with more sustainable clothing pieces. They’re often a little more expensive, but they last a lot longer than your high street favorites ever could. Fancy getting involved in slow fashion? Try this website to discover some US based sustainable brands.

Use environmentally friendly cleaning products

Have you ever looked at what’s inside your cleaning products. A lot of toxic chemicals, that’s what. These chemicals are not supposed to come into contact with any living thing, whether that’s us, or the beautiful nature outside our homes. When they do, they poison and kill, and we certainly don’t need anymore of that right now. Instead of going for these bigger brand cleaning products (who, by the way, often add extra ingredients to their products to add an extra scent, for example), shop with more sustainable brands like Seep, Spruce, Nimble, Smol, EcoEgg, Clean Living, Bio-D, and EcoZone.

Turn off the lights

Or any other electronics that aren’t in use. Not only have energy bills started going up substantially in 2022, but by turning off your appliences and lights when you leave the room, you’ll be saving the planet a little bit too.

Bathe Quickly

We’re all a little guilty of standing under the shower a little too long after a particularly challenging day, or taking one too many baths in the week when its a little cold outside, but not only are you wasting energy, but you’re wasting water too, which puts a strain on the planet. Take a quick shower (and keep it to once a day if you can, too!), and keep the temperature down as well. In fact, if you can stand it, try a cold shower – the heath benefits are incredible… although they’re quite difficult to love.

Use environmentally friendly body products

Moving straight on from our last point, using environmentally friendly body products, like soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and deodorants is the best way forward for your body, not just the planet. Just like the cleaning products we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of extra chemicals included in our day-to-day products that can cause irritation for our skin. Using brands like The Body Shop, Foamie, Love Beauty & Planet, Lush, The Soap Co, Ren, and LÓccitane are a great way to leave your body and the planet feeling happy and healthy.

Shop local food and ingredients

Shopping local is a wonderful place to start on your journey to investing in the planet. Not only are you helping other locals on their business quest, but you’ll be buying locally sourced and grown foods that are prepared sustainably. It’s a lovely circle. And it helps us to go back to basics.

Meal prep

Have you ever tried meal prepping? It’s a great way to get the most out of your weekly meals, and it can substantially cut down on food waste. If you can set aside a few hours to prep your meals for the week, you may even find your shopping bill decreasing, and you’ll notice you’re throwing way less food away that’s ‘gone bad’, because it’ll simply not have the time to go bad. And it’ll be prepped just how you like it.

Which is your favorite way to help invest in the planet? And are there any new ways that we haven’t thought of that you’re already doing? Let us know below!