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How to cultivate an eco-conscious mentality in a material world

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 17:17:00 +0000

How to cultivate an eco-conscious mentality in a material world Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/15/2023 - 10:17

Kayla Vasarhelyi , Karlie Conzachi and Kate Huun

Living an eco-conscious lifestyle rather than one of consumerism is essential to lower your carbon footprint and demonstrate dedication to sustainability. You can consider how your actions impact the environment and your overall well-being and determine if you want to make changes.

Break the convenience habit

Convenience products, like takeout food, single-packaged items and plastic grocery bags, can make life easier but often have a harsh environmental impact. You can take a moment to evaluate purchasing decisions and weigh the pros and cons of convenience compared to a more sustainable option.

While it might seem like more effort, sustainable options can save you money and avoid the need to dispose of waste. One example is using a reusable water bottle. When you carry a water bottle with you, you don’t need to pay for beverages like bottled water, and you can refill the reusable bottle for free. This simple act helps reduce waste and offers more convenience in the long run.

Find value outside of material possessions

With the constant barrage of marketing, it is easy to believe that buying the things you want can make you happier. It can feel good to buy new things. However, chasing the latest items to try and cultivate happiness can make you feel controlled by consumerism. It can actually lead to stress, anxiety and debt.

Instead of trying to purchase things to enhance happiness, consider what brings true feelings of joy, like relationships and working toward your goals. Also, saving money and investing in financial security can help you feel more freedom and worry less, ultimately leading to more happiness.

Understand planned obsolescence

Planned obsolescence produces products that will fail or become less desirable over time, leading consumers to discard their old products and buy something new. With mass production, companies can produce goods quickly and need to drive demand for their products. Planned obsolescence saves companies from spending money to make higher-quality products.

This is not a sustainable practice and has contributed to a throw-away society. For example, technology and car companies produce new products yearly with only slight changes, encouraging consumers to repurchase the latest products.

By resisting the urge to purchase a new product just to get the latest features, you can help reduce waste and save money. You can also invest in products from companies that make better quality products. Before throwing an item away and purchasing something new, find out if what you already have can be fixed or repurposed. Many clothing companies, such as Dr. Martens, Patagonia and REI, will repair their products for free. Find more companies that offer lifetime warranties and will repair their products here.

Avoid cradle-to-grave production

Cradle-to-grave is a cycle of production where companies extract resources to produce products without consideration for the end of the product’s life cycle. The cradle phase is the creation of materials using resources, while the product ending up in a landfill is the grave stage.

A cradle-to-cradle mentality offers a better way for production. With this method, companies make products intentionally to allow for recycling, upcycling or other sustainable disposal options. You can explore products with Cradle-to-Cradle certification to help drive demand for sustainably produced products.

Actions to help cultivate an eco-conscious mentality

You can be more sustainable in your daily life with minor changes.

Upcycle. Upcycling reuses existing products in a new way instead so they can stay out of the landfill. You can get creative by upcycling yourself or buying upcycled products.
Buy local. Reduce the use of resources and energy that goes into transporting and manufacturing items by purchasing locally. For example, buying food from the farmer’s market reduces packaging and transportation costs.
Buy less. Before you buy something, consider whether it is a need or a want. Limit your purchases to items you need to avoid overconsumption of goods. For example, if you already have five pairs of jeans, do you need to purchase new ones?
Buy used. If you need to make a purchase, consider buying the item used. You can buy used for most products, including clothing and household goods or a used car instead of a new one.
Recycle. Divert your waste from landfills by learning how to recycle correctly. It will help decrease your carbon footprint and help mitigate climate change.
Go electronic. Sign up for electronic bills and other notifications rather than printed and mailed communications. Not only does this help the environment, but it also makes it easier to sort through and dispose of your mail.
Avoid single-use items. Invest in reusable products, like water bottles, coffee mugs, food storage containers, metal straws and more. You can save money over time and avoid contributing to landfill waste.
Compost. Learning how to compost can drastically change how much we discard into landfills and help rejuvenate crops and nutrient-deprived lands.

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Ways to reduce food waste

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:42:08 +0000

Ways to reduce food waste Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/14/2023 - 13:42

In the United States, 103 million tons of food are wasted annually, with the average person generating one pound of food waste daily. Food waste includes any edible food that is discarded instead of being consumed.

While often discussed in climate change conversations, reducing food waste also impacts other areas of life. By intentionally decreasing food waste, you can save money and consume better-quality foods. Here is information about food waste and how to reduce it.

Top wasted foods

Bread, milk and potatoes are the top foods typically thrown out each year. Keep this in mind when grocery shopping. Buy only what you need or can use before it goes bad. It can be helpful to also plan meals around the items you already have on hand rather than going to the store for more.

Expiration dates

One reason Americans waste so much food is due to misunderstanding expiration dates. The "best if used by" date refers to when a product will be at peak flavor or quality, while the "sell by" date tells the store how long they can display the product for sale. The "use by" date is the last date recommended to consume the product at peak quality. The "freeze by" date indicates when to freeze a product to maintain peak flavor or quality.

Composting

When you need to toss out food, consider composting it instead. The campus composting policy has recently changed due to changes with the composting service provider. Only food scraps and yard or plant trimmings are compostable on campus. Food scraps include bread, bones, cheese, eggshells, coffee grounds and produce. Yard and plant trimmings include leaves, twigs, flowers and grass.

Shop smarter

Before you grocery shop, take time to get organized. Make a weekly meal plan and only buy the foods you need to cover your planned meals and snacks. Create a shopping list to keep you on track at the store. This not only helps prevent food waste but can also help you save money. If you have leftover food, consider creative ways to incorporate those items into your daily meals and snacks or freeze leftovers to use later. Check out more meal planning tips.

Use foods in season

When you plan meals, consider items that are in season. There are many benefits to getting foods that are fresh and local. They taste better, have higher nutritional value and are more environmentally friendly. The Colorado Department of Agriculture has an easy-to-use guide that can help you pick local fruits and vegetables based on the season.

Find creative ways to save your food

Even with the best meal and food shopping plans, you can sometimes end up with more food than you can use. Here are a few tips to use the food you have on hand instead of letting it go bad.

Freeze fruits and vegetables to use later.
You can extend the life of herbs or save them for later by storing them whole in a freezer bag or chopping them and storing them in oil in an ice cube tray. You can also dry fresh herbs by hanging them in a dry location and then, once dry, crushing and storing them in glass jars.
When you notice fruits or vegetables going bad in a bunch, separate the good ones to keep and discard the spoiled ones. This will help the good ones stay that way longer.
Create an “eat first section” in your fridge for the items with the shortest shelf life so you can remember to use those first.
Use leftover vegetables to make vegetable stock, which you can store in glass jars in the fridge or freeze to use later. This is also a great way to use any scraps you may have from preparing other dishes. Simply keep your scraps in a freezer-safe bag and pull them out once you’ve accumulated enough for a good pot of stock.

With a little effort, you can save money by using and saving your food instead of throwing it out.

Reduce food waste to practice sustainability

By reducing food waste, we can all do our part in creating a sustainable future. Start by double-checking expiration dates before throwing food away and consider composting instead of tossing items in the trash. With small changes to our daily routines, we can make a big impact on reducing food waste. Don't forget to track your sustainable actions in the AWorld app! It makes it easy to see your positive impact on the environment. Download the app and join the CU team today!

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Tips for sustainable travel

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:33:41 +0000

Tips for sustainable travel Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/14/2023 - 13:33

Natasha Smith and Karlie Conzachi

Travel can be exciting, but it can also negatively impact the environment. Whether you travel for vacation, to visit family or out of necessity, there are many ways to incorporate sustainable, eco-friendly practices into your travel plans.

Here are some tips to help you stay green the next time you head out of town.

Consider your mode of transportation

Flying is probably the quickest way to get to your destination, but it typically has more carbon emissions than other forms of transportation. If you choose to travel by plane, travel with intention.

Choose direct flights because they produce less carbon emissions than connecting flights, plus you get to your destination faster.
Take advantage of the RTD Sky Ride, which can take you from campus to the airport. You can save money since you don’t have to pay to park your car at the airport.
Look into carpooling. Plan to travel as a group if you and your friends go to the same destination.

Pack reusable items

Choose sustainable and zero-waste alternatives to popular travel items. By making the switch, you can make even the smallest aspects of your trip eco-friendly.

Solid toiletries, like shampoo bars, conditioner bars and toothpaste capsules, help combat plastic waste. You can also buy toiletries in bulk and transfer to reusable travel-size containers.
Organic and reef-safe sunscreen can help protect marine life.
Bamboo toothbrushes are widely available and are a simple biodegradable switch from traditional plastic toothbrushes.
Bringing a portable water purifier to places without safe drinking water is an excellent alternative to buying countless plastic water bottles.
Bring reusable utensils, bags and containers.
Pack snacks to take with you and store them in reusable containers.
Bring your reusable water bottle and thermos with you.
Pack reusable period products, such as a menstrual cup.
Use rechargeable batteries.
Keep tickets and passes on your phone to reduce waste and save on printing costs.

Go camping

Camping is a great way to plan an eco-friendly vacation. Many popular tourist destinations have campsites available nearby. Camping can help you reduce your carbon footprint by consuming less water and electricity than in a hotel. Also, follow “leave no trace” principles to keep the earth as beautiful as you found it.

Camping has many benefits, from access to better air quality to circadian rhythm improvements and stress relief.

The Boulder area has countless campsites. In addition, the CU Rec Center offers equipment rentals to students through Outdoor Pursuits to help you achieve your backpacking and camping adventure goals.

Stay sustainably

If camping isn’t an option, you can find an eco-friendly indoor option. Booking a vacation rental in a small residence can produce a smaller carbon footprint than a large hotel chain. You can also vet your hotels to make sure they are sustainably certified. You can use the website bookdifferent.com, which specializes in finding and aggregating eco-certified hotels for environmentally conscious vacationers.

Support the local economy

One of the best things you can do while traveling is to support the local economy. Dine at locally owned restaurants since small restaurants are more likely to source their goods locally than large chains. Also, they prevent food waste during many parts of the food chain, including food loss in produce packing houses, manufacturing facilities and transportation and distribution networks.

Buying local, handmade goods also impacts the environment by providing an alternative to cheap, manufactured items. Handmade gifts also often carry more sentimental value because of their one-of-a-kind nature. And buying from local artisans helps them keep doing what they love.

Plan for sustainable travel

Implementing sustainable travel practices takes planning and intention. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect. Making a few small choices can have a significant impact over time. You may also influence others to follow your example.

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