7 DAILY HABITS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE

In the spirit of Earth Month, what better time is there to start developing habits to green your routine?

At Spud we’re firm believers that companies and governments need to take action on creating a more sustainable society. The responsibility cannot be placed solely on consumers. However, it can be empowering to take steps that you know will reduce your personal carbon footprint. In honour of Earth Month, you can adopt these simple lifestyle changes to reduce your household’s environmental impact. You might even find that many of these changes are small shifts in your daily habits that you’ve already been intending to make!

1. Stop buying bottled water, and start using a reusable bottle.

We would all do well to eliminate as much plastic from our lives as possible, but pledging to stop buying bottled water is a very simple, easy step to make in the right direction. A good stainless steel or glass bottle tends to be the easiest reusable bottle to clean, and I never have a hard time finding places that are willing to fill my bottle up for me. Plus, tap water is free!

2. Stop using the car for short trips — walk/bike/transit instead.

Giving up your car might be more effort than you’re willing to put in this year; however, when it comes to smaller trips (that don’t require hauling a ton of stuff back), try biking, walking, or using public transit! If you can ride your bike for trips that are shorter than 5 km, you could cut down your carbon footprint significantly. Taking transit will save gas, and if you walk or bike you’ll get some exercise too!

3. Reduce your meat consumption, and become a part-time vegetarian.

If you aren’t interested in switching to a full plant-based diet, no worries! You can still drastically reduce your footprint by going vegetarian part-time. Play around with a veggie schedule that suits your willingness. Put on the vegetarian hat for just the weekend, weekdays, before 6, or kick it old school with the classic meatless Mondays. Tasty plant-based foods are becoming more and more accessible—with so much great food out there, this doesn’t have to be a sacrifice!

4. Say “bye” to plastic bags, and start bringing your own reusable totes.

It’s incredibly easy to get into the habit of keeping an extra reusable bag on you, and you’ve probably already got a few options kicking around your house. Be diligent about this new commitment, especially in the beginning. If you forget your bags, buy only what you can carry. It’ll push you to be more conscientious in the future. Bye plastic bags!

We’re trying to reduce our plastic bags, too — you can read about it here and here. Plus, you can return any packaging you receive in your Spud bin back to us for proper recycling!

5. Consume more local and seasonal produce.

Eating what’s locally in season means that your food hasn’t had to travel a long distance to get to you. As a result, it’s fresher, it has retained more vitamins and minerals, and it generally has a lower environmental footprint. Spud makes it easy to support local by bringing the farmer’s market to you, showcasing all of our wonderful vendors and making it easy for you to make healthy and sustainable choices.

6. Choose organic produce.

Organic farmers avoid environmentally harmful practices and are able to keep soil healthy, promote biodiversity, and provide nutritious produce filled with vitamins and minerals. When we choose organic, we are paying not only for the cost of the food; we are also paying for environmental protection, higher standards for animal welfare, avoidance of health risks for farmers due to dangerous pesticide exposure, and more. There are so many things to feel good about when you take the organic plunge.

7. Lower your food waste at home.

There are a ton of ways you can reduce your food waste, and overall green your food routine at home. For starters, check out our tips for properly storing produce so that you can avoid produce food waste at home. Also, get into the habit of cooking smarter by being realistic about how much your family will eat, or cook more so you can make the most out of leftovers. Last but not least, if you haven’t already started, get set up with composting!

Want to know how we reduce food waste up Spud? Get all the details.

Do you have other green habits? Let us know!