Your efforts towards creating a healthy environment at times may be causing the environment more harm than you may have thought. Being eco-friendly is a lifestyle, but many people make several common mistakes. These mistakes are often overlooked because many people don't even realize them.
Hello and welcome. Here at EcoBravo, we will be talking about common non-eco-friendly mistakes people make daily that affect their health and the environment. The easiest eco-friendly approach for many is stopping the use of single-use plastic. This is very recommended and the most applauded. But that's not all, there are many things and even more that are not popularly talked about.
We engage in different daily tasks that cost the planet even when we consider making the environment more eco-friendly. This may result from inappropriate labelling, scientific research error, or just plainly being unaware of it. To help you be more eco-friendly in your everyday life, here are some common mistakes to avoid.
Improper recycling
You are certainly causing more harm than good to the environment by not recycling properly. It remains one of the mistakes people make when trying to be eco-friendly. Improper recycling is much worse than not recycling at all. It is important that when you decide to recycle, you ensure that each item is kept in its appropriate location. This means paper should be in the paper, bottle in bottle, and plastic in plastic sections. It can be had when we have products with dual properties, like a bottle with a plastic cap. Thankfully, many ready-made foods or products have directions on recycling with the universal arrow in a triangular arrangement. But if this isn't clear to you, do not do it at all.
Regular replacement of everything you own
We understand that some people need to regularly replace things due to fear of germs and such. However, continuous replacement of even eco-friendly products is a waste to the environment, from spoons to bottles and more. If it still has its usefulness, then it should be used.
The idea that at least you are replacing eco-friendly products with eco-friendly products is not enough. One major step of being green conscious is ending the overconsumption of products and goods. Use your products till they outlive their usefulness; instead of discarding them, consider refurbishing.
Drinking Almond Milk
Almond milk is nutritious to the body, but little do people understand that they are one of the non-eco-friendly mistakes we make. Almonds are crops that require a large quantity of water to grow. Excess water usage is an issue for the environment, and we constantly harm the ocean and aquatic life by overusing it.
Besides, almonds require pollination; therefore, they add more pressure to the commercialization of bees, yet another issue. According to research, there is about a 30% death rate of bees each time the almond harvesting season comes to an end due to threats caused by pesticides on plants. Although it remains one of the best milks, it’s not the best choice.
Trust for all health products
There are many wellness and beauty products on the market today. While some of them are very effective, some may not produce the desired results. However, whether they do an amazing job or not isn't the topic of discussion. The bone of contention here is that many of these products are non-eco-friendly.
Although many brands claim to use natural products to make them, the truth is the entire production line is not eco friendly, from diesel usage to chemical cleaning and preparations. Besides that, the packaging is another issue, and many times plastic is used. And then when we come back to the materials used in making these products, careful research will show that a lot of the ingredients and materials are far from eco-friendly.
Chemicals such as faux wood and wood plastic composite containers are far from natural. Besides, many products do not stop polluting the drain, even after rinsing them from the skin. Also, certain plants used in the production of these products are grown in endangered ecosystems.
Believing using rideshare apps stops the emission of chemicals or pollution
Uber or Lyft offer movement convenience, and it is widely believed by many that they are eco-friendly. However, you are only saving money in your pocket and still causing long-term ecosystem harm. How? You may ask, the answer is simple: carbon dioxide is still being emitted from these cars; these cars still use oil drilled from lands or seas polluted from spillage and chemical hazards. Yes, carshare reduces the amount of pollution, it still really doesn't change so much.
Being tricked by all "natural-labelled food."
We are often tricked into buying ready-made foods or products from different stores. However, many of these products with "natural" labels on their bodies are far from labelled. The upward trend is eating healthy and organic foods, but these foods are not organic. While we are quick to say organic foods help the planet, it still has their non-eco-friendly side.
Many of these products labelled organic or green may truly be green or natural because the product itself is freshly grown without chemicals and such. But the packaging and processing plants are hardly ever green. The packaging of this organic meat, or organic fruit bags, is often made from plastic or some other material. Have you ever asked if these materials have an organic making process? The truth is, we overlook that because it's not the main point of contention.
It can truly be a lot to talk about and do when it comes to being eco friendly. There are many grey areas, and many points are not fully clarified to us. It is vital then for us to take continuous note of every little detail when building a continuous green lifestyle. Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed it, we have several other posts for you. If you have any questions to ask us here at Eco Bravo, we are always available to talk to you.