The consequences of our fast-paced modern lifestyles are taking a toll on the planet. With temperatures rising, soils depleting, and wildlife species disappearing at accelerated rates, it is easy to feel as though our planet has been defeated by modern convenience. Though it will take a bit of effort from all of us, big changes manifest from the accumulation of little efforts.
In celebration of Random Acts of Kindness Week, the Landkind team has curated a list of 21 ways to #belandkind. We know all too well, our planet is in need of some tender love and care.
The climate crisis is in full effect and it’s up to all of us to do our part. Let’s explore 21 ways we can be eco-friendly and show planet earth a bit of kindness.
1. Say No To Plastic Water Bottles
With many in pursuit of clean drinking water, it’s easy to grab your nearest plastic bottled water from the convenience store. The environmental impact of this convenience is not so kind.
Over 1,000,000 plastic bottles are consumed around the globe every minute1. That’s over 1.4 billion daily, and 525.6 billion yearly. With an estimated global population of 8 billion people, our plastic crisis is fueled by roughly 66% of the globe's population.
Investing in a water bottle that can provide you clean drinking water from anywhere, is made from recyclable stainless steel, and gives back to clean water projects can help reduce these numbers dramatically.
The Larq Bottle, voted one of Time Magazine's best inventions of 2022, can help you reduce the need for bottled convenience and increase your water intake by filtering from any water source!
2. Take Shorter Colder Showers
For those with long hair, this may prove challenging on wash days, or for people who live in cold climates, but we are challenging the planet with every shower concert we host. According to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® program, people use “more than one trillion gallons”2 each year across the United States. To make it worse, along with our water consumption comes a massive amount of energy consumption, furthering the impact of this vicious cycle.
3. Repurpose Your Food Waste
Maybe you have tried to use compostable trash bags and are traumatized by the heinous stench of rotting foods. Nobody wants that burden, and with innovative brands like Mill, you don’t have to endure the traditional pains of composting.
Your Mill Bin will dry your food scraps, shrink your food waste, and repurpose it as chicken feed instead of compost. Their seamless, prepaid, delivery system helps get your newly made chicken feed directly to farmers.
Repurposing food waste is certainly critical because food waste occurs at every point in the supply change (3) and outpaces the carbon emissions of an entire airline (4,5). For when you can’t compost, choose to Mill.
4. Support Local Produce Farmers
There’s something about local produce…maybe a richer taste from shorter travels?
Supporting local farmers reduces food miles traveled by trucks, and supports the local economy - a true win-win for the planet and your community.
5. Choose Sustainable Wellness
You don’t have to feel guilty about your supplement routine when you choose to #belandkind. Powered by the revolutionary SynBio platform HARMONY™, Landkind prioritizes purity, potency, and consistency for the wellness of you and the planet. Our process never disrupts medicinal plants or taxes their precious ecosystems. You can reach your physical and mental peak with clinically proven, LK-01™ Pure Salidroside.
6. Participate In The Circular Fashion Community
According to For Days, leaders in the Circular Fashion community, “85% of all textiles end up in landfills, including clothing from resale and donation centers” (6).
To keep up with our rate of fast fashion consumption, it’s not enough to just say “no” to impulse purchases. For Days has created an easy way to ensure used garments and textiles not only get recycled but also get regenerated.
At For Days, you can use one of their Take Back Bags and earn instant closet cash to then shop new-to-you goods to have a guiltless love affair with. This is all made possible by their network of designers, sorters, closed-loop recyclers, resellers, and downcyclers in their mission to reduce fashion waste.
7. Install Low-flow Showerhead Fixtures
Installing low-flow showerhead fixtures limits water usage while still providing an enjoyable shower experience; these fixtures help reduce water wastage by up to 40% (7) compared with standard shower heads without sacrificing pressure or comfort level during shower time itself making it an ideal choice for any eco-friendly household looking forward towards reducing its overall environmental footprint over time through mindful purchases like this one right here today itself!
8. Have More Experiences Instead of More Things
One of the jobs of the media is to inspire people to participate in the latest trends. Maybe that means upgrading your car, or getting yourself Instagram ready with the latest trends.
What could be more exciting than the latest and greatest?
We think creating memories with the people you love could be a sustainable alternative. Imagine experiencing a new culture while you travel to new parts of our beautiful planet. Or, taking a walk to your local music venue and singing until your voice gives out. Any time spent making personal memories instead of waste is a way to #belandkind.
9. Try Reusable Shampoo Bars
Your shampoo and conditioner likely come in a clunky plastic bottle, and sadly, mostly made of water. You can achieve the same thorough wash day by trying shampoo and conditioner bars.
Viori, is a socially responsible hair care company whose product and mission support the people of the Red Yao tribe. Their Community Impact Report shows how this small brand's reinvestment of 5% of profit protected 4.44 acres of farmland for future generations by adopting chemical-free farming practices. They also protected 1 tea tree plantation full of 30 ancient trees. (6)
10. Unplug Unused Appliances
It’s a sad fact that stays out of sight, thus out of mind, but all of our small kitchen appliances, funky-shaped lamps, and other occasionally used electric trinkets still pull energy when they’re not being used. For nonessential appliances and electronic devices, unplug them when not in use. You’ll save on your electric bill, and the planet will thank us.
11. Use Reusable Bags for Food Shopping
This habit change was forced upon us in some states, but forced upon us for the better. Making it a habit to carry a reusable bag makes it easier to stock up on loose produce and cut down on plastic packaging.
For more than 30 years, ECOBAGS has led the way in the design of reusable bags from renewable fibers. Plus, they have plenty of fun, functional styles to choose from.
12. Drive Less
It’s no secret the number of cars on the road and the proportionate carbon dioxide in the air are heavily contributing to global warming. The EPA reported, “a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year” (7). Driving less has numerous benefits – it saves money on gas, help burn some calories, and combats air pollution. If you can’t imagine your life on foot, consider using public transportation or biking when possible.
13. Reuse Glass Jars As Storage
Reusing glass jars as storage containers eliminates unnecessary waste. This also prevents additional manufacturing associated with producing new packaging materials.
LK-01 Pure Salidroside from Landkind is shipped with a recyclable glass jar in your initial shipment. After your first order, your LK-01 capsules are always delivered in a compostable pouch. We do this to lower our environmental impact, one of our main concerns since inception.
14. Line Dry Clothing
Line drying clothes outside uses zero electricity. We can #belandkind by preventing emissions from our dryer machines from being released into the atmosphere. This is also another way to cut back on your electricity bill.
15. Eat Less Meat
Eating less meat reduces carbon emissions from livestock production and helps lessen water usage since raising animals uses A LOT of water!
If you’re still craving a meaty meal (despite the cute cow picture placement), plant-based meat alternatives from Beyond Meat, whose production process uses 46% less energy, 99% less water, and 93% less land (9) than a traditional beef burger, even limiting your meat consumption to a couple times a week can drive a major impact.
16. Say No To Single Use Food Savers
Are you really going to eat those leftovers? Or, are they going to make a quiet home in the back of your fridge? If plastic food-saver bags are a must for your family, how about trying a Stasher Bag? Stasher Bag produces silicone, food-safe, resealable bags for you to use again and again. If the time comes when your Stasher Bag is damaged, you can participate in their repurpose program which relies on Terracycle to fairly recycle the bag into something new to use and love!
17. Grow A Garden From Finished Pencils
This one is for all the teachers, students, and artists. What if, at the end of your pencil's life, it didn’t just fall into the bin (and inevitably be buried in a landfill) but instead sprouted into a beautiful plant.
Sprout Pencils are the world’s first plantable writing utensils that sprout into various herbs, vegetables, plants, and even trees! Not only do they sprout various plants, but they also come in a variety of colors. They even took their thinking to develop a sproutable eyeliner!
18. Use LED Light Bulbs
The higher upfront costs of purchasing an LED light bulb can come with some shock, but their durability saves you money over time.
“LED bulbs are more efficient, less costly in the long run, and better for the environment because they use far less energy than the alternatives. An LED bulb’s lifespan is around 50,000 hours, or about 10 years, which means it lasts 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.”8 - The Center for American Progress
19. Recycle Properly More Often
Recycling helps reduce landfill waste which prolongs the life cycle of resources that would otherwise end up in landfills where they release harmful methane gas into our atmosphere. Please remember, not all plastics are made the same. Be sure to pay attention to local instructions for recycling plants to ensure your efforts are properly recycled.
20. Supporting Zero Waste Store
Zero Waste Store is a prime destination for sourcing sustainable goods. Like Landkind, they take pride in ensuring their delivery practices are as earth conscious as possible, committing to plastic-free shipping. Visiting a Zero Waste Store, online or in person, means you’ll be introduced to lots of earth-friendly alternatives for your daily routine with minimal packaging.
21. Shop Second Hand
It’s easy to grow tired of your wardrobe and there’s something to be said about a bit of retail therapy. It can be just as satisfying to refresh your wardrobe with second-hand goods. Brands like ThredUp make it easy to discover new-to-you clothing to take a stand against the ecological impact of seasonal fast fashion demands.
We hope this list leaves you inspired to show a random act of kindness to our planet. A complete list of the eco-friendly brands mentioned is below for you to explore. Every small act from one of us can accumulate into a big change. Please, try to remember to #belandkind.
Sustainable Brand Mentions:
SOURCES:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-shower-better-learning-resource_0.pdfhttps://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-02/documents/ws-ourwater-shower-better-learning-resource_0.pdf
https://fordays.com/pages/how-we-recycle
https://drinkoptimum.com/conserve-water-with-a-low-flow-shower-head/
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0258/0214/5891/files/Viori_CSR_Report_2021-compressed.pdf?v=1649978509https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle#:~:text=typical%20passenger%20vehicle%3F-,A%20typical%20passenger%20vehicle%20emits%20about%204.6%20metric%20tons%20of,8%2C887%20grams%20of%20CO2