Being low-impact has no strict rules, it is really up to the person themselves to decide. However, there are some things that are fairly easy to do and follow without changing your lifestyle too much. Here are 5 easy low-impact habits anyone can follow. These are also the things I have followed for at least 2 years if not more.
1. Using a reusable water bottle
I think this is one of the easiest swaps anyone can make, depending on where you live. In Tallinn, Estonia, where I am from, it is safe to drink tap water no matter what. However, here in Krakow, Poland things are different. One of my first questions, when I arrived was if it is safe to drink or even use tap water. I was told it is okay to drink, but not many locals do. That answer was good enough for me to use that water daily to fill up my bottle and keep myself hydrated. So far so good! A thing to mention is that during games and practices we are provided with blocks of bottled water and not often do I refuse or use my own bottle because of convenience issues. That is definitely something I can improve on. For anyone, who lives in an area, where tap water is not clean enough to be consumed, my advice would be to buy bigger bottles of water (ex. 5L). Then you'll have a way to fill up your own bottle and create less waste. There is also the option of using a filtration system, but that is something I will come back to in the future. If you do live in an area where drinking tap water is safe, here's a fact to motivate you: in one minute a million plastic bottles are bought. To make it even more dramatic, that means around 17,000 plastic bottles are purchased each second.
2. Using a reusable straw
Now, this is something many people talk about. #savetheturtles am I right? Plastic straws are obviously a big issue and don't need much introduction. But they are not even close to being the biggest issue, even though it is nice to see thousands if not even millions of people getting behind a common cause to make the world a better place, one straw at a time. I was never big on straws unless they were already in the drink at the restaurant or something but still, I own and occasionally use a stainless steel straw, which was actually a gift from a classmate in college. Thank you, Kim!! So options for you are to refuse a straw because we are very capable of drinking without one, or if you prefer having a straw just get a reusable one.
3. Using a reusable coffee cup
This was more of an issue for me in college, where I went to Starbucks daily, if not multiple times a day. Now, in Europe, things are a bit different. Life here is slower than in the States, so people often choose to enjoy coffee with a friend or a colleague in the coffee shop. That means fewer single-use cups are being handed out and more people drink from mugs. Also, many people make their own coffee at home before leaving the house. I have my reusable coffee cup with me in Poland but I haven't used it once. Most of the time I want coffee, I just go and sit down at the cafe. Again, I think it is important to mention that I do slip up from time to time and end up purchasing coffee to go in a single-use cup. But that is why it's called a journey. If you are someone that enjoys drinking coffee on the go, then purchasing a to-go cup would be something to consider. Some places even give a small discount when you use your own cup. What I also love about some of the reusable coffee cups out there, is that they're insulated, which means they can keep your drink hot or even cold
for up to 12 hours! And if you're a slow coffee drinker like me, this will go a long way.
4. Using a reusable shopping bag
This is something me and my mom have done since I was very little. The reason being, plastic bags in Estonia cost money, so many people do not want to pay for something they would only use for an hour or even less. So this wasn't a big transition for me. Most of the time I have a backpack on me anyway, so even if I forget to bring my reusable shopping bag to the store, I still have a bag to carry the food in. This again was a bigger issue for me in the United States when I was in college because if you do not go to self-checkout it is almost guaranteed they will double bag your items. The cashiers also only put like 3-5 items in one bag (or two, if they double bag it). This is still a mystery to me to this day. Here in Krakow, I see most people using reusable bags in stores, or they purchase the paper one if needed. Using a reusable bag costs you nothing, just bring an extra bag, no matter if you're reusing an old plastic bag, have a designated shopping bag or just an empty backpack. You just have to plan ahead, and if you happen to forget, opt for a paper bag over the plastic ones.
5. Using reusable cotton pads
I think this is the most "out of the ordinary" thing on this list. So let me explain. You know how when you take off your make up and use like 3 cotton pads if not more in the process? Well, that is what made me purchase the reusable cotton pads. Every morning and every evening I would use at least 2 cotton pads and that is just a lot of waste in the long run. I saw a video on Youtube, on one of the channels I absolutely love, and I thought huh, what a great idea. Now, I have used these for about 2 years and I love it. I have twelve pads and they came with a washing bag, so whenever I use one, I just drop it in the bag. Once almost all the cotton pads are used, I just throw them in the laundry and voila - they're clean and ready to be used again. This requires you to, in a sense, make an investment, where you'll pay more for these than the regular cotton pads, but its a one-time payment, and I promise you, you'll use the pads for many years to come. You can find the ones I use here.
These were the 5 easy low-impact habits anyone can follow. Most if not all of these are very affordable and easy to do. I think it is safe to assume everyone has a water bottle at home they can refill, a reusable shopping bag is really just any bag, and the cotton pads could be DIY-d. Some of the things will even save you money in the long run, like the cotton pads, reusable bottles, and depending on where you live, the reusable shopping bag.
I hope you found this post interesting and maybe even inspiring.
See you soon!
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