Photo: 123RF
It doesn’t take a genius to notice what’s happening to our Earth. Natural disasters and climate changes have been around for years now and in latest environmental news, yet another pressing issue arises.
An article published on Science Advances this week noted that the water pollution in the Arctic Ocean is on the rise. Because of its remote location, few ships had passed the region, meaning water pollution here didn’t use to be a concern.
However, the paper found that over the years, plastic trash have been following water currents and moving towards this region. The results: the once pristine Arctic Ocean now has some 300 billion plastic articles occupying its waters now.
With Earth Day coming up on April 22, 2017, we’ve compiled a quick list of bad habits to kick so that we can hopefully create less waste and not end up suffocating our planet with towering amounts of trash. For the benefit of our future generations, let’s stop all these acts now.
Bad habit 1: Tossing away your recycling bag
Photo: IKEA
They’re called recycling bags for a reason. But if you find that you have too many shopping bags lying around, consider turning them into picnic mats instead of tossing them into the rubbish bin.
Furniture brand IKEA has released a simple DIY guide to making your own padded picnic blanket. Learn how to make yours here.
Bad habit 2: Buying clothes from brands that don’t care about the Earth
Photo: Salvatore Ferragamo
Switch to the labels that work towards protecting our environment in their own ways. H&M, for example, has a Conscious collection that features sustainable clothings using materials made from waste. Its latest Conscious collection is now available at its Orchard Building store.
Another brand that’s joined the eco-movement is Italian luxury label Salvatore Ferragamo. Celebrating Earth Day on April 22, 2017, the fashion brand has launched a capsule collection titled Orange Fiber Collection with clothes made from orange fibre fabrics.
The material used here is exactly how its name sounds. Two Sicilian entrepreneurs have developed a method of transforming citrus fruits waste into threads that are used in this collection. Turning food waste into sustainable fashion; how genius is that?
Bad habit 3: Not participating in charity drives
Photo: Aveda
Caring for our environment doesn’t necessarily mean volunteering to clean up the beach. It can be so much simpler. Many brands have been supporting charities and rolling out special edition products each year; with the sale of each item, a portion of the proceeds will go towards the brand’s preferred charity organisation.
American beauty brand Aveda, for example, has an ongoing #AvedaCleanWater campaign to celebrate Earth Day this month. Its Light The Way Candle, $35, is a warm and comforting scent made from organic vanilla, cinnamon and ylang ylang from Madagascar.
Photo: Aveda
With every sale of this candle, the full amount will be donated to Global Greengrants fund for clean water projects in Manakara, Madagascar. There you have it, shopping for a good cause; not that tough, eh?
