World Nature Conservation Day 2024: Ways You Can Be More Sustainable
World Nature Conservation Day is celebrated in many different ways across the globe and this year it’s taking place on the 28th of July, so you haven’t got long to go.
This annual day reminds us how important it is to take care of our planet, live sustainably and spread awareness of the importune of preserving the world’s natural resources.
If you want to make a difference and be more sustainable as a student, then stick with us! In this guide we will be discussing helpful tips on ways you can be more eco-friendly as well as discussing the importance of this special day.
Let’s get our green on…
World Nature Conservation Day History
In this day and age our planet is facing issues such as climate change, deforestation, loss of habitats for wildlife, pollution and more issues, so it’s never been more important to make environmentally conscious decisions.
Thankfully, World Nature Conservation Day helps people across the globe come together to spread awareness on the importance of taking care of our planet and living more sustainably.
Despite being a relatively new holiday, having first been celebrated in 2018, this annual day helps us to shine a light on the significance of looking after our planet’s natural resources.
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Ways You Can Celebrate World Nature Conservation Day
In our next section we’ve highlighted just a few of the ways you can get involved with World Nature Conservation Day 2023, so carry on reading to find out!
1. Don’t Unnecessarily Use Water
The first way you can get involved with World Nature Conservation Day is by making sure not to unnecessarily waste water within your student home.
Whether it’s leaving water running whilst brushing your teeth, washing your hands or washing the dishes, try to remember to turn it off when it’s no longer needed.
We know that everyone loves a bath but they use up SO much water, so try to opt for a shower where you can, especially in the summer months.
It can save up to 1,500 gallons of water per year by only using water when it’s really necessary!
2. Limit Your Waste
Whether its food waste or clothing waste, try not to unnecessarily throw away too much.
If you have clothing you don’t wear anymore, you could sell it on the likes of Vinted or Depop to help give something a second life, or donate it to a charity shop.
You could even try to make use of them by repurposing them, there’s nothing wrong with being an outfit repeater!
Another way to limit your waste is to not put recyclable items in your general bin, items such as glass, metal or paper products can be easily reused and made into new products!
To cut down on food waste, only buy food that you need and plan your meals accordingly. If your foods going to go out or date, put it in the freezer in tupperware.
You can even plan meals with your housemates, so you split the food shopping.
3. Unplug Electrical Devices
Leaving your devices plugged in when you leave the house or are not using them wastes a lot of energy that could otherwise have been turned off and unplugged.
So, before going out, make sure to unplug your devices from the wall sockets to save electricity.
You’ll also save money on your bills by doing this too (that’s if they’re not included in your rent).
The Department of Energy have stated you could save 10% every month when you unplug appliances when not in use – not bad really, is it?!
4. Switch To Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
We know, it’s tempting to pick up the cheap and cheerful cleaning options in the shop, especially when you’re a student.
However, cleaning products impact the environment a lot and can lead to pollution and waste due to the toxic chemicals and the plastic being thrown out.
Such as, it may be convenient to use single-use wet wipes like baby wipes and anti-bacteria wipes in your student home, but why not opt for a more environmentally friendly option?
Get some biodegradable wipes or better yet, reusable wipes or cloths for cleaning up.
These days, you can get tons of eco-friendly and vegan cleaning products like bamboo dishcloths on sites like Amazon, so if you’re keen to make the switch then take a look for yourself!
5. Reduce Your Meat Consumption
Reducing how much meat and dairy you intake is a great way to lower your carbon footprint.
We’re not saying you have to be completely vegan or vegetarian to make a difference but try to cut down where and when you can.
For example, you could have a ‘Meat Free Monday or swap some meat-based meals each week for a veggie or vegan dish instead!
You can even switch to eating less meat rather than cutting it out altogether, especially red meats as they produce the most greenhouse gas emissions.
Most of the time, chicken, eggs, and pork have a lower footprint than beef and lamb so if you are wanting to consume meat then you could switch up what you’re eating.
You can make positive changes by choosing plant-based foods over animal-based foods, why not try it?!
6. Reduce Plastic Use
It’s important to try and go #PlasticFree or reduce single-use plastic waste in order to take care of our planet. In 2016, the world generated 242 million tonnes of plastic waste – oh no!
Ways in which you can reduce your plastic use include avoiding buying plastic bags when you go shopping. Instead, take your own bags whether it’s a tote bag or re-usable shopping bag to put all your bits and bobs in.
After all, who wants to pay for a bag when you’ve got a cupboard full of them at home!
You should also ditch single-use water bottles (yes, we’re talking to you students who go to Aldi and buy packs of water), bags, and straws and avoid products made from or packaged in plastic whenever you can.
Instead, switch to an alternative like a re-useable water bottle or straws.
7. Travel Sustainably
You can be more sustainable as a student by travelling sustainably, opt for the bus rather than driving or getting an Uber. Or better yet, if it’s possible walk to your destination instead!
We know, it can be tempting to make use of the easiest option out of convivence because sometimes you just CBA to walk, but not only is it a more sustainable choice it will also save you some pennies too and its good for your mental and physical health – win, win!
We’re not saying you have to walk miles to get from your student flat to your lectures or seminars (luckily ours are located close by to university campuses).
We’re just suggesting you think about your methods of transport and their impact on the environment.
8. Be Eco-Friendly When Washing Your Clothes
Washing your laundry (argh it’s the worst) in washing machines uses around 15-30 gallons of water per load, they also pollute the air and use up a lot of electricity.
When it comes to washing your clothes, try to only put a wash on when you need to, you can even choose to use a cold temperature cycle rather than a high temp wash to reduce emissions.
If you only have a few clothes to wash, why not put them in the same load as your flatmates rather than having a few tops on a quick wash, which in turn wastes water and energy.
For drying your clothes, you can opt to use a clothes maiden or hang your clothes out on the washing line rather than using a tumble dryer.
As a recent study also found that dryer machines impact the environment as much as washing machines so they’re not much better either.
9. Support Organisations Helping The Environment
With significant issues like climate change, pollution, waste disposal and biodiversity loss impacting the world around us, it’s never been more vital to take action.
One way you can do this is by supporting environmental organisations in any way that you can, whether it’s donating money, volunteering or even sharing the work that they do online.
A great UK based charity is The Climate Coalition, who are dedicated to action against climate change.
Greenpeace is another great charity which stands for positive change through action, helping to protect the world’s forests, oceans, climate.
10. Spread The Word
This July, try to spread the word about how important it is to preserve a healthy environment and help to get more people involved.
Whether it’s telling your family and friends, hosting an event within your student accommodation or even sharing #WorldNatureConservationDay posts on social media.
We can all help to create a better world for the generations to come, so do your part!
There are many other ways you can be more environmentally conscious such as by choosing to shop locally rather than big brand supermarkets or being more energy efficient in your student home by switching off the heating when it’s not needed.
Like we said there really is so many ways you can be to reduce your environmental impact, so have a think about ways you could change your lifestyle. Small changes go a long way, don’t think that your efforts are not making a difference, they are.
We hope we’ve helped you out, and we hope you have a great World Nature Conservation Day 2023!