The environment, sustainability, climate change and conservation have become more central topics as of recent. It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by all of the data; you want to make a difference, but feel helpless as to how you alone can make a dent. In his book “We are the Weather,” Jonathan Safran Foer writes, “Although it may be a neoliberal myth that individual decisions have ultimate power, it is a defeatist myth that individual decisions have no power at all.” You alone may not save our planet by eating less meat, recycling better and reducing your waste, but your actions will encourage your neighbors to do the same and your dedication will inspire your friends and family to follow suit. The small actions you take will lead to bigger steps. Every change you make will help to make a difference.

Red Meat

One of the biggest, and easiest, changes we can make is reducing our red meat (and dairy) consumption. Cows are bred for us to eat. And upon burping and farting, cows produce methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Cows also require food, which is often corn – the majority of corn grown in the US goes towards feeding livestock. Not only are cows themselves greenhouse gas producers, but this is magnified by the fact that trees are often cut down to clear land for these cows to graze (and to grow more corn). Trees are our best mechanism for absorbing carbon dioxide and cleaning the air we breathe. Lastly, processing, packaging and shipping meat, milk and cheese comes with a plethora of its own waste and greenhouse gas production.

This is not to say you have to go cold-turkey (more like cold-cow) and abstain from red meat forever. But try to start small. Do yourself, and our Earth, a favor. Cut back on cows! The less red meat and dairy products we purchase and demand, the fewer cows will be bred for our consumption and the more land left for trees.

Tips:

• Meatless Monday
• Avoid eating meat before 6pm during the week. Not only will our environment benefit, but so too will your health!
• Find a butcher you trust and buy your meat there
• Incorporate soy foods, like tofu, which are high in protein and serve as a great meat replacement

Food Waste

Americans waste 20% of the food they buy. This isn’t just a waste of money, but also wasted energy and resources that went into producing the food. While it may seem that only the food itself goes to waste, we often forget that the zucchini you had to throw out required water to grow and traveled on a truck to get to the market. All of these steps add up.

It can be hard to gauge how much food to buy at the store. Especially if you’re cooking for 1 or 2 people. Herbs/plants like cilantro and parsley are often called for in recipes, yet you only need so much. Perhaps you make a big batch of soup or quinoa dish on Sunday and intend to eat it for the week, but yet get sick of it after a day or two. You’re not alone, and we have some ideas that may help.

Tips to reduce food waste:

• Try to purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables at your local farmers marked
• When it seems as though you have vegetables on the brink of going bad, use them to make a stir-fry or vegetable broth
• Only buy what you absolutely need at the grocery store
• Rather than doing a huge grocery shop once a week, try to do a few smaller shops throughout the week
• Misfits Market

Recycling

Recycling is very misunderstood. People often think products can be recycled that in fact cannot (i.e. greasy pizza boxes, plastic bags, coffee cups…). Recycling also holds an aura of sustainability and doing good, yet sometimes the process of recycling certain products produces more waste. This is not to say don’t recycle, but it is to say that the more we reduce our waste in general, the better off our Earth. Food-contaminated plastics cannot be recycled – they taint the recycling plant. Because of this, it’s important that you sufficiently wash the food from your plastic, but don’t use too much water as this negates the benefits of recycling.

The to-go coffee cup at your favorite shop cannot be recycled because it’s often lined in a thin plastic or wax coating. This is a great excuse to treat yourself to a nice reusable mug. Do you love hummus? Perhaps make your own, which means one less plastic container to wash out and recycle. Rather than buy single serving yogurt containers, buy the larger containers. Think twice when grabbing a plastic bag for your fruits and veggies at the farmers market. And if you do, keep these bags to bring with you on your next shopping trip. 

Tips & products we like:

• Where to recycle plastic bags
• Stasher bags: never buy disposable plastic bags again!
• Wherever you go, make sure you throw a small tote bag in your backpack, pocket or purse – you never know when you’ll make an impromptu shopping trip
• Reusable coffee cup
• Reusable water bottles (old news)
• * In NYC, all rigid plastics can be recycled. Pay greater attention to whether the plastic is relatively inflexible and maintains its shape or form when bent, rather than the number on the bottom of the plastic product.

Author: Caroline Markowitz – MS candidate in nutrition and exercise physiology at Columbia University, but more importantly granola lover.