The ways we grow, process, and consume food have significant environmental impacts. Our food systems can influence things like biodiversity, soil health, water quality, and even contribute to climate change. Recognizing these connections is essential for fostering sustainable practices.

Industrial agriculture relies on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These harmful chemicals damage soil health and biodiversity by harming helpful plants and animals like pollinators and wildflowers as a byproduct. Further, monoculture, or planting one type of crop or plant species in a specific area, can also worsen climate change since the lack of diversity sequesters less CO2. Monoculture crops are also more susceptible to diseases and are less resilient to climate events.

Another issue with our food system is processed foods. Processed foods contain added preservatives and excessive packaging, negatively impacting human health and generating more waste. This process also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions from increased energy usage to process the foods and packaging.

Something we can do to help, is cut down on our "food miles," by buying more local food! "Food miles" refer to the distances food travels from farm, to processing plant, to shipment location, to grocery store, to its final location. The more food miles our food has, the more emissions are released from transportation. Additionally, this reduces freshness and nutrition. By eating locally, choosing fresh fruits and vegetables grown nearby, and opting for whole foods over processed snacks we can help lower our "food miles!" Try visiting a farmers market or starting a garden at home for the freshest option. For those feeling ambitious, try reducing your meat and dairy intake too! Check out the resources below to learn more and take action.

Fashion is how we choose to dress and express ourselves, but the way we make and buy clothes can hurt the planet. Many clothing brands produce items quickly and cheaply, often without thinking about the impact on the environment. Learning about these issues can help us make better choices for our planet.

The fashion industry uses a lot of resources, like water and energy, and creates a lot of waste. Many clothes are made from non organic or natural materials that aren’t good for the environment as well. Producing clothes can pollute our air and water. Did you know it can take around 2,700 liters of water just to make one cotton T-shirt! Now imagine how much water was used in creating your whole wardrobe…

It is estimated that  80-150 billion articles of clothes are made each year. Most of these items are fast fashion, meaning they are not well made, and are rapidly purchased for a current trend. But trends come and go very fast these days, resulting in lots of thrown out clothes. 92 million tons of the clothing produced each year end up in landfills, which is the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes every second.

Some ways we can help are by buying less, think about whether you really need a new item before buying. Ask yourself if you will wear that item a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now etc… We can choose secondhand clothes, Look for clothes at thrift stores or swap clothes with friends. This is a great way to get new outfits without creating more waste. Or, we can at least do research on our clothing brands to see if they are more sustainable. Lastly, we can take good care of what we already have so it lasts longer. Washing them less often and hanging them to dry can help lower energy usage as well!

Every day, we create waste from things we use. In the U.S. alone, about 292.4 million tons of trash are generated each year. This means the average person in the United States throws away an average of 4.9 pounds of waste every day. Some of this waste can be recycled, reused, or composted instead of just throwing it away. Learning about waste, recycling, and composting is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to help our environment!

Plastic is one of the biggest problems in our waste system. Each year, around 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally, with about 8 million tons ending up in the oceans. Most plastic items never fully decompose and will be around forever as microplastics.

Food waste is another big issue. In the U.S., about 40% of food produced is wasted, which equals about 125 billion pounds annually. When food rots in landfills, it releases harmful gases like methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere. 

Some ways we can reduce our waste is by using less plastic, learning how to properly recycle, and learning how to compost! Use reusable bags, water bottles, and containers instead of single-use plastics. If you still need to use something that is single use, opt for items that are biodegradable. Many companies are now making eco-friendly plastic bags, cutlery,  and straws, just take a closer look at the packaging! When you are recycling, make sure all recyclable items are clean and free of food residue. Rinse containers and let them dry, if needed. Contaminated recyclables can lead to entire batches being sent to landfills. A great resource to learn more about recycling and composting is your local town/city website. Here you will often provide lists of what their facility will take and how often.

Lastly, consider starting a compost bin. Some towns will even collect compost from your home once a week! They provide you with a mini trash can that you leave on your curb to be picked up weekly, and all you have to do is make sure to put all your food scraps in a bag throughout the week. If your town does not have a composting program, there are companies in New England such as Mr.Fox, Black Earth Compost, and Bootstraps that will provide the same service. You can also check in with local farms to see if your compost can be dropped off there, most working farms will have a compost of sorts. Composting is important because it helps reduce methane and other greenhouse gas emissions in landfills. Composting is a great alternative to throwing food away because it will allow those food scraps to turn into nutrient dense organic matter that is very beneficial to our soil!

Have you ever bought a product that looks good for the environment because it says things like "natural," "eco-friendly," "organic," "no artificial colors or dyes," "recycled," or something else along these lines? Maybe you thought it was good for the planet because there were pictures of the earth, or trees, or plants on the packaging. While some clean products have these words and images, a lot of brands use these words and images as something called "greenwashing." Greenwashing is when companies pretend to be environmentally friendly to attract customers, even though their actions don’t match their claims. It can make it hard for people to know which products are truly good for the planet. Learning about greenwashing helps us make smarter choices and support businesses that really care about the environment.

One common problem with greenwashing is the use of misleading labels. Some products have labels that look like certifications but are not backed by any official organization. This can confuse people and make them believe they are making eco-friendly choices when they are not.

Companies may also make exaggerated claims about their products. For example, a brand might say its packaging is “biodegradable,” but it only breaks down under specific conditions that aren’t available in most landfills. This can mislead consumers into thinking they are helping the environment when they are not.

Some ways we can help are by researching brands. Research companies and see if they have a reputation for being genuinely eco-friendly.  Apps like Good on You can help with this. We can also read labels carefully and pay attention to product labels. If a claim sounds too good to be true, it might be! Look for specific certifications, like Energy Star, B corp, or USDA Organic. Lastly, we can opt for products with fewer ingredients and simple packaging. Often, simpler products are more sustainable. Have a look at the resources below to learn more about greenwashing:

Energy use is essential for our daily lives, powering everything from our homes and schools to our cars and devices. However, how we produce and use energy can significantly impact the environment. Understanding these impacts helps us make better choices for our environment.  Most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which release harmful gases when burned. These gases contribute to climate change and air pollution, affecting both our health and the environment. Finding cleaner energy sources and using energy more efficiently is crucial for a sustainable future.

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun, leading to global warming and climate change, which causes extreme weather, rising sea levels, and disruptions in ecosystems. Energy production from fossil fuels also creates air pollution, which can lead to health problems such as asthma and other respiratory issues.

Extracting fossil fuels can also lead to habitat destruction, impacting wildlife and biodiversity. For example, drilling for oil can destroy forests and wetlands, while coal mining can pollute nearby rivers and streams. This loss of habitat endangers species and disrupts natural ecosystems.

We can help save energy by taking simple actions like turning off our lights and unplugging our devices. We can switch to LED bulbs, which use less energy and last longer than regular bulbs. For certain items you can look at purchasing Energy Star-certified appliances, which can use 10–50% less energy than standard models. We can also take a look at appliances we use every week and see if they have an “eco” setting. Dishwashers and laundry machines often have these settings. With laundry specifically, washing clothes on "cold" and letting air dry saves so much energy that would normally be used for heating the water and running the dryer. In the cooler months we can also make changes in the way we use the heating in our homes. We can turn it off when we are not home, or set it to a lower temperature. Before we turn on the heat, we can also make sure we have socks, warm pants, and a sweatshirt on, or we can grab an extra blanket at night! In the summer we can keep our house cooler by shutting doors and clothing the blinds to block sunlight. With some simple mindful changes to your daily life, you too can use less energy and help reduce greenhouse gas emisions!