No matter how you feel about the climate change debate, no one likes to live in a dirty environment.

Sure, the biggest changes will have to take place at a corporate and legislative level, but that doesn’t mean the average person is helpless. There are things everyone can do to improve the environment we live in and make the world a better place for all.

There are obvious ways such as recycling and reducing energy consumption, but that’s not the focus of this article. Below you will find 3 not-so-obvious ways that you help the environment.

1.Shop Online

Online shopping isn’t just for the lazy and convenience-based shopper. It is also a great way to save on fuel, limit carbon dioxide emissions, and use less energy.

At first thought, you may think, “how could shopping online possibly reduce the amount of energy and emissions to the environment?” Well, it turns out that the logistics of online shopping are well-planned and incredibly efficient.

Imagine if just ten people a day decided to shop online instead of in-store? Those same delivery trucks would simply be loaded with a few more items, but quite possibly ten less gas-guzzling cars would be on the streets.

2. Create Your Own Compost Pile or Use a Community One
   

Everyone’s heard of the term recycling, but many less people have heard about composting. Composting essentially means recycling nutrients back into the environment, which keeps food out of landfills and helps to enrich the soil.

Starting your own compost pile is incredibly easy and can be a fun way for you and your family to help the environment.

As one of Canada’s greenest cities, you can bet that many Toronto rentals have a wide variety of green and environmentally-friendly initiatives in place for their tenants. If you don’t feel comfortable starting your own compost pile, these community ones still work just as well!

3. Be Mindful of Expiration Dates
   

How many items in the last week alone have you had to pitch because they expired? Probably more than you are willing to admit.

Understanding what expiration dates mean can also help cut back on wasted food.

There is a difference between the sell-by and use-by dates on food packaging. One is for when the retailers need to have the item sold by, and the other is for the product actually starts to diminish in quality.

Sometimes, items you may have thought you needed to throw away were actually still good for another couple of days. By no means should you push this to the limit and risk getting sick by eating something you thought was still OK to eat, but at least try to be a bit more mindful and understanding of how expiration dates work.

Wrapping Up

Just because saving the environment is a global issue, doesn’t mean you can’t contribute at a local level. The average person can do a ton of things on a daily basis to help protect and restore the world we live in. The 3 items above are just a few unexpected ways to get the job done.