“Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care,” is this year’s World Environment Day slogan. World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nation’s main vehicle for encouraging global awareness and action for the environment and is globally celebrated on June 5 since 1972. In honor of WED 2015, we take a peek at a few hassle-free ways to cut down on waste and irresponsible 
consumption.
– Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. This may sound like a no-brainer, but we overwhelmingly buy things we don’t need/already have just because it’s on sale or has a catchy slogan. Impulse shopping hurts not only the planet, but your bottom line as well. While a $10 YOLO shirt and a $5 flower tiara might not break the bank, $15 a month can actually cover your renters insurance premium. That’s right, Resident Shield offers you coverage for as little as 50 cents a day. Sure, you can’t wear your renters insurance to Coachella, but neither can you wear last year’s flower crowns – they’re way too 2012.
– Choose quality over pricing. Whenever you can, spend the extra bucks on a higher-priced item if it will last longer than the dollar store version. For example, trendy fast-fashion clothing is of an inferior quality and you’ll end up with unwearable items after no more than a couple of wears and washes. At the same time a more expensive brand might hold up for years and years of wear, saving you big bucks in the long run.
– Mend and repair. If your phone breaks down, take it to a repair shop. They might be able to fix it for a fraction of the cost of a new phone. Obviously you won’t have the latest generation smartphone to show off, but you don’t really need it, do you? The same applies to apparel: hunt down a good cobbler in your area and take your shoes and handbags in for repairs. This is especially worth it for mid-to high-priced items. Learn a few basic sewing skills and prolong the life of your carefully curated closet. Check the brand’s website for free or special rate repairs as well. Some outdoor gear companies, for example, offer repair services to customers.
– Learn how to cook and do it as often as possible. Take-out is incredibly wasteful. All those disposable cups, cutlery and pizza boxes add up really quickly, choking up landfills. Cook your own lunch and brownbag it. While it does require investing some time, you do cut down on waste and save money.
– Consuming with care doesn’t mean pinching on gifts for your loved ones. Gift experiences instead of stuff, such as candle making classes instead of scented candles, concert tickets instead of an album, a day at the spa instead of cosmetics. Instead of fancy wine glasses, give tickets to a winetasting. Instead of cosmetics and perfume, send your friend to a spa. Not only are experiences a greener gift option, but years from now, chances are your friends will forget the stuff, but remember the experiences.
