What You Can Do to Help Animals & the Environment (even if you don’t intend to become Vegan)

So as you may know, I am a vegetarian. I want to live a more vegan lifestyle and make better environmentally friendly choices! The more I think about it, the more I realize that many people don’t want to be vegetarian or vegan, and don’t feel bad about eating animals and their products. I get that, and I don’t want to try to force anyone into anything. If you’re interested, you can read more about my views on my ‘Why I’m Vegetarian’ post!

Saying this, I also get that there are many people who care about animal welfare (pain suffering and life of the animals) and the environment. There are so many little things you can do in your life to help these animals and the environment without  having to become vegetarian or vegan!

So here are some things you can incorporate into your life to help animals and the world around us.

Eating:

• Buy grass-fed meat (and it tastes better!)
• Buy your meat from organic places… one great option in the US is an Amish market. This way, you’ll know the animals were naturally grazing  throughout their life and weren’t suffering. 
• Bring reusable vegetable bags for your grocery shopping.
• Stop wasting food – try meal prep or make smaller portions – you can always make more!
• Make an effort to buy free-range eggs, or buy them off a local farmer so you’ll know they’re really free-range
• Try to go vegan or vegetarian for one day a week… Meatless Mondays?
• Add a food waste bin to your rubbish collection or get a compost bin.
• Only ate half your dinner at a restaurant? Try bringing the rest home!  
• Try growing your own fruit and veg or buy your food from local markets rather than the big grocery shops.
• Have a large property? Try adopting a rescued chicken. Not only will you give this chicken a real chance at life, but you will have free-range eggs at hand. 
• If you’re getting takeaway for home, try asking for no plastic fork. You don’t need a plastic fork when you have real ones at home! 
• Not going to eat everything you bought before the expiration date? Rather than wasting it, if possible try freezing it so you can eat it at a later date.
• Buy organic local honey. Our beekeepers go to great lengths to care for their bees…and let’s face it – bees are one of the most important caretakers of the ecosystem!

Shopping:

• Buy Faux Fur, Fur is never a by-product of the food industry…
• Really want leather, wool, etc? Try a second hand (thrift) shop! By buying these things second hand, you know that you are not contributing to further needless animal deaths directly.
• See if your favourite designer has a vegan option! I recently discovered a bag I’ve had my eye on for ages has a vegan version!

Pets:

• Try to adopt instead of shopping!  There are so many animals in shelters just begging to be loved. It’s so hard but try not to buy that puppy in the window of the pet shop – it supports the horrible animal breading tactics. If you are getting a puppy, make sure to contact your countries kennel club and get a puppy from someone you know loves their pet and you can trust! Not all breeders are bad, and it’s understandable some people want specific breeds. 
• Get your pet neutered! Baby animals are cute, but they also need a lot of care, attention and space. Consider if your cat isn’t neutered and there are stray cats in the area… before you know it, there are 20 stray cats! You also don’t want to rely on your neighbour, or others visiting the dog park that all others will be neutered! 
• Stray cats in your area? If you can, try to capture them and get them neutered. Many local SPCA’s and vets contribute to the cost of neutering stray animals, check if you one does too!

Ideas to still make a difference:

A little bit more

• Plant more flowers for Bees 
• Try a vegan restaurant or meal – you may be surprised at how tasty they are!
• Try putting in an insect hotel
• Leave little bowls of water outside for hedgehogs
• Try Veganuary. Maybe pledge to do it once a year?
• Stop using aerosol cans
• Print less and take notes on your phone rather than a notebook
• Don’t waste water and electricity 
• Drive less, walk more – if possible, work from home once or twice a week and reduce your carbon footprint
• Try cleaning with more environmentally friendly products – boiling hot water is the best thing for killing germs! 
• Don’t put your dishwasher and washing machine on for half loads.
• And of course… Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Hope this post helps or inspires in some little way or big! 

xoxo
Elizabeth

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