LOKAL really loves to do things to help the environment. From the get-go, we were recycling our glass and plastic, even though recycling centers are tough to find in Tbilisi. We monitor our water and energy consumption. We remember our reusable bags when we go to the market. Outside of the traditional measures like these you can take to help the environment, we’ve listed 5 unique ways you can do your part.
The List
- Use an ethical search engine like Ecosia
- Like any traditional search engine, when you do a search you generate ad revenue. Ecosia takes 80% of the revenue you generate from searching and uses it to plant trees. They’re a transparent company in that they publish their monthly financial statements so you can see exactly where the money is going.
- Adopt an animal
- Dogs and cats are plentiful in Tbilisi, but so they are around the world, too. We did one small gesture and rescued Adjika after we found him abandoned in Gomarduli. He’s now LOKAL’s mascot of sorts. You can do your part and reach out to your town’s local animal shelter, like D.O.G. in Tbilisi, to adopt a pet, or, if you’re not ready for a full commitment, you can foster until the pet finds a permanent home. There are plenty of other types of animals around the world that need your help too. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature has plenty of info and resources if you’d like to get more exotic with your pet adoption than just a dog or cat.
- Consider your transportation options
- No one will deny that having your own vehicle to get around is niiiiiiice, but it’s awful for the environment to be just one person in a gigantic car tootling around town putting out all those nasty emissions. Make a little extra time and bike to work, walk to happy hour with friends, use public transport to run your errands. The less you use your car, the more you’ll help the environment.
- Avoid meat for one day a week
- You can do it! We promise that you’ll be ok without eating meat for one day. Here’s a sample meal plan: Breakfast–oatmeal with peanut butter, banana, and honey. Mid-morning snack–in-season fruit or veggies and hummus. Lunch–Big salad with all the vegetables you can handle. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top with seeds like chia, flax, hemp, and/or sesame. Mid-afternoon snack–in-season fruit. Dinner–Baked sweet potato with salt, pepper, and coconut oil and sautéed spinach. Dessert/evening snack–in-season fruit.
- Think about your final send-off
- Ok, no one likes to think about death, but considering the traditional funeral industry uses 100,000 tons of steel and 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid every year, it’s worth thinking about how you want to be sent off once you kick off. From sky burials (your body is returned to the earth via vultures), to aquamation (a solution of hot water and potassium hydroxide swirl around your body until it’s decomposed), or donating your body to science, there are ways to leave the physical world without being buried in a concrete box.
What Are You Doing to Help the Environment
Tell us! We want to know the kinds of things you do to help the environment. Or swing by and tell us in person!
