Reduce Your Environmental Footprint

Our planet’s natural environment is under unprecedented stress.

The good news is that there are many ways that you can contribute to restoring a healthy planet by reducing your environmental footprint.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Floating litter © Duncan Rawlinson

Reduce your footprint by protecting wild species

Help turtles cross the road
Help injured wildlife
Stay on the trails and pick up litter when exploring one of our nature reserves
Keep your cat indoors
Join a local nature group
Report your sightings to the Ontario Reptiles and Amphibians Atlas
Support conservation work by donating to Ontario Nature
Make your house bird friendly

Nesting snapping turtle © Julia Riley

Reduce your footprint by being a responsible consumer

Buy FSC products
Minimize your use of plastics (e.g. use reusable straws)
Use your own shopping bags
Buy items with less packaging
Buy locally grown food
Purchase energy efficient appliances
Eat fewer foods that harm the environment (i.e. certain farmed salmon, palm oil, beef)
Buy organic food

Reusable bag © Nathan Fixler CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Reduce your footprint at home

Use energy efficient LED light bulbs
Make your garden or backyard pollinator friendly
Recycle what you can’t reuse and compost organic waste
Create a green roof or go solar
Power your home with green energy
Use cold water for washing and rinsing your laundry
Unplug everything when not in use
Donate used items in good condition
Go paperless with bills, newsletters, magazines

Ruby-throated hummingbird and cardinal flower © Steven Severinghaus CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Reduce your footprint by being a responsible citizen

Vote for candidates/parties with the most environmentally friendly platforms
Vote for representatives in your municipality with an environmentally friendly voting record
Contact your local councilor/MPP/MP to let them know you support a specific environmentally progressive measure
Become an Advocate for Nature
Encourage your family and friends to lessen their environmental footprint
Encourage your employer to establish or enhance an environmentally friendly program
Join Ontario Nature

A member signing the Protected Places Declaration © Noah Cole

Reduce your footprint on the move

Drive less and bike more
Take public transit
Walk if your able to
Carpool when possible
Bring your own cup and mug when on the go
Fly less and offset your carbon emissions when you do fly
Drive an electric or hybrid vehicle
Bring a reusable container wherever you go

What are some other ways that you can reduce your footprint? Read our #GreenStepByStep blog series for more tips.

1. Go #GreenStepByStep

2. #GreenStepByStep: reduce, reuse, recycle… refuse?

3. #GreenStepByStep: bugging out

4. #GreenStepByStep: Caring for the planet by caring for yourself