|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Steps To Prevent Environmental Pollutants

With all of the pollution in the world, it can be difficult to feel as if you can take positive steps toward preventing environmental pollutants. However, you can do many things to help. Reducing pollutants at home and at work can play a small but important part in eliminating pollution and reducing its effects. Inspire friends and family to follow your lead by driving less, cutting back on household waste and avoiding chemical pesticides.

  1. Drive Less

    • Drive your car less often. Walk to your destination if it is in walking distance. Buy a bike to travel farther away. If you have the option, use public transportation, which offers alternatives to dozens of people who would otherwise be polluting in their cars. Join colleagues from work in a carpool, meaning that instead of six cars, only one will be driven to work. Drive only when it is absolutely necessary, and you can help cut environmental pollutants.

    Conserve Household Items

    • Carefully conserve your household items and avoid turning these everyday objects into pollutants. Plastic will not biodegrade in many lifetimes, and metal will slowly rust and leach harmful chemicals if left in the environment. Instead of throwing your plastic away, recycle it and see how it will be converted into new products. Take old glass jugs and turn them into containers. Store water or other drinks in old bottles in the fridge to avoid throwing them away and to keep a fresh supply of water available. Don’t buy products that have unwieldy, inefficient packaging with excessive plastic and paper. Buying food or other household products in bulk will minimize packaging. Take reusable cloth bags to the store and use them instead of "paper or plastic." Use rechargeable batteries.

    Avoid Chemical Pesticides

    • If you have a garden, avoid chemical pesticides. These pollutants can soak into the soil and damage plant and animal life for years. Use more natural pest-control methods. A bowl of sugar water will attract many pests. Put some olive oil in the water. The olive oil will stick to their feet and weigh them down, drowning them. Applying black pepper to your plants can repel many pests, as can garlic or other potent herbs. Experiment with these approaches to find the best natural pest repellent.

Environmental Health - Related Articles