Vegan Beyond the Plate
Being vegan is absolutely amazing but sometimes we feel there could be more we could do such as being vegan beyond the plate.
Trust me you are already doing a great thing for the animals, for the environment, and for your body too.
Something that I’ve personally experienced, and maybe some of you can relate, is that once you’ve been vegan for a while, you want to do more.
It feels so good to do something that helps our earth instead of destroying it.
If you are looking for ways to be more sustainable and have an even larger impact on the world, here are some ideas of things you can incorporate into your life. None of these are mandatory to do, they’re just simply options that exist for people who want to take things to the next level.
1. Use Less Plastic
We all know that plastic is bad for the environment. It doesn’t biodegrade, and lots of it ends up in the stomach of sea creatures such as whales. Or land animals like birds.
It might seem impossible to avoid plastic, but there are things we can do in our daily life to limit our use of it.
For example, buying a reusable water bottle, using reusable tote bags instead of plastic bags, using glass straws, and buying food with glass jars or produce bags
I actually have an entire blog post dedicated to how you can create less waste which you can read here.
2. Shop Secondhand
Thrifting is amazing for the environment.
Many of us don’t really think about where our clothes come from, and the sad reality is that much of it comes from sweatshops and child labor in places like China.
By choosing to shop secondhand, you aren’t creating any more demand for those products, and you’re also preventing stuff from going to the landfill. Shopping for secondhand items can include stuff like clothes, kitchenware, electronics, and more!
3. Adopt An Animal
If you have the time, finances, and lifestyle that allows you to adopt an animal, that can be something you consider.
Whether it be a cat, dog, rabbit, mouse, ferret, etc, there are hundreds of thousands of animals that have been abandoned and need adopting.
Only do this if you know you can handle it though!
4. Grow Your Own Food
Growing your own food can be as simple or as extensive as you want it to be.
If you have the space for an entire garden with raised beds, that’s great. However, if you live in an apartment and all you have is a balcony, you can definitely make use of the space you have.
Even if all you have is a windowsill, you can still grow food like herbs on there. Growing your own food not only saves you money, but it’s great for the environment and makes you have a greater appreciation for where your food comes from.
5. Shop Local
Whenever you can, support local farmers!
The best way to do this is to shop at your local farmers market. Farmers markets are usually every Saturday and they are full of fresh fruits and vegetables that were grown in your community.
Farmers markets are also great because many of the items come unpackaged, so that’s a bonus!
6. Volunteer
If you have the time, giving back to your local community is an amazing thing to do. Whether you want to volunteer at an animal sanctuary, soup kitchen, animal rehab center, local food bank, or anything else, it all makes a difference.
7. Activism
Why not get involved in some animal rights activism? Be a part of a protest, go to a vigil at a slaughterhouse, or hand out pamphlets with vegan information to passersby. Anonymous for the Voiceless has an incredible activism event called “Cube of Truth,” so you could always see if your area has one!
If you can’t find anything in your area, why not start something?
If you don’t want to get directly involved in a protest, there are other forms of activism such as online activism, shirt activism, and more.
Do you incorporate any of the above into your life? Are you vegan beyond the plate too?
Do you have any other suggestions of things you can do to be a better person and make an even bigger impact on the world? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!