Why love is an important ingredient to preserve our planet

When you think of the word love, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Relationships? Wellness? Margaritas? Has our planet ever been associated with love? The reason I ask this is that I believe to preserve our planet, love is the key ingredient.

When I reflect on my week, the environment is always involved. If it is a walk along the water with my labradoodle, swim in the ocean or visiting my parents on their acreage, I always feel calm and free from distractions when I'm surrounded by these wonders.

I bet if you are reading this, you can say you have felt this feeling of ease in a similar environment.

However, as I enjoy these idyllic locations I always catch myself picking up rubbish and wondering "if everyone enjoys the pleasures the earth has to offer, why is there so much litter around?".

This is why we need to extend our love to the planet. Australia alone dumps 76 million tonnes of waste (this has increased 10% since 2017), and even though we have recycled over half of this waste, 20.5 million tonnes of waste is still left in landfill. Meanwhile, swimming around with our marine life is 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic.

I understand reading these numbers may not create any concern for some, so what if I suggested another scenario. In 2050 it is estimated there will be more plastic in our ocean than fish, we will have lost between 21- 43% of the Amazon due to roads, mining and hydropower development, availability to freshwater will decrease in parts of Asia and the Great Barrier Reef could be lost forever.

However, if we care for our planet as we did our minds, bodies and relationships, there is hope for our planet and still a chance to turn this around, and it won't take drastic lifestyle changes to make this happen. Below are ten easy steps that are simple to implement and will create epic change if we all work together.

1. Buy less and choose quality products.

2. Use reusable products like keep cups or stainless steel drink bottles.

3. Take three for the sea (find three pieces of rubbish and bin it).

4. Avoid single use and disposable products.

5. Donate clothes instead of dumping them in your rubbish bin.

6. Recycle when possible.

7. Swap your plastic beauty products for sustainable options (eg. glass bottles).

8. Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning products.

9. Compost your green waste.

10. Avoid buying pre-packaging fruit and vegetables.