Here’s How Ditching Your Car Could Be Your Next Move Toward A More Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
The world is waking up to our impact on the environment and how detrimental our lifestyles have been in recent years. In doing so, we’re seeing a global movement toward a greener lifestyle with study after study enlightening us to ways we can further do our bit. And as it turns out, going car-free is actually the second biggest choice [1] you can make to reduce your carbon footprint and opt for a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
It’s hard to deny that an eco-friendly lifestyle is something the majority of Australians are searching for. It started with single-use plastic bags which triggered a national bag ban. From there, we moved on to target takeaway coffee cups as we realised Australian’s use on average, 113 non-recyclable coffee cups every 4 seconds [2].
With transport accounting for 18% of all of Austalia’s carbon dioxide emissions [3] it’s easy to see how trading in your wheels for more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as public transport, bike riding or carsharing can have a massive impact. To give you some perspective, Plastic straws on the other hand, contribute to just 0.025% [4] of the plastic waste that flows through our oceans.
While global companies as big as Coca Cola and McDonalds have pledged to stop producing and distributing plastic straws over the coming years, ditching our cars, or at least putting off purchasing a second, is something we can all easily participate in to have a greater impact in pursuit of a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
And it’s not just the planet you’re improving when waving goodbye to your car. Studies are showing that the move toward alternate modes of transport, is actually making people healthier.
Without a car to rely on, more people are encouraged to walk when they otherwise would have driven and many are investing in bikes and even scooters. The health implications are huge, with it being shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by almost a third [5].
And if you struggle to see how you’ll survive without a car, we’ve got the convenient and eco-friendly answer you’re looking for! Car sharing is a great way for communities to stay on the move without having to give up the comfort of owning a car.
Through our mission to help transform modern lifestyles for the better, we’re able to take up to 10 cars off the road for every GoGet car [6]. Not only does that reduce the current amount of greenhouse emissions produced, it’s also preventing future cars from being bought and congesting both our air and our roads.
GoGet members have access to a range of vehicles anytime they need, whether it’s a short trip to do the groceries or an overnighter up the coast. It’s flexible, affordable and most importantly, it’s helping everyday Australians contribute to a healthier, happier and greener society.
So next time you’re jamming your reusable coffee cup into the cup holders of your car, take a moment to think (if you’re really serious about an eco-friendly lifestyle), how much you can really save by trading it in for the green, clean and convenient lifestyle that car-free living provides. Even if you need your car every day, carshare is a great option to replace a lightly used second car.
We’ve got the perfect plan for you, join today and help make a positive impact on your local community.
References:
[1] Seth Wynes and Kimberly A Nicholas 2017 Environ. Res. Lett. 12 074024
[2] Justin Bonsey, The ABC (2019) War On Waste: Fixing Your Coffee Fix
[3] National Transport Commission, Light vehicle emissions intensity in Australia
[4] Sarah Gibbons, The Natural Geographic (2019) A Brief History Of How Plastic Straws Took Over The World
[5] Oliver Mytton and Jenner Panter, University of Cambridge, Ditching the car may reduce your risk of dying from heart disease or stroke by almost a third
[6] AECOM (2016) Transport On Demand: Accelerating Australia Cities p.8