How to make your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island more sustainable

 

The environment is important. Maybe by now you’ve wondered: is my Animal Crossing island sustainable? Well worry not, dear readers, for we have made this entire article about just that. Being avid AC players ourselves, we too have wondered this many times.

Here are a few things you can do on your island to help make your island the greenest it can be!

Green energy

Green energy in Animal Crossing
No more fossil fuels for this island.

Is your island still powered by fossil fuels? A perfect way to make your island more sustainable is by powering everyone’s house on green energy by investing in solar panels and wind turbines. You can easily exchange Nook Miles for them at the town hall. You’ll be supporting the local economy too!

Planting flowers

Animal Crossing flowers
Flowers are beautiful and super helpful for the bee population.

Another great thing to do for your island is to plant more flowers, which helps keep bees alive and healthy. Bees are extremely important to the wellbeing of the earth; they pollinate many of the fruits and vegetables we eat every day. Since bee populations are declining, why not give them a hand by providing a food source that’s easy on the eyes too!

Eating more vegetables

Pumpkin patch
Locally grown pumpkins are Jack’s favorite! He’s even claimed to curse people that feed him food with pesticides,
but then he has always had a flair for the dramatic.

One of the biggest things you can do for the environment is to eat less meat. Better yet, if you can afford it, buy organic and/or locally grown produce that’s in season! If everyone ate slightly less meat it would have a huge impact.
For the days you do still want to eat meat, you can choose to have the meat with the least impact.

Washing your clothes

Washing clothes in Animal Crossing
Hmm… what temperature do I wash my eggshell hat on?

Did you get your newest Able Sisters garment dirty when planting your flowers? Before tossing them in the washing machine, consider what temperature you should wash your clothes on. Many people wash their clothes on a standard high temperature, when it can often be done on a luke-warm and sometimes cold setting!
Bonus points for buying and selling your clothes to and from the animals on your island: less waste.

Buy less stuff

Minimalist design
Having less things can create a lovely calming space. Play Stale Cupcakes for a final touch.

Speaking of selling your old clothes to neighbors, why not consider adopting a more minimalist lifestyle all together? Having less means having less to worry about. Not only that, you’ll end up with fewer and more durable items which means less production and therefore less waste. It’s a win-win!

Less air travel

Orville Airlines
I’m good, Orville.

When choosing who’s island to visit, consider taking a mode of transport that isn’t airplanes. Air travel has been shown to pump huge amounts of emissions into the air, which worsen global warming and air quality. When travelling to the same continent, consider taking the train; when booked in advance it’s pretty affordable. Go have a session of nostalgia and ride the rails in Animal Crossing: New Leaf or any of the previous games.
If you do decide to travel by plane, consider paying for carbon offsets.

There you have it. The environmental impacts of your Animal Crossing island are not to be taken lightly. Hopefully this post has given you insight on how to help our planet out! If you love your animal neighbors, you could consider donating to the WWF.

Happy April Fools!

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