The planet is in a crisis that some people refuse to accept. However, experts agree that global warming is not a myth. It is our reality due to living in an industrialized world that we must face. Hopefully, who we vote into office will one day soon accept the scientific evidence while we still have the chance to save the environment. Though we are left in a bad position, there is still some helpful eco-friendly habits worth adopting that can lessen our global footprint.
Another great thing about going green and using these eco-friendly habits is that you also can save money while helping the planet at the same time. To me, this is a win-win approach. The bottom line is there are plenty of ways at home that we can reduce our impact and help the environment.
I think you’ll agree with me when I say that even small changes can make a difference if that number is multiplied over and over again as more people adopt eco-friendly habits in their lifestyle. Here are just some easy ways to practice eco-friendly habits at home that can get you going.
Instead of buying bottled water, try drinking water from your tap. If you’re worried about the chemicals coming through your pipes or water system, you can always look into buying a water filter to purify what you’re drinking.
Taking a short shower over a leisurely bath is also one of those eco-friendly habits because you use less water, especially if you install a low-flow shower head.
You may just fail to notice little habits that waste water like running the water while thoroughly sudsing your hands or brushing teeth. Children especially love to keep the faucet running at full blast without realizing how much of that precious resource that can be in short supply in other parts of the country or world is going down the drain.
Think of all the paper products that we buy like paper towels. Taking a green approach would mean giving paper towels up and switching to cloth for kitchen towels, dishrags and sponges. Washing them saves money and are more eco-friendly habits worth adopting.
You might also agree with me that we get a lot of junk mail that lands up in the trash and landfill as waste. Nevertheless, you have another green option. You can save the clean side of those letters to cut for notes. I like to keep a stack by my phone and computer for quick messages. Cutting the envelopes and saving for notes can also help save trees and your wallet from this never-ending supply that constantly arrives at our homes.
How you handle your grass clippings after mowing may not seem important, but you may want to rethink how you handle it. Why pay money for bags just to stick grass in for trash pickup when you could compost it? Grass clippings just like vegetable and fruit peels and seeds make wonderful mulch. Toss a shovel of dirt over them and you can begin the process of enriching your soil.
When you go shopping for groceries, skip the plastic bags and take canvas bags with you instead.
Our appliances can really vary for costs to run them. The next time an appliance needs to be replaced, check the model to make sure it has the “energy star” label. This designation shows it is an energy efficient one that will be cheaper to run and more eco-friendly.
If you leave lights on in every room or make it a habit to keep them on all day while you’re not at home, turning them off can save you money and lower your global footprint.
Though you initially may have more expense getting solar panels installed, you may love the considerable savings on your utility bills later.
Have a purpose when shopping for clothes instead of making hasty purchases because of a great sale can save the planet and your budget. Look for materials with natural fibers for more earth-friendly fabrics such as cotton, linen and wool over ones such as toxic man-made chemical blends.
Implementing just a few of these eco-friendly habits can help each of us do our small part to protect the health of the planet. What else that can foster change is getting your children involved and learning eco-friendly habits to conserve resources to prepare them for the future.
Lots of good stuff here. And it is so true the money you save by going green. I stopped buying bottle water over a year ago. I drink water all day long from the tap. I bought about 20 or so of the micro cleaning clothes and I use them in the kitchen and other rooms ever day. I still buy paper towels but only use for certain things. I place the date inside the paper towels when I start to use them..My last roll of paper towels lasted almost 2 months. Every bit helps
These are all great ideas. I have been trying to use plant based household cleaners nore often. We already go paperless as much as possible.
It’s nice when helping the planet also saves money!!!