Going green is more than just a fad or a trend. It should become a habit, a lifestyle – a way of life. Yes, it may be difficult to start it (as it entails us to make significant changes in our activities) but you don’t have to do it drastically. Begin by making little changes here and there, and soon you’ll find yourself having an oddly satisfying desire to change even more.
Everyone seems to have gotten their start on being eco-friendly – from individuals to companies. More and more businesses are using renewable sources to power their daily activities. Studies have recently shown the increasing renewable energy capacity of tech companies.
Here are some of the most significant reasons why you should go green:
Improve Your Health
To improve your health tops the list as the best reason you should go green! Using environment-friendly products offer so many health benefits than using chemical-filled ones. You’re reducing your exposure to pollutants.
Here are some of the things you can do the eco-friendly way to improve your health:
- Switching from commercial to homemade and natural cleaning products reduces your exposure to harmful toxic materials.
- Opening your windows more to breathe fresh air cleanses the air quality in your home.
When you’re healthier, you become a happier and more productive person. All these changes made to your health will also equate to lesser hospital expenses that you can save on.
Reduce Your Electricity Bill
There are many eco-friendly solutions that let you save energy and consequently reduce your electricity bill. You’re doing yourself a favor by allowing for more savings. Here are some of them:
- There are now many lighting options, such as LED, that are more cost-efficient and more environment-friendly.
- If your budget also permits, you can invest in solar panels to have a more natural source of power. You’ll see yourself reaping the benefits of your investment in a few years.
- For more doable changes, you can start by making it a habit of unplugging electronic devices that aren’t in use before you leave the house.
- Open the windows when the weather permits for a natural source of air, and turning off the air conditioner or heaters (radiators) when it’s not necessary to use them.
Making these small changes in your life will significantly lower your electricity bill as well. Choosing to source our energy from more renewable sources will also make you highly self-sufficient.
Save Money on Your Water Bill
Turn off the faucet when you don’t need to keep it running! Run your washing machine on full loads, instead of half. Use a pail and a dipper instead of a hose when washing your car or watering your plants. You’ll be surprised how much you can save on your water bill by merely being a more efficient water consumer.
Preserve the Environment
Believe it or not, many still don’t understand that our ways have an impact on the environment – be it positive or negative. We have to tailor our lifestyle to be more eco-friendly. Here are some examples:
- Avoid using paper products excessively; be sure to use both sides before throwing paper away.
- Shampoo and soap bars are in! This will help reduce your domestic use of plastic bottles and plastic wrappers.
- Bring your own reusable bags when shopping.
The first step to changing bad habits is through accepting that you have bad habits.
You Protect Your Kids’ Future
You wouldn’t want to raise your children in an environment full of pollutants, would you? There may come the time when children may have to wear masks or stay indoors because the air has become too dirty and it has become unbearably cold – or hot – to remain outdoors. Going green will lessen the chances of these unfortunate situations from becoming a reality.
It Increases Your Creativity
When you’ve started the habit of recycling, you begin to become creative as well. Your mind becomes imaginative as to how you can re-use recyclable materials and refurbish them to become like an arts and crafts project. Who knows, you might be able to sell these too and start a small business!
You Increase Your Home’s Value
When the time comes to sell your home, going green helps increase your house’s net worth. More and more real estate buyers are looking for a feature in homes that will help reduce their energy consumption and utility bills. Furthermore, some eco-friendly materials have proven to be more durable than the typical commercial options, so this will make your home a highly durable one. When a buyer has to choose between two houses, buyers are now showing more interest in homes with eco-friendly features.
You Can Help Boost the Economy
Going green also means you make the conscious choice to eat healthier and better. You go for local and more organic options, which helps small-scale businesses and farmers have an opportunity to sell their fresh goods as well. Choosing to purchase local helps boost and increase demand for responsible food manufacturing. Purchasing local and organic produce means that there’s less to no toxic chemicals injected into your food, which is good for your health.
You Become a Wiser Buyer
When you choose to go green, you become more conscious about reading labels. You want to be more aware of what is in the products that you bring home and what you consume. When you read labels, you also have a habit of spending less as you become more careful with what you buy. Instead of immediately being drawn to disposable items that are cheaper, but are often non-biodegradable, you can start buying high-quality items instead that you get to keep – and use for a longer time.
You Reduce Carbon Emissions
Because you now travel to work by biking, taking public transportation, or walking (if you can), you’re consuming less gasoline. You’re reducing your carbon footprint on the earth. This is important so we’re able to lessen the greenhouse emissions which warm the Earth even more.
Gas is a by-product of nonrenewable sources, so it’s hard to replenish onced used up. Coal and oil mines also leave excessive damage to the place, once the source has permanently dried up. Having less motorized vehicles on the streets also means lesser air pollution.
You’re Saving Trees and Forests
If you take a look at photos of forests from many years back, you’ll be surprised to see how barren some of these forests have become now. Increased paper use has made these forests lose their lives. There’s no need for you to continue using disposable products if you have the time to wash dishes anyway. It’s also a smarter and wiser choice to buy better items once than keep buying disposable items regularly. Less use of paper products means less trees to cut down.
Overall
Many years ago, we all used to live more environmentally-friendly lifestyles. However, commercialism has gotten us used to wanting to buy more and more goods, which are mostly non-biodegradable. However, now you can see that changing your ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle is doable! The benefits are countless. You’re making all these significant changes not just for yourself, but for the future generations to come as well. Putting these great reasons to heart will help you be motivated to live a healthier and eco-friendly lifestyle.
