Being environmentally conscious is increasingly on the rise, with movements like Greenpeace fighting for a greener future. You don’t need to go and glue your hands to the pavementoutside petrol stations in protest to make a difference.
There are so many simple changes that you can make to your life that will be hugely beneficial to the planet. If this is new to you, it can be quite confusing to know where to start making changes; below are some extremely easy eco-friendly things that you can do.
8 Tips for Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
Green Shopping
Finding green alternatives to the products you love can be a massive help. There are plenty of initiatives that you can aid just through shopping. For example, the National Forest Foundation runs a scheme where they plant a tree for purchases made at enrolled retailers.
Gourmesso, for instance, sells coffee pods applicable with Nescafe machines, and for every purchase made, a tree is planted. They are Fairtrade and even have a rewards program. By simply changing coffee suppliers, you have already made a difference without impacting your life.
Less Plastic
The fight against plastic has been raging for years, with the most notable change being the change from plastic to canvas bags. Using a canvas bag for your shopping will offer you a fantastic alternative to toxic plastic, it will be sturdier, and you will get a lot more use out of it – there’s nothing worse than walking down the street and having your food fall through the bottom of the plastic bag. Merely using a reusable bag allows promoting change in the world.
Related: 6 ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING ALTERNATIVES FOR YOUR BUSINESS’S SHIPPING NEEDS
Eat Less Meat
No one is asking you to give up your meat and become an extreme vegan, but reducing your meat consumption can make a great difference in the environment. With a staggering 30% of the Earth’s surface used for rearing livestock, it’s no surprise that they are accountable for 14.5% of greenhouse gasses.
Cutting down on meat consumption means that there will be less need for livestock land, so it can be used for more environmentally-friendly purposes. For those of you that are heavily meat-focused, this one might be difficult – but it is an easy way to be greener. Less Meat More vegetables is also an important point for a health diet.
Reduce Water Waste
Live greener by lowering your water waste and buying less bottled water. When you have a shower, keep it short in the morning or install a low-flow showerhead – the next time you get your water bill, your wallet will thank you.
Instead of buying plastic water bottles, get yourself an eco-friendly flask and take some water out on your adventures with you. Granted, your water might taste a bit nasty, but you can combat this by investing in a water filter to remove anymetallic tastes.
Cut Down Energy Costs
There are several ways that you can cut energy costs to make your life greener – you don’t need to sit in total darkness just because you want to help cut energy costs. A small consideration to make is to lower your thermostat in the colder months – if you get too cold, you can always put a blanket on.
Also, unplug appliances that aren’t being used because electricity will still flow through them. When it comes to laundry, you could consider washing at a lower rate. A research study found that the majority of energy used during the wash process was on heating the water.
Use Less Paper
Luckily, the world we live in today is heavily reliant on digital media, so it’s relatively easy to spend a day without writing in a notebook. By using a lot less paper, you will help the trees and reduce the number that is cut down. When you do need to use paper, consider investing in paper made from recyclable products – they might cost a little more but they will be of great benefit to the environment.
Recycle Your Car
One really good way to live greener is to recycle your car. You may require an upgrade to an eco-friendly car, like an electric car. When you get rid of your old car, you can donate it to an organization that will strip it down, auction it off, and gives all proceeds to charity.
Borrowing
Whenever you feel the need to bag yourself a hit movie, read a book, or shop for clothes, consider borrowing it from a library or secondhand store. Every single time you use something secondhand or borrow, you are saving the landfills from having unnecessary things thrown in them.
Hopefully, you feel a little more educated and know where to start on your green journey. Remember, you don’t have to do anything that’s too much of a change from the norm to make a difference to the world – focus on one change at a time so you don’t set yourself up to fail.
