Beauty,  Eco Living,  Trending

Easy Ways to be Eco-Friendly in Your Everyday Life

We all know about the environmental and climate changes happening now, and we all need to pitch in to keep our planet a nice place to live for the next several generations. “Going green” doesn’t have to be a major undertaking.

 

There are a lot of simple things you can start doing today that are not only good for our environment, but great for your wallet as well! Here are a few ideas to help you get started on a new, greener you:

1. Carpool

Carpooling has quite a few benefits. The most obvious being the money you save on gas! But you’ll also greatly reduce the number of cars on the road, which means less carbon emissions. And if everyone started carpooling, think of how much time you’d save on your commute with fewer cars on the road. Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll end up with a few new friends to chat with on the way to work. Join up with coworkers who commute to and from the same town, or find a neighbor who works in the same area and drive together.

2. Buy Eco-Friendly Clothing

We all have to buy clothes, why not invest in some wardrobe pieces from eco friendly brands? What is eco-friendly clothing? It’s clothing that is made of organic cotton and hemp, reducing the the amount of damaging chemicals used in the growing of these plants. It’s shoes crafted from recycled products, such as Rothy’s flats, made from recycled water bottles. It’s clothing that is dyed with vegetables, rather than using harsh dyes. And don’t forget clothing lines that choose fabrics made from hemp and bamboo, plants that require less water to grow. There are endless options, so do a quick search and find eco-friendly brands you can feel good about wearing.

3. Canvas Bags

Buy a few canvas bags to use for grocery shopping. The hardest part about this one is just remembering to bring them in the store with you. But once you get yourself in the habit, easy-peasy! Plastic bags end up in landfills and oceans, and take 20-100 years to decompose. Not to mention the poor sea life that has to deal with our overconsumption of plastic.

Canvas bags aren’t expensive and can be washed and reused many times over. And they are a whole lot sturdier than the paper and plastic bags you get at the store, which means less chance of your full bag breaking and leaving you with a mess to clean up.

4. Turn if off

This is one of the easiest ways to conserve energy AND save money. Turn off your lights when you leave the room. This also applies to ceiling fans, computers, and countertop appliances not in use. Just unplug when you’re finished using the toaster or blender, or are done charging your phone or FitBit. And speaking of lights, make the switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They save energy and last a lot longer than regular light bulbs, so you’ll save on your energy bill and not have to buy new light bulbs as often.

5. Recycle

Take your used bottles and cans to a recycling center and turn them into extra cash. You’re helping the environment by keeping them out of the landfills and oceans, and you get money for doing it. Win-win! Sure, it may not be a windfall, but every little bit helps. Put your earnings from each recycling visit in a jar, and you’ll see it adds up fairly quickly. Use the money for a weekend away with the family, a date night, those cool eco friendly shoes you’ve had your eye on, or even just to pad your grocery budget a bit. Who doesn’t love a little extra money for not a lot of effort?! Not to mention the bragging rights about doing your part to save the planet today!

6. Take shorter showers

Long, hot showers are amazing. We get it. But we really only need a few minutes in there to get clean. Simply shaving a minute or two off of your daily showers will save thousands of gallons of water every year. Better for your water bill, better for the planet. This can be an especially great idea if you live in an area that suffers from drought. Water is precious and we can all do our part.

About the author:

Linda, wife and mother of two, uses adept writing to explore her motherhood journey. Her training in Fine Writing helps her creatively relate her day-to-day experiences—from the mundane to the ornate— sharing her parenting strengths alongside humbling challenges. With candor and wit, Linda uses her blog to revisit the topics of holistic wellness and family issues, two subjects she cares deeply about. She dives deeply into any piece she writes, whether it’s on the benefits of essential oils or the dangers of too much technology for children. When she’s not writing, you can find her outside getting her hands dirty and tending to her beloved garden. Not only does she have a green thumb, but she’s member of Greenpeace and several green housing consulting organizations. These memberships and experiences make Linda an authority on sustainability and eco-friendly construction in addition to her parenting and health skill set.

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