Choosing an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
We've all heard a lot about climate change and its negative consequences for the world. The trend is linked to human activity, causing global temperatures to increase at an unsustainable pace for the earth.
Since our environment is so important to us, we must deliberate effort to protect it by making eco-friendly choices and actions in our everyday lives to take care of carbon emissions, waste, and several other issues.
We can make this transition by choosing eco-friendly products for some of our daily needs to get closer to our ultimate goal of saving the world for future generations.
This article is a comprehensive guide to how you can contribute to mitigating climate change impacts and become more environmentally conscious at home, at work, at school, and even on the go.
Conserve Energy To Lower Your Bill
When not in use, all electronic devices should be unplugged to save the environment and money. Some electrical appliances, such as televisions, computers, air dryers, and teakettles, are often left plugged even when not used, wasting energy and money. You can also save money on your electric bill by doing your laundry in cold water since most of the washing machine's energy is for heating water. Try drying your clothes with sunlight and opening your windows for fresh air instead of relying on the air conditioner most times.
Invest In Renewable Energy Sources For Electricity Production
While your home does not pollute as much as factories, there are still many things you can do to make your home more environmentally friendly. You can invest in a renewable energy source for electricity like solar panels that use the sun as a source of energy. Solar is a much more environmentally friendly alternative than burning fossil fuels.
Make Recycling A Habit
We must learn and consistently apply the three Rs for living more eco-friendly (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle). One of the easiest and most impactful ways to go green is to start recycling. Dedicate a bin in your home for recyclable materials like glass, plastics, paper and get more committed to keeping items out of the landfill. Many cities and municipalities even offer pickup services! Check with your city’s government website or Waste Management to see what recycling services and resources are available in your area.
Be Creative
Repairing rather than replacing appliances when they stop working or malfunction is more cost-effective. You can also DIY your broken appliances to save space, time, and money while also learning new skills to transfer to the children. It's not difficult to know how to hand-sew and patch a hole, and if your jeans are torn, you can still cut them up and wear them as shorts.
Environmentally Friendly Fashion
Go retro by shopping at your local charity shop for secondhand and vintage clothes. Even if it is easier to purchase from a charity shop, buy what you require. Also, look for eco-friendly fabrics like natural fibers while shopping. Go for cotton over polyester because polyester can take up to 200 years to decompose when discarded. Natural fibers are more convenient to wear, and they don't contain microfibers, which may end up in the water and damage marine lives.
Make Use Of Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Many of the popular cleaning items we use, such as detergents, and foaming agents, contain ingredients that are detrimental to the environment and end up harming our world and its biodiversity. Switching to eco-friendly household products with no synthetic additives would aid in the preservation of the domain.
Eco-Friendly Water Bottle, Straws, And Utensils
Buying water bottles is a popular activity, particularly during hot weather. However, many plastic bottles end up in the ocean, and it isn't easy to clean. To solve this dilemma, buy a reusable water bottle and Bamboo cooking utensils that are durable, naturally stain-resistant, will not absorb flavors nor scratch cooking surfaces. Invest in reusable metal or bamboo straws that are cost-effective and safer for the climate. Most plastic straws end up in the ocean, where they damage or suffocate millions of marine animals.
Acquire Reusable Shopping Bags
People are becoming more conscious of the damage that plastic bags do to the environment and animals, so they opt for Eco-Friendly reusable bags made of paper, cotton, canvas, or jute. These reusable and environmentally friendly shopping bags are much stronger and more durable than plastic bags. More so, plastic bags may take up to 15 to 1000 years to decompose, thereby having a long-term effect on our climate.
Switch To Electric Cars
Diesel and gasoline vehicles contribute significantly to global warming, owing to the number of emissions they produce. Electric and hybrid cars are becoming increasingly common, and they reduce CO2 emissions. This is mainly because electric vehicles are powered by batteries rather than combusting gasoline.
Use Eco-Friendly Cosmetics
When you use synthetic and chemical products, they leave a mark on the skin and pollute the air and water. You can protect your skin and the ecosystems by using bio-cosmetics that are organically cultivated without pesticides or toxic fertilizers. This will help to preserve biodiversity and encourage organic farming.
Purchase Biodegradable Products
You have no power over or assurance that the items you discard will be recycled and reused. As a result, when shopping for things, look for decomposable and made of natural ingredients. Since such products dissolve when they come into contact with bacteria and fungi, this is important. This means that if they come into contact with nature, they will not affect the ecosystem because they will vanish due to natural processes.
Your Food Choice Will Save The World
You don't have to become vegetarian to save the planet, but you can accept a more plant-based diet by reducing your meat intake or supplement protein with sprouts. The bulk of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the agriculture sector come from meat and dairy. Emissions occur at all points of the manufacturing process, including refining, packaging, and serving. Consuming less meat would be a good step to reducing GHG emissions that affect the earth since most emissions are generated by processing and preparing meat and dairy.
Eat foods in season to avoid foods grown in large greenhouses that use many resources like heat energy to essentially fake the weather to get them produced out of season. Also, consider purchasing your food from a zero-waste store that sells unpackaged products. You can make healthier choices by purchasing unpackaged fruits and vegetables from a supermarket or opting for widely recyclable cans and cardboard products over plastic.
Grow Flowers And Other Vegetation
There are several reasons why we should plant. It can even be indoor plants for food production and increase oxygen. Studies have shown that planting 20 million trees, for example, will increase the earth's tons of oxygen by 260 million. Plants help the earth by absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and give off oxygen for human existence. Plants and flowers, among other things, aid in the conservation of bees for pollination.
At Work, Be Eco-Conscious
Environmental consciousness does not have to be limited to the house. You can do various things at work to reduce environmental degradation and make workplace practices more sustainable. Start by being cautious about printing documents that aren't absolutely appropriate. If a memo does not need to be published in hard copy, you might consider submitting it as an email instead. As a result, they will be able to reduce their carbon footprint.
Since offices need electricity to power their machinery, amenities, and facilities, you will be saving much energy by plugging electric devices off when not in use, just like you would at home. When commuting to work, depending on the distance between your home and the workplace, you may consider biking instead or taking public transportation, such as the train or bus, which is less polluting than riding alone in your car.
Sustainably Travel
Even when electronic devices are turned off or in sleep mode, they continue to consume energy, so unplug your devices from wall sockets before going on vacation to conserve electricity. For example, when packing toiletries, limit yourself to soap and a shampoo bar, a stainless steel razor, and a toothbrush. In other words, don't bring something you won't need on your trip. Pack environmentally friendly travel products, and similar to the tip on reusing water bottles at home, you can do the same for travel, including reusing travel-sized bottles for cosmetics.
Finally, if you’re committed to living greener, you must learn how to declutter without adding to landfill waste. You might not be able to handle decluttering of heavy items alone. Hence you can involve the JCS Group in your junk removal services. The reality is that our homes are where a large portion of our carbon footprint is made. Don't stop thinking green; make your environment an eco-friendly oasis. Follow us on Twitter, Pinterest, and our Blog posts for more exciting topics on sustainable living.