10 Ways to be More Ecofriendly for the Environment
Wildlife and nature are two important things that must be valued and protected when it comes to the importance of our ecosystem. The change will not just come abruptly so we must do whatever we can, and after a while, it will become a habit. Here are 10 ways to be more eco-friendly for the environment.
1. Recycling
The best way to kick-start your eco-friendly lifestyle is by ditching plastic. Get rid of your plastic wrap and plastic water bottles and replace them with the eco-friendly beeswax alternative. Beeswax wrap is more breathable than plastic and is biodegradable. As Americans, 80 percent of us do not recycle. We can lower this rate by not cutting down our use of plastic materials.
2. Make a Compost Bin
Using a bin, toss in your biodegradable products, such as fruit or vegetable scraps instead of throwing them away in your garbage. This will help cut down the amount of garbage and stop filling up landfills with so much waste and pollution, as well as eventually produce healthy, nutrient-filled soil for your garden/landscape. In some type of way, you are feeding the earth natural nutrients to help spread its growth pattern.
3. Shower in Warm Water for a Shorter Time
We all love the feeling of a nice, hot shower, but five minutes is all we need. Shaving even one minute off of the daily shower will save nearly a thousand gallons of water every year. It’s not only better for the planet but can reduce your water bill! It’s also best to wash with warm water as often as possible. Turns out, about 90 percent of the energy that we use by a top-loader is for heating the water. Choose an Energy Star water system with a good quality water factor.
4. Turn off the Lights When you Leave the Room
A simple way to reduce your energy bill and environmental use is by just turning off the lights when you leave a room. A little goes a long way! While we’re in that manner, reduce your energy bill by replacing incandescent bulbs CFLs known as compact fluorescent light bulbs. Also, if you want to save energy but still want to have a good display of your home while doing this, candles make a perfect substitute for any kind of light. This way, you are saving energy while giving your home a natural eco-smelling display.
5. Use Canvas Bags and Use Them for Groceries
Having to grocery shop all the time is very good but having to deal with the constant task of collecting all the plastic grocery bags can be very tedious. Try switching to canvas or any other non-plastic bag to carry your groceries in. The best thing about these bags is that you can keep them in your car, so you don’t forget to bring them. Most companies like Trader Joe’s applaud your environmentally friendly decision by adding you to a weekly raffle for every bag you bring in yourself.
6. Carpooling
Sure, we all love the feeling of driving our nice car around town, but it can be a constant hassle always having to pay for gas the next day, especially with these gas prices today. Most people’s common alternative to saving money on gas by driving is by getting electric cars. Now yes, these cars don’t require gas and you only need to charge them, but with advanced cars like these, you are going to spend so much money out of pocket. The best option would be to Carpool. Carpooling is the best idea because not only does this method help coworkers save gas, reduce the number of cars on the road, lower carbon emission levels, but your commute will become more exciting!
7. Use Environmentally Shampoo
Just like ingredients in most common household cleaning products, regular shampoo like Tresemee also contains various ingredients that are washed down the drain and end up in the ocean again. Those toxic chemicals in those ingredients are often hazardous and should not be used. Wherever they end up, they may hurt the biodiversity. We should switch to non-synthetic ingredients when shopping for shampoo. As the shampoo bottles will ultimately be treated the same as other plastic objects, consumers can opt for soap bars that are suitable for hair. It’s a great alternative, as these soap bars are often made from natural, biodegradable ingredients.
8. Eat less Meat
Meat and dairy are responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture industry. Emissions occur from the stage of production, to processing, packaging, and to finally being served. Farming company’s releases powerful greenhouse gases known as Methane from livestock during digestion due to enteric fermentation, and Nitrous Oxide is an indirect product of organic and mineral nitrogen fertilizers. A majority of emissions are the result of the production and preparation of meat and dairy. Consuming less meat would be a positive contribution to reducing these toxic emissions. While some change their diets to vegan, simply reducing your intake of meat can already have a big impact.
9. Use a Different Heating Source
Another way to be more eco-friendly is to switch to a renewable method for heating your home. Gas Boilers are an example of a heating source that can be more eco-friendly. As boilers can be fueled generally by four different fuels, most homeowners can decide what would be best for their house. The possibilities range from gas boilers, oil, electric boilers, biomass boilers even all-natural wooden fireplaces. Depending on what type of heating source you switch from, you will be able to save a decent amount of money. If you switch to solar thermals, you can save up to a lot on your energy bill.
10. Use Eco-Cleaning Products to Clean the House
A lot of people may not know it, but most of those mainstream cleaning products contain various ingredients that are very harmful to the environment. A lot of these chemicals used to clean our clothes, dishes, and house end up causing damage to our planet and its biodiversity. Chemicals such as washing detergent, preservatives, or those foaming subjects are the ones that cause the most harm to our ecosystem. Switching to products that contain sustainably grown or raised ingredients that do not deplete the ecosystem or harm it when used. People should ideally turn to more products that contain no synthetic ingredients if they want to go for eco-friendly household products.
Being eco-friendly means living in a way that is not harmful to the environment. How do you live eco-friendly for the environment? Let me know in the comments below.
