There is a common misconception that living a more eco-friendly life is difficult, inconvenient and more expensive. However, this is often not the case. As the need to be more conscious of how our everyday actions affect the world around us, making slight changes to your lifestyle will not only improve your life but it will also help the planet. Here is a list of easy ways of how you can make a difference.
It’s 6:30 AM and your alarm goes off, but instead of waking up, you decide to press snooze. Next thing you know, you are running late. Quickly getting ready, you grab your phone from your bedside table and rush out the door. Now, there’s something wrong with this picture and it’s not that you don’t have a coffee in your hand. When you grabbed your phone, you forgot to unplug your charger from the wall. Keeping your charger or any appliance plugged in when not using it still consumes electricity. This is known as “vampire” or “phantom” electricity. Leaving devices plugged in is a problem because generating electricity is “one of the leading of sources of greenhouse gases in the United States” as stated by the Energy Information Administration. Even though you may think leaving a cord plugged in is harmless, energy is still being produced and consumed. Thus, it is important to unplug devices to reduce electricity usage and save money on your electricity bill.
Disposing your trash correctly is one step closer to living a more eco-friendly life. After finishing a meal, you will most likely throw away your trash into the garbage, but if you were to take a closer look, you may find that some of it can actually be salvaged. Waste can take on different forms, from food waste to plastic, each can be disposed of differently. Instead of simply throwing away everything in one bin, you can compost leftover food and paper napkins. Composting is extremely beneficial and practical for the environment because it can be used as fertilizer to enrich soil to grow fruits, vegetables and other plants. By composting, you are limiting gas emissions and the transportation costs of what it would take to haul this excess waste to landfills. Furthermore, when organic matter decomposes in landfills, it produces methane, “a greenhouse gas 20-35 times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming our planet.” Aside from composting, you can also recycle plastic and paper take out containers. One thing to remember is that just because it looks recyclable doesn’t always mean you can recycle it. You should not recycle greasy containers and you should remove and wash out any food residue, so that it will not contaminate other recycled materials. Also, be aware of the recycle number on plastic containers; if there is a 1 or 2, recycle it! All trash may seem the same, but sorting it out correctly can reduce unnecessary waste and can increase productivity of reusable materials. On a side note: stop throwing away Starbucks cups, they are recyclable!
With plastic ending up in our oceans and waterways and taking years to decompose, it is a known fact that plastic is harmful for the environment. To reduce the amount of plastic we consume, use reusable water bottles, containers and utensils. About 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away everyday, with only a small percent being recycled. It also takes more fossil fuels and water to produce a single plastic bottle of water as is needed to fill it. Aside from this, you should also invest in reusable bags. I know it’s easy to forget to bring your own bag when you go to the grocery store, but a good way to remember is to always keep one in your car or carry a fold-able, compact bag in your purse or backpack. If you want to be an even bigger advocate for eliminating single-use plastic consumption, send a letter to your local legislators to ban plastic grocery bags and unnecessary plastic packaging. By simply reducing your plastic consumption, you will surely save money and enforce living a more eco-friendly life.
I know growing up, we’ve probably all been told to turn off the faucet while we are brushing our teeth or to take shorter showers, but how many of us actually do it? I know it’s hard to break habits, but when it comes to conserving water and preventing water pollution, sacrifices have to be made. When taking a shower, turn off the water when you are shampooing and lathering up with soap or simply create a more efficient shower routine that cuts your time by a few minutes. Although a few minutes may not sound like a lot, it can save about 2 gallons of water per minute. Furthermore, be aware of the products that you use for body and face washes. Stop using and throw away any products that contain microbeads, small plastic beads used as exfoliators. These plastics flow down the drain and enter water systems, polluting and contaminating oceans and freshwater reserves.
Ah yes, reducing gas emissions, one of the easiest and healthiest ways to limit pollution. One of the biggest effects of driving to school or work is air pollution. According to the EPA, “motor vehicles cause 75 percent of carbon monoxide pollution in the U.S.” with “transportation causing 27 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.” In order to limit these emissions, you can lessen the number of cars on the road by carpooling or using public transportation, or if you can’t possibly live without having a car, invest in buying an electric vehicle. Also, if you live close enough, you can get your daily dose of exercise by walking or biking to work. By doing this you will not only better the air quality but you will also save money, not having to pay for gas, insurance and other car repairs.
Honestly, the hardest thing about living a more eco-friendly life is actually remembering to do these simple actions. So, start now and create a routine and before you know it, these tasks will become second nature! By making these small changes, you will be able to do your part in saving the earth.
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