What does it actually mean to be eco-friendly? Being eco-friendly means living in a way that isn’t harmful to the environment. This way of life is now more important than ever due to the amount of pollution surrounding us. We need to start protecting our precious planet from everything many humans are doing to ruin it. There are many ways we can make changes to lessen our negative footprint on the planet. Even small things we can implement in to our daily lives. So, how can we be more environmentally friendly?
It can be a small change, such as – switching to a recyclable/re-useable water bottle in your daily life. To something much bigger such as installing solar panels and switching to to renewable energy. Many people will struggle to make these meaningful life changes as they just don’t know where to start. It can be very confusing and confronting, especially if you don’t know much about it to begin with.
This guide covers 8 areas of your life so that you can start to make your own contribution to reducing climate change effects. Simple ways to become more eco friendly in your every day life.
Save Water
Instead of washing up plates and cutlery as and when, save it up and do it all at once. Or, if you can, fill the dishwasher up to capacity and do it that way instead. Save yourself some money and save water while you’re at it.
Instead of using your hose to water your plants, install a water butt in your garden to collect the rain water and use that. This will help you save money and actually, plants don’t like our fresh water as much as we do!
Grow Wild Flowers
Grow wild flowers in your garden and let your lawn grow long and beautiful. By doing this, you’re helping the bees stay energised. Creating a path for them, like a bee highway to get from flower to flower. Pollinating the vegetation around you which let’s off more clean air and sucks in the toxins. Bees are so precious to the environment, we need them around to thrive!
Avoid Plastic Packaging
So much food comes in wasteful plastic packaging these days. However, there are a lot of places that now offer produce plastic free. It’s sometimes even cheaper to buy loose fruits and vegetables than to buy it packaged. Plus, you’re helping the environment too so it’s a win, win!
Eat Less Meat
Meat and dairy are responsible for the majority of ALL greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Harmful emissions occur from production, to processing, packaging, and the end product.
Farming releases two powerful greenhouse gases – Methane and Nitrous Oxide. Both of which are causing so much damage to the planet on a daily basis. By switching to a more plant based diet and consuming less meat, you would be helping to reduce these harmful emissions.
While some opt for a more drastic change to their diets go switch to a vegan diet. Others prefer to reduce their intake of meat each week. Both will have a huge impact on the environment.
Home Switches
There are so many things you can do in your everyday life at home to be more eco-friendly. Here are a few of our favourites…
- Switch to eco-friendly toilet paper – approx 19 trees and 90,000 litres of water are needed to make 1 tonne of normal toilet roll. Instead you could use eco friendly toilet paper made from bamboo. Bamboo grows at around 39 inches every 24 hour period, making it a much more sustainable option.
- Switch to a re-useable water bottle – purchasing the cheap, plastic water bottles is a convenient and common thing to do these days. However, many of these water bottles will end up in the ocean due to people not recycling them properly. One plastic bottle will break down into approx 10,000 micro-plastic pieces over time which is incredibly hard to clean up.
- Switch to eco-friendly shampoo – as with the ingredients in cleaning products, regular shampoos and conditioners also contain ingredients that will end up polluting the ocean. The chemicals in those ingredients are often toxic and should not be used. Not only do they damage the environment, they could also be damaging your body as well.
- Opt for eco-friendly cleaning products – most mainstream cleaning products contain ingredients that are harmful to the environment. Chemicals such as detergents, preservatives and foaming agents cause the most damage to the environment. Simply by switching to products that contain sustainable ingredients that don’t harm the ecosystem, would make a big difference. You should try to choose products that don’t contain synthetic ingredients for eco-friendly household products.
- Recycle gift wrap – so many trees go into producing paper. Whether it’s toilet paper, writing paper, or wrapping paper. It’s important to recyclable paper where possible. If you don’t have to write something down on paper, then don’t. If you can save some old wrapping paper to be used again – do it!
- Stop using single use straws – there are so many alternatives to the single use straws these days. Bamboo, aluminium…etc. There really isn’t any need to be using them, and they are so damaging to the planet.
Buy Local Produce
By buying your produce local, you’re helping to save the planet as the goods haven’t been flown across the sea, or driven for miles. Less exhaust fumes have been emitted in to the air if you buy local produce. Plus, you’re helping to support your local farmers by doing so.
Car Share Or Walk – Ride
If you can, walk or ride, do that instead of taking the car. However, if you can’t get there without a car, see if you could car share with someone else or take the bus even?!
Switch To Renewable Energy
Switching to renewable energy is actually much easier than you think! You’re helping to save the plant, plus you’ll be saving yourself some money too. Solar is the main way to go for greener energy. You could get some solar panels installed on your roof. Yes, there is an initial outlay to get them installed in most cases. However, if you intend to stay there for years to come, you will get your money back.
Another way to go is by switching to Solar thermal energy. Instead of using gas or oil, a solar thermal uses heat from the sun. It can be used to boil water, providing energy without any pollution, making it a much cleaner source of energy.
How do you try to be more environmentally friendly?
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