Let’s face it with the cost of electricity, the news about climate change, and the impact on our environment, most of us need to find ways to conserve. Greening your home is not as hard as it sounds. Start with a few small changes and make them habits, then build on that. It’s not really an option anymore to avoid conserving or recycling. Everyone needs to do their part in achieving a more eco-friendly lifestyle. There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint and be green within your home, and today I am going to share a few easy ways to get there.
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Nine Easy Ways Your Family Can Lead a More Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
Handle those Electronics
Many electronics within your home suck energy when you don’t even realize it. Your kitchen refrigerator will run more efficiently when you vacuum the coils and clean them with a wet dusting cloth on a monthly basis. That computer you have running in the home office may be in sleep mode, but it’s still utilizing a lot of energy. Shut off any electronics not in use at the end of every day. And unplug anything that doesn’t need to be plugged in overnight. Your toaster, for instance, can be unplugged.
Smart Thermostat
Keep your thermostat set to a lower level when you’re asleep at night and higher when you’re active in the home. Get an eco-friendly thermostat and install it in your home. A smart thermostat can be programmed to shift to a lower setting when you are on vacation. That’s my favourite thing about our Smart thermostat. This is such a simple way to start leading an eco-friendly lifestyle without much effort. Smart Thermostats save money while saving energy.
Recycle and Reuse
Many facilities have a zero-sort recycling drop off. This is where you can gather all recyclable materials and drop them without having to create multiple recycle bins for separate items. There are so many items we use on a daily basis that are recyclable. Recycling anything that has that little recycle symbol on its packaging will reduce your throw away trash dramatically. Consider reusing packaging and other recyclable items for décor, organizational efforts, and storage for other useful items in your life.
COLD WATER
This has been the easiest one for us. We wash 98 % of our laundry in cold water. It saves money and is better for the environment. Most washers and detergents do a superb job of cleaning with cold now. Cold water is a simple way to start leading a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Cut Down on Paper
There are many companies who have started to offer paperless billing. Sign up to get your bills delivered electronically each month, cutting down your paper use. Let’s face it, many throw those statements away anyways and if you truly need one, the paperless option still allows you to print it out at home. File your taxes online, rather than mailing them. Reuse paper whenever you can. Use old printed statements or documents as scrap paper within the home for notes, instead of using up new paper for random notes.
Donate old Newspaper Mailings
There are so many flyers and newspapers in the world that get delivered to your mailbox. These papers often go without much use. Check with your local animal shelter to see if they need old newspapers or flyers. You may also reuse these items in your own home as fire starters for a campfire or the wood stove. OR switch to an app for your flyers and stop receiving flyers at your home. Leave a polite note near your front door or mailbox saying no flyers.
BUY Smarter
Look for products that are made from recycled products. Support brands that have a strong environmental commitment themselves. Easy to shop for paper products made with recycled products. Many of them are labelled with something green on the package.
Consolidate Errand Running
Whether you have a hybrid car or a regular gasoline vehicle, consolidating errand running will help reduce your carbon footprint and easily allow you to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. Consider making a to-do list of your errands each time you venture off to pay bills or pick up groceries. Make the trip more eco-friendly and efficient by doing everything in one day and plan the order in which you do them to reduce vehicle usage. This can easily be done without much effort.
Start Pricing a Hybrid Vehicle, or a Electronic Car
Ask around and you might be surprised. A colleague just purchased an electronic car and he’s indicated his savings on gas was swifter than anticipated. So, that return on investment has been fast and also he’s doing a good thing for the environment. Maybe you aren’t ready yet, but put this on your radar. Eventually most of us will need to make this switch to support a more eco-friendly lifestyle and protect the environment.
There you have it, a few easy ways to start leading an eco-friendly lifestyle without stressing out over extreme change. Slowly I’ve been working on making our home and our family more green. Like any habit, this takes time, but living a more eco-friendly lifestyle pays off. Let these tips guide you forward in reducing your carbon footprint and encouraging your family to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle every day.