9 Things You Can Do Today to Be More Eco-Friendly
As a responsible society, we must resolve to be more eco-friendly in our living approach and habits. After all, we have a duty to protect the planet we live in.
Not only does environmental harm have a devastating impact on our own health and well-being, it will also result in terrible consequences for future generations.
On a personal level, the egalitarian approach that eco-friendliness entails will give you a lot of satisfaction. It will set a remarkable example for your children and grandchildren to follow, inspiring them to grow into responsible adults and make you proud.
Here are some steps you can take to live a more eco-friendly life:
1. Invest in Energy-Saving Devices
Investing in energy-saving devices will not only bring benefits for the environment, but it will also reduce your energy bills, leaving you with more money for yourself and your family.
The good news is that energy-saving devices these days don’t necessarily cost more than their less energy-efficient counterparts. So, you don’t have to invest extra in energy-efficient appliances and devices.
Next time you are shopping for appliances or devices, make sure that you give top priority to energy-rating and efficiency.
2. Recycle and Reuse
Recycling benefits the environment in several ways. Recycling used materials often requires less energy as compared to making new materials. Also, by reusing materials, you are putting less strain on the limited resources of the world. You should try to recycle as much as you can.
Make a list of all the things that you can possibly recycle. For this, you will have to look up recycling firms in your area and visit their websites. Take note of all things that they accept for recycling. Do not put in anything that they don’t accept – not only is it not possible for them to recycle certain things, these items may also pose a hazard to recycling personnel.
Keep in mind, certain things must be disposed of very carefully, according to instructions provided so that they do not pose a safety threat to recycling personnel, like broken glass, for instance. You must dispose of broken glass according to the correct procedure because glass shards can inflict an injury when disposed of improperly.
There is much that you can recycle, from paper to batteries to cars. Recycling is the key to your environmental strategy.
3. Reduce Plastic Use
Plastic is a hazard in several ways and not just because it fills up landfills without degrading. Take the case of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is a huge expanse of plastic trash in the Pacific, comprising billions of tons of plastic waste. A huge amount of plastic has accumulated in this area due to the motion of ocean currents. Plastic is breaking down into smaller and smaller bits here since it is not biodegradable.
All of this poses a health hazard for marine life. Fish and other sea creatures choke on the dumped plastic, get trapped and die in plastic bags and also suffer perforations and blockages that eventually kill them by swallowing plastic. This plastic garbage is also leaching very dangerous compounds in the ocean that can cause all kinds of health problems, including cancer.
Plastic pollution is a major problem that poses numerous threats. Do your research to educate yourself and your loved ones about the harms of plastic.
The only sustainable solution is to avoid plastics as far as possible. Wherever you can, you should use alternative biodegradable materials in place of plastics, such as canvas bags.
4. Use LED Lights
LED lights use far less energy than conventional bulbs and they also last much longer. With LED lights, not only will you leave a smaller carbon footprint, you will also save on your energy bills.
5. Fix Items Instead of Throwing Out
Instead of throwing away something that does not work, try a little DIY (do-it-yourself). Apart from helping the environment, you will also hone your technical skills and gain immense satisfaction in the process.
6. Compost Wasted Food
Your first priority should be to save food from spoiling as far as possible. Each year, in almost all the developed countries, millions of tons of food go to waste. This is a shame, considering that there are so many parts of the world facing food shortages. Not to mention, waste is bad for the environment.
As far as the environment is concerned, you might think that food is biodegradable and wasted food should not be so bad for the Earth. Contrary to popular belief, wasted food ends up in landfills and breaks down anaerobically to release methane gas in the process. What this means is that the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere increases, thereby worsening global warming.
In case you do end up with wasted food, compost it. Doing so will make your lawn greener and healthier, besides doing a favor to the environment.
7. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Try to use cleaning products that use natural materials rather than synthetic chemicals. Synthetic chemicals are detrimental to your health and the environment.
8. Walking and Cycling
Limit the use of your car – even electric cars. Try to walk or cycle as much as you can. Besides helping the environment, physical activity will do wonders for your mental and physical health.
9. Local Products
Last but not least, purchase food items from local farmers to reduce the carbon footprint arising from food transportation. This step will also benefit your local economy and will likely improve your economy.
The Last Word
As you may have noticed, taking eco-friendly measures can benefit you in many different ways. These steps can save you money, improve your health and benefit your local economy in the long run. Use these facts as an inspiration to become a more environmentally-conscious citizen.
