"But I'm just one person, what difference will it make?" I hear you say. Well, imagine if millions of people worked together to be more eco-friendly, won't it make a difference then? It actually isn't as difficult as it sounds.
Here are twelve simple tips for you to move towards living a more eco-friendly life.
1) Save Water
Water is one of the most precious resource on earth. We need fresh water to survive, because there is not an abundance of it. You can work to save water by turning off the tap while your brush. Time yourself when you are taking a shower. Five to fifteen minutes is more than enough time to shower. Do not waste water by taking long showers. Do the laundry only when you know you have a full load of clothes. Some countries are already taking action to preserve water as there is an ongoing drought in their country. We should do our part for planet earth by trying to conserve as much water as we can. Oh and by the way, did I mention that your water bill will be reduced in the process?
2) Turn off the lights
Whenever you leave a room, make it a habit to turn off all the lights in the room. It helps to save money and energy. Turning off lights in the room will also help to keep the room cooler as light bulbs tend to radiate heat. You can also look to purchase energy-efficient household appliances.
3) Use LED light bulbs
I would suggest using LED light bulbs instead of regular incandescent lights. Incandescent lights tend to be the least expensive types of lights to purchase however, they also are expensive to use. I would suggest investing in LED lights instead. LED lights convert 95% of energy into light while only 5% of energy is otherwise wasted as heat. In comparison, incandescent lights only convert 5-10% of energy into light while the rest is wasted as heat. It also has a better quality of light distribution and a longer lifespan compared to other lights. LED lights are more expensive at first, however it will pay off in the long run by reducing your electricity bill.
4) Bring your own Utensils
Try to use your own utensils instead of taking the disposable plastic utensils whenever you order food outside. Some restaurants will just put in the disposable utensils in the bag. You can always tell them in advance that you do not need them as you have your own utensils. I developed this habit in college as I had to eat out often, but did not want to keep throwing out plastic spoons, forks etc unnecessarily. I decided to go out and buy a set of utensils. After using them, I would just wash them at the sink and voilà, it was good to go.
5) Bring your own Bag
Instead of getting a new plastic bag every time you shop and contributing to the ever-increasing number of plastic waste in the world, why not use a tote bag which you can reuse again and again every time you shop? It helps to cut down on plastic pollution and besides it is really convenient. You can just fold it up and use it anytime you want.
6) Turn off your Electronic Devices
This is something that needs to be practiced more often. When you are done using your laptop, turn it off! Especially at night before you go to bed. As long as long as your device is still turned on it is consuming electricity.
7) Use Public Transportation
Instead of driving the car or riding a scooter to work everyday, why not try to take the public bus or the metro to work? As a large number of people are travelling together, it helps to cut down on the number of carbon emissions released into the air and therefore resulting in improved air quality in the long run. If you don't like using public transportation, you can always choose to carpool to work or anywhere in general.
8) Stop shopping compulsively
When you shop compulsively, you usually end up with a lot of stuff you don't end up using. Try to make a list of things you actually need and only shop for them. Remember, your goal is to try to reduce the amount of waste you create!
9) Recycle and Reuse
When you recycle and reuse products, it helps to reduce energy use which would otherwise be used to manufacture new products. Other than that, it also helps to reduce waste in the world. For instance, you can reuse plastic bags instead of just tossing them away. Instead of just throwing out your old pair of denims, why not recycle it instead? There are a ton of creative ideas online on how your can reuse your old clothing and upgrade it to something new and different.
10) Donate items you no longer need
Instead of tossing away a product you no longer need, why not give it to someone in need? You can choose to donate to shelters, to the salvation army, to a children's hospital near you etc.
Try to use your own utensils instead of taking the disposable plastic utensils whenever you order food outside. Some restaurants will just put in the disposable utensils in the bag. You can always tell them in advance that you do not need them as you have your own utensils. I developed this habit in college as I had to eat out often, but did not want to keep throwing out plastic spoons, forks etc unnecessarily. I decided to go out and buy a set of utensils. After using them, I would just wash them at the sink and voilà, it was good to go.
5) Bring your own Bag
Instead of getting a new plastic bag every time you shop and contributing to the ever-increasing number of plastic waste in the world, why not use a tote bag which you can reuse again and again every time you shop? It helps to cut down on plastic pollution and besides it is really convenient. You can just fold it up and use it anytime you want.
6) Turn off your Electronic Devices
This is something that needs to be practiced more often. When you are done using your laptop, turn it off! Especially at night before you go to bed. As long as long as your device is still turned on it is consuming electricity.
7) Use Public Transportation
Instead of driving the car or riding a scooter to work everyday, why not try to take the public bus or the metro to work? As a large number of people are travelling together, it helps to cut down on the number of carbon emissions released into the air and therefore resulting in improved air quality in the long run. If you don't like using public transportation, you can always choose to carpool to work or anywhere in general.
8) Stop shopping compulsively
When you shop compulsively, you usually end up with a lot of stuff you don't end up using. Try to make a list of things you actually need and only shop for them. Remember, your goal is to try to reduce the amount of waste you create!
9) Recycle and Reuse
When you recycle and reuse products, it helps to reduce energy use which would otherwise be used to manufacture new products. Other than that, it also helps to reduce waste in the world. For instance, you can reuse plastic bags instead of just tossing them away. Instead of just throwing out your old pair of denims, why not recycle it instead? There are a ton of creative ideas online on how your can reuse your old clothing and upgrade it to something new and different.
10) Donate items you no longer need
Instead of tossing away a product you no longer need, why not give it to someone in need? You can choose to donate to shelters, to the salvation army, to a children's hospital near you etc.
11) Decrease your consumption of meat
Do you know how much water is used in order to produce one kilogram of meat? Not only that, did you know that the meat industry produces more climate gasses than the transport industry? It is appalling what goes around in the meat industry, therefore you can do your part by decreasing your meat intake. Instead of eating meat four times a week, try to eat meat only once a week. You can instead shift to a plant-based diet. Add fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. There are a ton of healthy and delicious recipes online. If you are really committed, you can even consider going vegan or becoming a vegetarian.
12) Purchase locally grown products
This way you can support your local farms, instead of purchasing products that are shipped from far away and contributes to carbon emission from shipping. I try to visit the local farmers' market every weekend in order to purchase fruits and vegetables in bulk. It is convenient and also helps you to save some money at the same time.
