There’s no doubt about it, with record heat waves over the Christmas holidays and other extreme weather and natural disasters occurring, it’s time for us to pay a little more attention to what’s going on with the planet. Although many want to do their best to make a change, it’s often hard to figure out what you can do on a tight budget. Thankfully, there’s a lot of simple things you can do to help the planet out, which won’t cost you a thing. Now you and your family can be a part of history as the country and world change to work with the Paris Agreement, so we can try to mend our planet.
1. Go Paperless
The average mailbox is filled with junk mail that the receiver never requested. Everything from credit card offers to advertisements that generally hit the trashcan faster than they were printed. This really adds up as the days pass us by, which means there’s a lot of unnecessary waste. Even if you recycle, it’s better to prevent the added printing from occurring in the first place. So, you might want to join the non-solicitation list. This tells companies not to send you their junk, so you can simply enjoy mail and help the planet. Not to mention, the temptation of the credit card offers will be totally gone, leaving you with more freedom. Junk mail isn’t the only problem though. If you’re still getting most of your bills through the mail, then you may want to see if you can get paperless bills and bank statements. Also, you might want to consider ditching your paper invitations to parties. Inviting people electronically has become more popular anyway. With all of the paper out of your life, your carbon footprint will be squeaky clean.
2. Change Your Shower Habits
After a hard day, it’s often difficult not to want to take a long relaxing shower. This can be a huge waste of water though, which is one problem that the world needs to deal with. One way to remedy this is to simply cut back on the time spent in the shower. You shouldn’t take more than 5 to 10 minutes to get clean. This is actually better for your skin too, as long exposure to hot water can dry out the body. If you’re having trouble keeping the time, then play music while you shower. You could also use the water only for rinsing the skin. Many people even tend to skip showers every other day, which is also great for the skin. Another option is to change the shower head. Sometimes your water company will upgrade you to a water efficient shower head if you meet the income requirement. They really aren’t incredibly expensive though. However, some of the newer models use next to nothing in regards to water, but feel as if they are using a lot, which is perfect for those who love long showers. Finally, if you can, skip the blow dryer and other accessories that use a lot of power.
3. Recycle
One of the best and easiest things you can do is go through your garbage. You’d be surprised by how many things you can reuse when you go through the trash you would typically throw away. Items like glass bottles and some containers can be reused around the home, which will come in handy for storing items and keeping your home well decorated. If you don’t have space for the items, then see what your county offers for actual recycling. Usually, you can recycle most things, but some counties do require you to do a bit of work for this. If you have spare material items in the home; such as furniture, clothes and toys then you might want to consider donating them instead of throwing them out. Even torn clothing can be mended to make someone else happy. Last but not least, not all food must be thrown in the garbage. Often you can use it for composting, which is perfect if you have a garden or a flowerbed.
4. Hit the Power
You might not realize how much damage you’re doing to the planet when you leave items running all of the time. Even if you’re really great about turning out the light when you leave a room and keeping the heating or cooling at a reasonable level, you’re still missing some major things in the home. One of the worst things is your cable box. It pulls a lot more power than you realize and it’s always on. In fact, even when you hit the power button on your devices, the items are still drawing power. This is a huge waste of electricity and money. So, one of the easiest ways to get rid of this problem is to unplug items when they’re not in use. Of course, it could be inconvenient to do this with television sets and so on, but it will save in the long run. Another option is to get a smart surge protector. This will actually cut off the flow of electricity to items that aren’t working. Although these items are a bit pricier than regular surge protectors, they can help save you more money than you’d expect.
5. Laundry
In this day and age, it’s really difficult to find the time to do laundry by hand. Although this would be the best way to save energy, it’s not exactly realistic. There are things you can do to cut down on your carbon footprint in regards to your washing machine and dryer though. For starters, you should shop for energy efficient appliances. These use very little water and power, so you won’t have to stress about that. No matter what kind of washer you have, you can always wash everything on cold if you want to save some money. Of course, one of the easiest ways to cut back in regards to laundry is to hang your clothes out to dry. This eliminates an appliance from the picture, which is sure to make you and planet Earth a bit happier.
6. Commute
One area you can really change when it comes to your carbon footprint is your morning and afternoon commute. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning to go to work or school, there’s a few ways to cut down on the fuel you use. If you don’t live far from work, then try to walk to and from the destination. This will do your health a lot of good too, and will even save you some major money on fueling up your car. If it’s a bit too far for mere walking, then you might want to consider getting a bike. This will help you go further faster and is still a great way to get in a workout without ever having to give up your free time. Of course, these options aren’t always available. If you can’t find a way to do this, then you might want to consider taking public transit or organizing a carpool. Carpools are perfect for neighbors that have children of a similar age and will certainly help out your wallet.
7. Plant Food
If there’s one gift you can give to the planet and your family, it’s planting fruits and vegetables. This is a great way to keep nutrients in the earth, add oxygen to the atmosphere and keep nutritious food on the table. Sure, it’s a lot easier to plant food if you have a garden or large yard. However, if you happen to live in an apartment complex or simply have no space, you can work around this slight dilemma. In fact, using hydroponics is a great way to conserve water while you plant. This requires you to keep your plants in a bucket or basket, which can be purchased for next to nothing in dollar stores and department stores. There’s also special plant hangers that will preserve space while making gardening a lot of fun for you and the family. By planting food, you’ll teach your children how to eat right, which will offer them years of health and satisfaction. Plus, they’ll also know how to take care of themselves, in regards to food.
8. Meatless Monday
The meatless Monday movement has gained a lot of steam over the past year and has helped the country and the world out, in regards to pollution. However, if you still don’t know about this movement, you may be pleasantly surprised as to how easy it is. Basically, you choose one night a week and your family goes without meat. It doesn’t have to be a Monday and it doesn’t have to be the same day every week. If you’re not sure how to prepare a meal without meat, there’s lots of recipes online. You don’t have to stick to a pasta dish each night either, so don’t stress out about the carbs. Participating in Meatless Monday will help out your family’s health while taking a lot of the burden off of the planet. Meat processing factories almost rank worse than cars, so by reducing your meat intake it will feel like removing several cars off the road for the planet!
9. Shop Second Hand
A lot of people love to shop, but the fact of the matter is, most of the brands we’ve grown to love aren’t helping out when it comes to the environment. From emitting toxins into the air to using products that harm animals, these companies reap a lot from the harm they do. Instead of going out and buying brand new items every time you need something, you might consider shopping at yard sales or thrift stores. This will allow us to get more out of each item that is produced, so we don’t have to do as much harm to the environment by buying new things over and over again. Of course, you should also consider donating your used items too. There’s no need to waste something that is still functioning and able to serve a purpose to some.
10. Rethink Your Period
No one likes to deal with their period, or the accessories that go along with it. So, thinking about using green personal care items might seem a little scary. There’s actually many new products on the market now that cater to your needs while also reducing your carbon footprint. For starters, the menstrual cup has gained a lot of popularity this year. This cup has the same principles of a tampon, but is actually safer to use because it doesn’t absorb the blood. The cup is easy to sanitize and will actually save you a lot of money in the long run. Fabric pads are another green design that works for many women and follow the same principle rules as the absorbent pads. Also, new panties hit the market which allow you to go pad and tampon free as the fabric absorbs the blood, so it won’t ruin you clothing or embarrass you.
There’s lots of easy ways to go green in the New Year, which should make you and your family feel better about your role in the world. These tips are not only great for the planet, but will save you money in the long run too. So, now you can feel like you’re doing your part as the world works hard to make the major changes our planet needs.
