Many individuals and communities would want to do more to be more eco-friendly, but are unfortunately are unsure of where to begin. To live a more ecologically responsible life, all one has to do is adopt a sustainable way of thinking. Thankfully, sustainability is one of the more visible trends of 2022, which is why we’ve carefully curated some tips to help you lower your carbon footprint. Read on to find out more about being green!
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Use less energy
The first thing on your green to-do list should be to replace all of your lightbulbs with energy-efficient LEDs. It only takes a few minutes and a couple of dollars out of your wallet. LEDs usually use 75 percent less energy and last at least 35 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Secondly, you should obtain an energy audit. In the long run, the audit will save you money too. It can show you where you’re wasting energy and what you can do to fix it at a reasonable cost. Other advantages include decreasing environmental harm and pollution, saving energy costs, and increasing the lifetime of your appliances. Finally, you should inspect the insulation on your windows. Gaps and voids between doors and windows may be the cause of increased energy use. When you lose heat, you’ll use up more gas or electrical energy to keep warm during the colder days. The same goes for AC in the summer. Therefore, don’t be afraid to invest in some caulking and weatherstripping to properly insulate your home.
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Don’t waste as much water
Make sure to close the tap while you’re brushing your teeth so you don’t use inappropriate amounts of water. You should also shower more often, rather than take a bath. Another way we pollute our water supplies is by doing laundry. The chemicals in the detergents are extremely harmful to the environment and most of them end up back in our water supplies. The same goes for dry cleaning. This is why the best alternative to dry cleaning and doing your laundry with harmful detergents is green cleaning. Green cleaning services are more accessible nowadays, so make sure to look for a local service provider next laundry day.
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Eat less meat
Meat is a staple in many people’s diets, especially red meat such as beef. Unfortunately, the way in which America’s favorite meat is produced is highly unsustainable, using up almost two thousand gallons of water per pound. This is why if you care about the environment, you should try cutting out meat as much as it’s sustainable for your lifestyle. Tofu, a wide variety of beans, and seitan are vegan proteins that are more eco-friendly. You can also try adding more greens and fruits into your diet. Not only is it helpful for the environment, but your gut biome will also thank you.
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Buy less
It’s widely known that we live in a highly consumeristic culture where one of our favorite pastimes is shopping. Though having shiny new things every day is fun, it’s not good for our planet in the long run. Most of us buy stuff daily that we simply don’t use that often. Be honest with yourself, how many times have you bought something and completely forgotten about it? This means that you’ve spent your money on a thing you don’t truly need. When you throw it out it will end up in a landfill, taking hundreds of years to fully waste away. There’s one pretty easy solution to the problem of overconsumption – just buy less. Ask yourself before every purchase “Do I really need this?”. If the answer is “no”, leave it on the rack. You will be saving your planet while saving money too!
