Climate change is a reality that humans have to accept and work towards improving it. Everyone’s lifestyle has some impact on the environment based on the choices that we make. Living a green lifestyle is the least we can do to protect the environment. Green philosophy doesn’t mean that you will have to give up every luxury. You just have to make educated choices. Now that you have planned to switch to a sustainable life, you might be thinking how to get started. In this article, we have compiled some steps that you can take to reduce carbon footprint from your household. Let’s discuss those steps:
Use eco-friendly means of transportation
Taking out a personal vehicle to travel to the city all the time isn’t a good choice. It causes population and increases greenhouse gases in the environment. Before leaving your house think about a few questions like can you walk or cycle, can you take the local bus, etc. Traveling by public transport will save you fuel costs and is also a healthy option for your family. When travelling for vacation you can take a train ride instead of a flight to enjoy the countryside.
Recycling
Recycling helps in reducing waste generated at home. In the current scenario, it is a good choice to make recycling a part of your lifestyle. Segregate wet and dry waste items so that both can be recycled easily. Try composting biodegradable waste in your house if you have a garden. Another good step would be to reduce plastic usage. Single-use plastic is difficult to recycle and this is hazardous for nature. Recycling should always start at home to reduce the carbon footprint.
Conserve water and electricity
For sustainable living you should optimally use water and electricity so that the carbon footprint of your household is reduced. Turn off tap water while brushing teeth or washing hands is a good habit. Install low flow faucets to control water flow in washrooms. You should switch off room lights when not in use and can install motion detector lights also. Teach your kids the importance of saving water and electricity. This will not only reduce your household bills but also make your responsible towards nature.
Go local
Simplest effort that you can take in living a sustainable life is by buying products from local shop. Shopping local will not only help your fellow city dwellers but also help in reducing, recycling, and reusing items. For food items you can buy the seasonal local produce so that there is less impact on the environment. All this reduces the carbon footprint as energy required in importing external products reduces.
Eco-friendly eating habits
A lot of energy goes into cultivating, processing, transporting, and storing food items to meet the high food demands. Eco-friendly food items like beans, figs, seasonal fruits, lentils, etc. are good food choices. These food items are healthy and have less impact on the environment. For example, if you love your morning coffee, you can use biodegradable Nespresso coffee pods for making coffee. This product is easy to recycle.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Using harsh chemicals to clean the house increases the allergens and toxins in the house. These chemicals can enter the water and spoil it. Some of these chemicals don’t decompose easily and hence are a threat to the environment. Thus, you should always use eco-friendly surface cleaner, washing powder, toilet cleaner, etc. Ensure that these products are not harmful for nature and are easy to recycle or decompose.
Buy products carefully
Products made from endangered animals are illegal. To make certain other products the habitat of wildlife is destroyed for making profit. But the impact that this has on the environment is dangerous in the long run. You should never buy such products. Instead, look for products made from sustainable materials like organic cleaner from Clean Boss. You can also try to switch to a vegan lifestyle so that endangered species aren’t killed for food.
Living a sustainable life isn’t a tough task at all. You just have to be careful in buying products and be wise in using natural resources. Living a greener life will reduce the carbon footprint of your household. Thus, be more smart and make environmentally responsible choices.