In 2018, only 2% of municipal plastic was recycled in the US. Poor habits, like not recycling, will harm the environment and the health of your loved ones and you.
You can start saving the world by making small changes in your daily life. If you want to go green, keep reading. Here are seven ways you can be environmentally friendly at home:
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Upcycle Fashion and Furniture
While it’s best to make your clothes last as long as possible, accidents happen. You don’t have to throw away your belongings when they get a tear or dirty. You can upcycle clothes by altering them, adding patches, and wearing them differently.
Furniture can be restored to appear brand new. Whatever you decide not to keep, you can donate after repairing. Not only will your generosity help the environment, but it helps other people too.
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Create a Compost Pile at Home
Compost is an organic material that you can add to the soil. You can create a pile at home to increase green efforts while helping your plants grow. The following three ingredients are required to compost correctly:
- Browns
- Greens
- Water
Dead leaves and twigs are examples of brown components. Grass clippings, coffee grounds, and fruit and vegetable scraps are green elements. Combine these categories with the correct amount of water to compost correctly at home.
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Upgrade Your Home’s Bulbs to Energy-Efficient
You can upgrade your lights to improve your eco-friendly efforts. Energy-efficient lightbulbs use less energy than traditional lights. They reduce greenhouse emissions from local power plants.
Energy-efficient lightbulbs last longer than traditional bulbs. Switching to these lights will reduce your emissions and your utility bill. Avoid incandescent and halogen lights because they have the highest wattage, meaning they’re not energy-efficient.
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Reduce Your Use of Animal Products
You can reduce your emissions by reducing your use of animal products. It can include what you eat, the makeup you wear, and the toothpaste you use to brush your teeth. You can reduce the following products in your home to go green:
- Soap with animal fat
- Toothpaste with glycerin
- Biofuels
- Junk foods
- Certain cosmetics
- And more
Leading a vegan or vegetarian life will help you save animals. You don’t have to go full vegan, but you can reduce the number of animal products you use. Consider switching to eating less meat and consuming healthier options more.
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Carry Reusable Bags for Shopping
Now that you know how bad plastic is for the planet, it’s time to switch to reusable bags. While a single plastic bag isn’t going to damage the environment, they add up over time. You can improve your efforts by investing in shopping bags you can reuse.
There are multiple options available when it comes to ditching plastic bags. Reusable bags that are made out of non-woven polypropylene plastic are less carbon-intensive to produce. Plus, cotton bags are more difficult to break than plastic bags
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Invest in Solar Panels for Your Home
Solar panels are a smart investment with high returns. Solar power is the most abundant energy resource on the planet. You can invest in the cost upfront or make payments over time to ease the impact on your wallet.
Solar energy’s becoming an economical choice for homeowners and businesses. The demand for it is at an all-time high in the US. You should consult a professional when you’re considering investing in home solar installation.
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Conserve Water
Conserving water’s one of the easiest ways your household can start to go green. Water conservation means using water efficiently to decrease unnecessary usage. You can use smart strategies and activities to manage this natural resource, shield the hydrosphere, and prepare for future demand.
You can turn off the water while brushing your teeth and washing your hair. Other ideas include taking shorter showers, using water-saving showerheads, repairing toilet leaks, and watering the lawn overnight. It may not seem like much at first, but those small changes will save thousands of gallons of water annually.
Other Ways You Can Go Green
Going green will require a stable pattern of making environmental-friendly decisions every day. You’ve read some of the simple ideas for how you can start to go green at home. The following are ways you can be eco-friendly on the move:
- Carpool, cycle, or walk
- Create a garden at home
- Reduce carbon footprint
- Travel green
- Catch and release
- Eat at sustainable restaurants
Making alterations to your routine with the environment in mind will help you lead an eco-friendly life. You can start with changes in the products you use in your daily life, like you can create a huge impact by switching to sustainable toilet papers, bamboo tissues, plastic free toilet rolls or many other eco-friendly products.
How to Travel Eco-Friendlier
When you go green at home, it can have a positive effect on the other areas of your life. Soon, keeping conservation in mind will become the new normal. The next time you’re planning a trip, consider the following ways to travel eco-friendly:
- Visit a green destination
- Pick from eco-friendly travel options
- Book an environmentally-conscience hotel
- Purchase from locally-owned businesses
- Slow travel
Traveling with the environment in mind will help you choose the greener options. Airplanes, hotels, and other businesses have begun offering eco-friendly choices. You should avoid toxic cruises and companies that pretend to be green.
Now that you know how to go green, you’ll achieve a more eco-friendly lifestyle. You can use what you read here to increase your efforts at home. These seven ways to go green can guide you to your goal of being eco-friendly.
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