Though it's easy to get caught in the mindset that our small acts of change to help our planet won't add up to much, nothing could be further from the truth. Choices that we make everyday compound on one another to impact either improvement or destruction. While we're all looking for ways to be more eco-friendly at home, we can also learn new things every day to help us in this department. Here are some easy ways to help the climate crisis we're facing from home and implement them.
Reduce Consumption
We all remember when the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" came on the scene - and it seems like forever ago. Unfortunately, how many of us took the "reduce" part seriously, if we're being honest? Reducing how much we consume, whether it's physical goods, energy, or food, can significantly impact the environment. The next time you feel the need to do a little retail therapy, think about if you need that item and contribute to the production, transportation, and ultimately throwing away the accumulation of unnecessary items. While you don't have to live as a minimalist, reducing your consumption makes a massive impact.
Go Green With Your Products
From eco-friendly household cleaning products to bamboo toilet paper, we can all do better regarding the type of products we use in our homes. The idea is that when it comes to disposable items, like paper products, opt for biodegradable products. When you're cleaning, look for natural ingredients instead of conventional cleaning products full of chemicals. Natural cleaning products benefit the environment and help you and your family's health. You can save some serious cash by making your cleaning products as well. You'd be surprised how much cleaning power simple things like vinegar and baking soda have!
Walk Don't Drive
Bicycling or walking is a great alternative when traveling short distances within your community. Not everyone can afford to go out and buy an electric car right now - so your next best effort is to walk, bicycle, even skateboard wherever you need to go within a reasonable distance. Not only are you positively impacting the health of our planet, but you're also staying physically active, which is fantastic for your overall mental and physical wellbeing.
Grow Your Own
Want to help the environment, your health and save money all at the same time? Growing your fruits and vegetables is one way to do that. Sure, there's a serious learning curve when it comes to learning how to garden, but once you get the hang of things, your efforts pay off in spades. One tomato plant will produce a considerable bounty big enough to feed you and your family for a week.
When you have several plants, you'll be giving away produce to friends and neighbors. Gardening also helps our local ecosystems. Not to mention our physical health spending all that time out in the sunshine soaking up Vitamin D. Helping the environment by ending the use of toxic pesticides on many commercially farmed produce is another bonus to growing your own.
Be Smart About Laundry
We all know what it's like to drown in a sea of laundry, and we also know what it's like to see our electric and water bills from doing so much laundry. Be intelligent and eco-friendly by hang drying your laundry during spring and summer. A simple drying rack indoors will do the same trick during cooler months. Not only will you save money and use less power, but your clothes will also last longer by not going through the rough dryer cycles.
Conserve Water
When we use less water, which is a valuable resource, we help the planet in another way aside from water's consumption. The less water we use, the less toxic run-off we send into our environment. One way to "recycle" water at home is the installation of a rain barrel. They only cost around $100 and can save you serious money when gardening or washing your car - make sure if you wash your car at home, you use eco-friendly products too.
These ways to help the climate crisis from home can be used as a great starting point to get you in the mindset of making conscious decisions that benefit not only the planet but your local community and the health of you and your family. Good luck on your green journey - and remember, you can do it!
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