There are some Eco-friendly choices you should make. We all want to live responsibly in this ever-shrinking world, but sometimes we aren’t sure where to begin. And, we may ask ourselves how much difference one person or one family can make. The answer is each person’s habits in the realm of green living actually do make a difference. Not only can we live by a code that reduces waste and mess, but we show others that we hold such decisions in high esteem.
So here are some tips for making sound ecological choices in your daily life:
Reduce and Recycle
Living each day with the least possible impact on the environment is really a way of thinking that leads to good choices. Much of our decision making occurs in the grocery store. The first rule of thumb is to shop around the “outside” of the store. Buy products that are fresh and natural with the least amount of processing and packaging. Choose fresh bakery items over pre-packaged ones with a lot of paper and cardboard to throw away or recycle later. Buy organic fruits and vegetables to avoid the addition of pesticides in your food and take along reusable grocery bags to avoid the accumulation of plastic bags. Buying in bulk makes good sense if you feed more than just yourself. You’ll avoid a lot of packaging problems when you make that choice. Buy locally whenever possible to ensure freshness and a short time from garden to table. Select green cleaning products as much as possible. Look for ways to use household items such as baking soda and vinegar to do much of your cleaning. Think before you buy—how will I dispose of the items in my shopping cart today?
Be Energy Efficient
Whenever possible use lighting fixtures and bulbs that are energy efficient and pose no threat to the environment when no longer in use. Use solar products out of doors and CFL(compact fluorescents) bulbs whenever possible. Think of selecting fixtures made of copper which is long-lasting or choose recycled aluminum or steel. Shades may come in linen or felt paper. Be sure your home is well-insulated and use eco-friendly insulation products. There are many ways to educate yourself about energy efficiency in your local community.
Practice Water Conservation Habits
Water is a precious commodity. Most of the world does not enjoy the luxury of good clean water for all of their living needs. Those who do have adequate resources often waste them. Never let the water faucet run while doing tasks such as rinsing dishes, cleaning vegetables, or brushing teeth. Choose instead to fill a sink with water and do the rinsing. Wet the toothbrush, turn off the water and on again to rinse the brush. Wash only full loads of dishes and laundry. Buy and install faucet aerators to increase pressure while using less water in sinks and showers. Place a water replacement bottle in the tank of your toilet to use less water with each flush and don’t use the toilet as a garbage can, flush only when necessary. When washing the car or watering the lawn use as little water as possible.
Be Smart About Transportation
Combine tasks when using your car to run errands. Carpool when possible and drive only when another form of transportation is not an option. Use public transportation when possible and don’t forget that biking is a good option for both the environment and your health. And finally, make the choice to walk whenever possible. Walking is the single most valuable exercise you can choose because it is low impact and weight reducing. Walking is fun and healthy and will save on gas money as well. Do it.
Choose to Compost
If you’re being eco-conscious when you shop, you’ll find that after you’ve recycled all your paper, plastic and glass products, you’ll still have food waste to deal with. It will mostly be vegetable and fruit waste and things such as coffee grounds. Learn to compost. You won’t want to use meat or dairy waste, but when you add your vegetable waste to grass clippings and other yard debris, you’ll create a wonderful compost product that will improve your flower beds, garden spaces and areas around trees. Composting is simple to do and a great way to feed your environment.
Buy Fair Trade
This is more of an ethical decision, but an important one. Whenever you choose to buy fair trade, you’re making sure that the creator of a product was paid a fair wage, was treated humanely and that the entire creative process was done under fair production practices. Often the products created in this environment are beautifully made by artisans who are in turn energized to create a small business to feed their families.
As you can see, living with an eco-friendly mindset takes a little self-education and a certain amount of discipline. It’s easier to revert to old ways and be mindless about consumption. But the choices are well worth the extra steps it takes to do the recycling, make a responsible food choices and all the rest, because the world we leave for the next generations will be all the better for it. Read more at:
