Caring about the planet and living a more sustainable lifestyle is what a lot of people are now trying to achieve. In turn, businesses have had to follow suit and change up how they operate to meet consumer expectations. For instance, switching from single-use plastic food containers to paper takeaway salad boxes can make a massive difference. This change is relatively small and won’t negatively impact the business, however, it will have a brilliant effect on the environment. If you want to become more eco-friendly, but aren’t sure how, keep reading and discover just how easy it can be!
Eat Sustainable And Local Food
Food is a big part of all our lives, but where it comes from has a big effect on the planet. Did you know that the food you consume actually contributes to your carbon footprint? Reducing this is essential if you want to become more eco-friendly, so try shopping local and seasonally. This way you’re not spending money on food that’s been brought halfway across the world only to end up at the back of your fridge uneaten. Visit local grocers and butchers so you can be sure that your food has come from sustainable practices and is farmed locally. You’ll probably see a massive difference in the quality too as it’s not been mass-produced like the food in the supermarkets. Eating more plant-based meals is a good way to cut down on your carbon footprint, but with that, you also want to ensure you’re eating vegetables that are in season. Otherwise, you’re still contributing to the increase in your carbon footprint. If you don’t fancy going veggie, try going for things like eggs, chicken, and pork as they have a way lower carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
Be Energy Conscious
Another top tip when trying to be eco-friendly is to watch your energy consumption. Start by making sure that your home is draught-proof as this will allow all the heat you generate to stay in rather than leak out. Switch up your lightbulbs to LED or energy-saving ones and try not to leave them on all the time. The same for your heating, only use it when you really need it and try not to have it up too high. Not only will you be helping the planet, but you’ll also save a fair bit of money on your bills too!
Change Up How You Travel
Travelling is essential in our daily lives, but how we do it can play a massive role in our carbon footprint. Try changing up how you travel if you really want to live more sustainably. For instance, if you drive everywhere, why not get the bus or train now and then or try walking shorter journeys. Although a 3-minute car ride makes it much more convenient to pop to the shop, a 10-minute walk instead isn’t really that bad. When it comes to your holidays, try not to fly every time. Instead have staycations or choose places that have alternate means of getting there. You can have just as good a time on a holiday with a smaller carbon footprint than one that had a long-haul flight!
Shop Smarter
When it comes to food shopping, we need to be a lot smarter about how we do it. Try buying produce that you’re going to use immediately with a shorter shelf life as it will help stop it from ending up in the landfill. Similarly, if you’re buying something you’re not going to use right away, go for a longer use-by date so you can ensure you have plenty of time to use it. When you go to the supermarket, try going for food that’s in recyclable packaging as well so that you can drive your carbon footprint down even further. It’s also a good idea to shop little and often to help reduce your food waste. People tend to do large shops and then don’t end up eating everything, with most of it going into the bin. However, buying what you need, when you need it can really help cut down on your daily food waste.
Use Kinder Cleaning Products
Cleaning products are normally very harsh chemicals that have an awful effect on the environment, especially when they’re put down the drain. The toxins leak out from the water into the ground and impact the ecosystem around it. Try changing your regular cleaning products to ones that aren’t harmful like lemon juice, white vinegar, and bicarbonate soda. You could even use diluted vodka! A lot of people like to use a mix of castile soap and water when cleaning as it can be infused with natural essential oils to make it smell amazing as well as clean really well. These things can do just as good a job as the strong chemicals, but they don’t harm you or the environment.
Bee-Friendly Flowers
Bees are essential for the health of the planet, so try to encourage them into your garden. Honeybees in particular will only be drawn to one type of flower each time they visit your garden so you should plant lots of the same flower in one area. Lavender, foxgloves, and marjoram are just some of the gorgeous flowers that can help bring more bees to your garden and help keep the earth pollinated and the ecosystem well balanced. Without bees, food crops would die out, so it’s crucial that we help out the bees by creating their own little space in our gardens.
Being eco-friendly doesn’t have to be difficult and the changes you make don’t have to have a massive impact on your life. Instead, the smaller changes can actually have the biggest effect. By simply turning your thermostat down, you’ll be able to save energy and help reduce the burning of fossil fuels. Try switching up your dinners too. Maybe one day a week you only eat vegetarian or vegan. And then when you do eat meat and dairy, try to source it locally. These changes will positively impact your life and will help you to leave the world in a better place.
