Eco-Friendly Practices You Can Start Now

I’m sure we’re all aware of the current state of global warming, or climate change, if that term is more palatable. Point is, it is critical now more than ever that we focus on taking meaningful measures to curb the impact of our daily lives on the planet. Thankfully, awareness is setting in and more people are looking into changing their habits to better protect our environment. The question becomes, what exactly can we do that will make a significant enough impact? We can help with our blog on – Eco-Friendly Practices You Can Start Now.

Introducing non-intrusive, eco-friendly practices is not that difficult, and most of our suggestions have technological advancements to assist you. Sometimes just swapping out plastic bags for reusable bags is all that it takes, or something more grandiose as reducing your entire carbon footprint. Read on to see what steps you can take today!

Reduce your water usage

USGS reports that, on average, a single person uses 80-100 gallons of water every day, 300 hundred gallons for the average family, solely for their home (handwashing, toilet use, a shower, handwashing dishes, etc.) One of the best ways you can reduce water usage is simply by being aware of how much you’re using.

• Simple household tips still apply today as they did years ago. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, shave while showering, fix leaky faucets, just to name a few.
• If you’re a homeowner with a yard, invest in rain barrels to help irrigate your landscape instead of using fresh water.
• If upgrading or replacing your water appliances (water heaters, washing machines) look for the Energy Star labels that will estimate the energy efficiency and water usage for comparison.
• Consider upgrading, replacing or converting an older toilet that uses water velocity instead of water volume. The EPA states that 30% of household water use if from toilets and older models can go through up to six gallons each use.

Use GREEN cleaning products

We talked about making eco-friendly product swaps in earlier blogs, and dedicated a piece specifically to cleaning products in Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products. As a practice, this simple lifestyle change is getting rid of your traditional cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals. Let’s be honest, if your everyday household cleaners come with health warning labels, chances are it’s not good for the environment either.

Programs like the EPA’s Safer Choice do the work for you in identifying products that use environmentally friendly ingredients. Natural, even plant-based alternatives, are just as effective as traditional cleaning products and cover just about every cleaning need you’ll have.

Support your local energy programs

If your local energy producer has the options, enlist in energy efficiency programs, rebates, or management initiatives. For example, in my area, programs offer refunds on your bill if you agree to limit energy use during certain times and return the energy back to the grid. (It’s quick and easy to join these plans and often take no effort on your part.)

If undergoing home improvements or new appliance purchases, check for federal, state and local level rebate programs from the EnergyStar lookup tool here.

Since we’re talking about home energy use, an eco-friendly practice you can start now is switching your light bulbs from incandescent to LED. According to Energy.gov, these types of bulbs last 30 times longer longer than regular bulbs and use 75% less energy. And don’t forget the Christmas decorations. LED lights run cooler, last longer and are more sturdier than incandescent strands.

Reduce plastic usage

We know, we’ve included this topic in just about every eco-friendly blog we’ve done. But it is that critical to address the contamination that plastics do to our environment. Studies show that roughly 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year. Other statistics also show that by 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than there is fish swimming in it, which is an absurd amount of plastic waste.

Whereas yes, a beneficial way to reduce that number is by recycling, unfortunately not all plastic is recyclable, and many places don’t recycle at all. So, the most immediate option is replacing plastic altogether with reusable options. The easiest suggestions are:

• Use cotton, canvas or reusable tote bags and mesh produce bags at the supermarket.

• Replace the habit of purchasing plastic water bottles with a stainless steel or BPA free bottle. Remind yourself that in 2018 alone over 400 billion (yes, that’s billions with a “B”) plastic bottles were used and only a fraction ended up at the recycling center.
• Purchase aluminum can drinks in boxes and avoid the plastic ring holders. These holders are generally not recyclable and end up in our oceans or on land, posing a danger to wildlife.
• Replace household items like toothbrushes with bamboo and toothpaste tubes with glass, tin or recyclable containers.

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

As we talk about practices, set this mantra is your mind: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. At it’s simplest, this expression calls for you to think carefully about how you address sustainability and adapting a green lifecycle. How? Be a conscientious shopper. Think about the impact to the environment when you make that purchase and if it fits within the 3 R’s. For example, ask yourself three things on a purchase:

• Can I get it with less packaging material? (Reduce)
• Can it be purchased used? (Reused)
• Can it be recycled? (Or better yet, compostable)

These are just a few of the tips that the EPA encapsulates, please feel free to follow the link and learn more!

Final Thoughts on Eco-Friendly Practices You Can Start Now

These suggestions are certainly not a comprehensive list and we will continue to bring you eco-friendly practices as we expand on this category. Our intent is to bring awareness, and hopefully a change of mind, on the importance of taking care of the environment and creating sustainable habits!

We hope that you’ve found some useful and educational information on our blog – Eco-Friendly Practices You Can Start Now. As always, if you don’t see something here you want, reach out to us through our Contact page or leave a comment below, we read each one. Think green and all the best ~ Glen.