Our planet is slowly dying: more and more animals are going extinct, natural resources are being depleted, and our food chain is consistently threatened by pollution. And while we are losing everything we once had, one thing seems to be increasing consistently: trash.
If you want to do something about this, it’s time to acquire new eco-friendly habits. Not only will these be great for the environment, but they will also help you save more money! Read on to find out what they are.
Table of Contents
1. Maximize what you have
It’s great to buy that new hybrid car, that eco-friendly lipstick, or even that energy-efficient mobile phone. But it’s even greater to keep using the car you currently own, to use up your current makeup collection, and to stick to your current phone.
Our habit of constantly buying things is not just a waste of money. It’s also a waste of our natural resources! Whenever we replace something for the sake of owning something new, our old things end up in landfills and don’t really degrade. Once the landfills are filled to the brim, our trash has nowhere else to go.
Unless you are fine with living in a world filled with trash, stop buying and maximize what you have. Once you acquire this habit, you would be surprised by how much money you will also save in the process.
2. Choose reusable products
The world has transformed into a throwaway culture over the years. We now mostly use disposable products such as cotton rounds, paper cups, and plastic straws. Sure, these are cheap and convenient, but they are actually killing the environment fast.
Disposables are one of the most wasteful products on the planet. It takes a lot of natural resources to produce them. For instance, producing a kilogram of cotton consumes gallons of water. And as long as we keep using single-use cotton rounds, this toxic cycle will continue.
Save the planet today by choosing reusable products over disposable ones. Many reusables today are not just durable. These are also made of eco-friendly materials. For instance, Last Object cotton rounds are organic cotton pads that you can reuse for a thousand times, while Bambu straws are reusable straws made of Bamboo, and Eco Femme pads are reusable pads made of organic cotton cloth.
Once you pick up the habit of opting for reusables, the planet and your wallet will thank you for it.
3. Skip the dryer
Do you prefer doing the laundry at home? If you do, you probably have a dryer. It’s efficient, convenient, and highly-reliable. But did you know that it is also one of the most energy-consuming appliances that sit in your home?
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the US wastes 9 billion dollars on electricity every time they use the dryer for drying clothes. And that releases an estimate of 16 million tons of CO2 yearly. But how is this possible?
As the dryer spins your clothes, it also produces heat. This very process consumes a lot of electricity, more than what is consumed by a dishwasher, a washer, and a refrigerator combined. And the use of too much electricity wastes a lot of our water resources.
If you want to help save the planet, ditch the dryer and use a clothesline instead. This habit will also extend the life of your clothes and help you cut back on electric bills. Just don’t forget to remove the excess water by wringing out your clothes before hanging them.
4. Turn off what you don’t use
We love leaving appliances and other electronics plugged in even if we don’t use them. It could be the TV, cell phone charger, washing machine, and so much more. It’s a habit we often overlook, and little do we know how much energy it actually consumes.
In fact, about 50 percent of what we spend on electric bills actually comes from anything that is plugged in, even if it’s turned off! So, if you want to help conserve energy, pick up the habit of unplugging everything before going to bed.
It’s a simple act, but it definitely goes a long way. It will help you save more on bills, too!
5. Eat your veggies
Do you love eating lots of meat? If so, you might want to rethink this eating habit.
Your parents weren’t kidding whenever they said, “Eat your vegetables.” It’s not just great for the body; it’s great for the environment as well. Whenever you replace your meat with vegetables, you are contributing less to the meat industry’s production of global emissions and greenhouse gas methane.
You are also doing your health a lot of good, as eating too much meat (especially red meat) can lead to health problems like coronary heart disease and stroke. Plus, you will save more money in the long run, too!
Over to you
Now that you’ve read about these eco-friendly habits, it’s time for you to practice them! And whenever you find it hard, remember to go easy on yourself and to keep trying. Not only will these habits be great for the planet, but they will also be great for your wallet in the long run.
