People everywhere are beginning to realize that they are able to make a difference in limiting waste, lowering emissions, and saving energy. Many of us are not accustomed to a greener lifestyle. We use gas-powered vehicles as our primary mode of transportation, we rely heavily on appliances to do the work for us, and we buy whatever items are available at a low cost (most of which are not recycled or biodegradable). I am here to tell you how you can help save the planet and simple ways to go green today!
go green & MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Yes, even 1 person can make a difference! It may sound intimidating at first, but you really don’t have to give up that much to go green. I’m not saying you have to hand wash your clothes, ride your bike to work, or live by candlelight (although that does sound rather romantic). There are ways to go green that barely mess with our everyday lives.
Here are a few tips for starting out: first, don’t worry about jumping all in on this. It’s okay to take everything one step at a time.
Second, going green means limiting the purchase of certain items on a regular basis. Remember that small sacrifices will have a huge impact on our Mother Earth!
Third, have fun with going green! It can be so exciting discovering new ways to reuse and upcycle your everyday items (rather than contributing to the landfills).
1. Switch from paper to cloth napkins
For starters, it’s cheaper to use cloth napkins than paper overtime. Personally, I became more conscious about how often I went to use a napkin once I switched. Before, I’d grab a napkin to clean something small, use as a temporary plate for a snack, or wind up throwing it away just because it was ripped or crumpled. I didn’t think of the consequences or what I was contributing to – more waste and more pollution. Cloth napkins last for years, save you money, and save the trees.
2. LIMIT USE OF DISPOSABLE DINNERWARE
Some people who use paper plates as their regular dinnerware no matter the occasion. While it’s nice to not have to worry about a large amount of clean-up after meals, this contributes GREATLY to landfills, especially if this is a lifelong habit! Cut out paper plates, plastic utensils, plastic straws, and plastic cups unless you’re having a picnic or hosting a large gathering.
3. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR DISHWASHER
Dishwashers use a generous amount of water and energy to wash. This increases both your water and your power bill. If you do use a dishwasher, ensure it’s completely filled before running it, or try to hand wash your dishes every now and then if you’re able.
My house doesn’t have a dishwasher installed, and I hated that at first. Once I realized how much water, energy, and maintenance they require, I’ve accepted my fate. Hand washing dishes has become kind of relaxing to me – I listen to my favorite music and get some alone time to think for 15-20 minutes.
4. EAT WHAT YOU BUY
So many of us are guilty of buying foods and watching them wither away in our refrigerators. Whether it’s veggies or leftovers, we need to be careful of food going to waste. A key aspect of limiting food waste is to meal plan. I count every meal and every snack to a tee, I shop every 3-4 days, and if food is going to waste I throw it all together in a stir fry or a soup. It works every time! Remember, if you’re not really going to eat it then don’t buy it!
5. SHOP LOCAL
Your local grocery store and farmer’s market may have pricer foods than the big chains that are popping up, but these small businesses don’t use commercial vehicles and planes to import their goods from across the world. These are foods that are locally grown and sourced, require less packaging, and are fresher – which means they’re better for you and for the planet.
6. USE REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS
Plastic shopping bags pose a serious global concern. Single-use plastics are currently banned in four countries, but more businesses are banning them every day. By switching to reusable shopping bags, you can help save millions of plastic bags from being used!
So the next time you’re shopping for groceries, clothing, or other household products, remember to bring your reusable bag with you! Or ask for no bag if it’s something that can be carried.
Another tip – when you’re grocery shopping, skip those small baggies used for fruits and veggies. They’re not even recyclable! You’re going to go home and wash your items anyways, so why contribute to more plastic waste?
7. COOK MEALS AT HOME
Home-cooked meals are a wonderful way to go green AND help bring families together. Inviting your family to help create meals at home is a fun way to bond and create memories. Instead of stopping and picking up a pizza, make one! It’s also better for your health and contributes to less garbage. Take out = more packaging = more waste.
8. BUY FRESH FOODS
Fresh foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; however, these begin to break down when foods are frozen or canned. Fresh foods undergo less packaging and preservation, meaning they use less energy. If you’re unable to buy fresh, buying frozen is the best alternative!
9. USE REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES
Bottled water is one of the most non-recycled plastics. It’s estimated that more than 50 billion plastic water bottles are sent to landfills instead of being recycled properly! Since plastic is made from oil, we are also wasting oil when we don’t recycle it, which means we’re wasting the Earth’s natural resources.
Having a reusable water bottle, preferably stainless steel, is one of the ways you can help reduce plastic waste. If you do buy plastic water bottles, please remember to recycle!
10. Start Composting
Composting is something I recently began doing in 2021. Thanks to an episode of Peppa Pig that my daughter was watching, I never knew it was so easy! I opted for vermicomposting (worm farm composting bin), but there are several ways to compost! Read the ways to make a compost that works for you.
Almost everything can be thrown in the compost bin – food scraps, mail, newspaper, cardboard, dust from your vacuum, dead plants, coffee grounds, etc. Once I started my worm bin, I noticed a significant decrease in the amount of garbage I was throwing away. Instead of filling my garbage bin every 2-3 days, it takes 7 days to fill now! My goal in life is to not even have a garbage can in my home. If only!
11. PLANT A GARDEN
Good for you and better for the planet! If you grow your own foods at home, you won’t need to buy more at the grocery store. I loooooooove gardening. My daughter loves helping plant seeds and gets so excited watching the flowers, fruits, and veggies grow. Even in our small, Chicago yard we have 2 apple trees, and we grow all our veggies and herbs in machine washable fabric pots.
Grow what you love – cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes – and you can enjoy your harvest all summer long! Don’t forget to set out buckets to collect rain water so you won’t have to use your own!
No yard? No problem! Grow fruits, veggies, and herbs indoors. As long as there’s plenty of sunlight and some humidity, you’ll have a successful indoor garden.
12. TAKE SHORTER SHOWERS (AVOID BATHS)
A shower or bath can be relaxing, but we use an average of 15-25 gallons of water for a five minute shower and energy to make it hot. Growing up, I was scolded for taking a shower longer than 15 minutes, so I’ve always been a quick showerer, but I know some people who take 30 minute showers regularly. That can lead to costly water and energy bills!
Add that to washing your clothes, flushing the toilet, washing the dishes, etc and we’re using 100 or more gallons of water every day. If possible, try to limit the amount of water you’re using every day – you’ll help save energy, too!
13. LIMIT HEAT AND AC USE
Go Green 101: limit using central air and heat! Heating and cooling your home requires a lot of energy, and you pay for that energy. Rather than adjusting the thermostat, put on some more layers to stay warm or use a fan/open the windows to cool off.
14. TURN OFF LIGHTS
Leaving lights on is a big energy waster. I always say “if the sun is out the lights stay off”. Try to limit use of indoor lighting to rooms you are in, and remember to turn them off when you leave the room. Switching your lightbulbs to energy efficient LEDs (LED bulbs use up to 75% less energy) will also help you save energy and money.
15. WASH CLOTHES IN COLD WATER
Washing in cold water requires less energy needed to heat the water. I haven’t noticed any difference in washing my clothes or towels in cold water vs warm. On the contrary, most clothing tags recommend washing only in cold water.
16. AIR DRY YOUR CLOTHES
If you have the space try hanging your clothes to dry outside, in a laundry room, or in a basement. I use this clothing rack to dry my clothes. I mainly only use my dryer for towels and large blankets. Yes, you’ll have to wait for your clothes to dry, but your energy bill (and the Earth) will thank you.
17. DUST YOUR LIGHTBULBS
I never knew this until recently. No one has EVER told me to dust lightbulbs! But it’s true – dusty, dirty lightbulbs use more energy than clean ones. So dust your lightbulbs, people!
18. HANG CURTAINS ON YOUR WINDOWS
Curtains are great for keeping your inside air in and the outside air out. Buy energy saving curtains and you’ll see a major difference once you use them. My home is more than 100 years old and has very drafty windows. In the winter it’s the most noticeable, but using curtains has helped big time in keeping our home more comfortable.
19. SHOP SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING BRANDS
This one of my favorite way to go green and also improve your sense of style and confidence! Ever heard of fast fashion vs sustainable fashion? Well well well – let’s learn!
Fast fashion is trendy clothing made quickly and sold for cheap. It’s harmful to the environment, its workers, animals, and to us. Fast fashion brands are what you’ll primarily see at shopping malls – Forever21, Express, Windsor, H&M, etc. Sustainable fashion is clothing that is environmentally friendly and made to last for years – not seasons!
These are quality brands such as Amour Vert, Mango, Boden, Thrive and Societe, and Polo Ralph Lauren. They use recycled materials and work to reduce their carbon footprint. Fashion is destroying our planet, so we need to think wisely about buying unnecessary clothing.
Can’t afford quality fashion? You’re in luck! When I lived in Alabama, Unclaimed Baggage was one of my favorite stores! They have exactly that – baggage that was unclaimed! They carry items from all over the world and you can find some cool things! They carry a magnitude of luxury brand items for more than 50% off the retail price. And thanks to the pandemic, they now ship nationwide. You can thank me later!
20. REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE
The three R’s! The best way to save the planet! The average American creates 4 pounds of trash every day! This trash ends up in landfills where it takes hundreds of years to break down and adds to polluting our air quality. But so much of what we throw away can be recycled!
Try to limit how often you use certain products (paper plates, plastic straws, bottled water) and remember to ALWAYS recycle. You can even make money off of recycling! Or look for ways to reuse or upcycle items. You can reuse milk cartons as planter pots, egg cartons for painting or germinating seeds, and glass containers for vases, candles, and much more!
go green and save the planet today!
We all feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but by changing your lifestyle and choosing to go green, it will go a long way in minimizing your carbon footprint and helping to save the planet.
Surprisingly, the more you take action, other people will notice and start following suit. When you change your habits and go green, you will influence others.
Choosing to go green is a wonderful way to save the planet. In addition, choosing to help preserve natural habitats is equally important. There are natural habitats all around us – starting with your own backyard! Learn more about the importance of natural habitats and common weeds today!
