As we become more eco-conscious, many people are taking steps to live green by making small lifestyle changes. You may be interested in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle but aren't sure where to start or which changes will have the biggest positive impact on the environment. The good news is that even small changes can make a big difference over the long run, but you have to find what changes will work best for you and your family. Here are some helpful changes you can make each day to help the environment while being more eco-friendly.
Lower Energy Bills
You can make simple changes at home to help lower your monthly energy bills while giving back to the environment. You can start small but swap out your old light bulbs with more eco-friendly options, like LED or CFLs, which can last five times longer and use less electricity than regular light bulbs. They're also brighter than standard bulbs, which means you won't need as many to light up a room. You can also swap out your old thermostat for a smart thermostat, which can help lower your monthly energy bills. If you want to make a big impact, you can find several types of solar panels that are good for the environment and will drastically reduce your monthly energy bills.
Go Secondhand
Many people fall into the habit of purchasing items new rather than finding them secondhand, which can be better for the environment. Just because an item is used it doesn't mean it's poor quality. You can find gently used movies, books, clothing, and children's toys secondhand. You may be surprised that when you start buying items used, you may not want to buy as many new items. When you buy items secondhand, you not only save money over buying them new, but you keep items out of landfills which can help the environment.
Conserve Water
There are many ways you can cut back on water waste, which is great for the environment. You can install a low-flow showerhead that produces less water when you're in the shower and a dual-flush toilet which uses less water with each flush. If you tend to purchase bottled water regularly, installing a filtration system at home can give you better quality drinking water and reduce the number of bottles you purchase, which reduces your plastic usage and keeps those bottles out of landfills.
Reuse Bags
If you live in a state where plastic shopping bags have been banned, you've likely had to adapt to alternative ways of carrying your groceries home. However, even if you live in an area where plastic bags are still allowed it's still a good idea to switch from using single-use plastic bags to reusable canvas bags. Single-use plastic bags are bad for the environment because they fill up our landfills and can end up polluting our oceans, which can be harmful to marine life. When you opt to use reusable fabric or string bags, it cuts back on plastic usage and does the environment good. As a bonus, reusable bags can hold more than plastic bags which means fewer trips to and from the car when you bring your groceries home.
Start a Rag Drawer
Everyone has old t-shirts they no longer use, but instead of throwing them out, put them to use and repurpose them as rags. Using old shirts and other items as rags cuts back on the number of paper towels you'll have to purchase, which results in less paper waste. They're also washable which means that you can use the same rags over again instead of tossing them out after each use. Reusing old shirts and other cloth as rags keeps them and paper towels out of our landfills, which is great for the environment.
You can start making small changes today to lower your carbon footprint and help the environment. Over time, these simple changes can have a major impact on the world around you and create a better environment for you and your loved ones in the future.
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