Today, we have so many technologies and ways to spice up our homes and ease our everyday lives. However, with all the available resources comes a fair share of responsibilities. Humans need to understand that the natural resources we have are limited and should be used responsibly without exploiting them. Even some minor changes in our everyday life can undoubtedly help us save energy and ensure an environmentally friendly lifestyle. What are those changes? Let’s find out!
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Have Two Types Of Bins
Every household produces a significant amount of waste. It is extremely important to control household waste by recycling whatever can be recycled or putting the trash to some use. The best way to do so is by having two different bins, including a recycling bin, where you place all the items like glass jars, bottles, paper, etc. The other one should be a compost bin, where you can place all the leftovers, which will eventually turn into compost and fertilizer, that you can use as nourishment to your garden plants. This simple hack will help you put waste to use while saving money over compost and other recycled items.
Use Cold Water
Washing machines have the setting to switch between cold and warm water, and many people prefer heated water to wash their clothes. But, what they fail to realize is that 90% of the washing machine’s energy goes into heating the water. Doing so makes the process less energy-efficient and will also spike up your energy bill. A better way to wash clothes in a washing machine would be to use cold water as an eco-friendly alternative. This may seem like a small step but imagine the amount of energy you would save if you develop a practice of using cold water and regularly save 90% of your machine’s energy.
Line Dry Your Clothes
It is understandable why people dry their clothes in the machine itself, as it proves to be quicker and simply more convenient. But, we cannot forget that it requires a great deal of energy, which you can easily save if you develop a practice of line-drying your clothes. To give you another reason, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that a dryer uses much more energy than a refrigerator or even a dishwasher, for that matter. This implies that you are wasting energy and money, while you can easily prevent it by line-drying the clothes. Consider this as a great time to get some fresh air.
Opt For Window Treatments
If you sense that your house is getting too hot, causing you to keep the AC on all day, you need to check your windows. Even if you shut your windows and other ventilation systems, the heat and sunlight can still penetrate through them, causing your house to get extremely warm. The condition can get even worse during the summer months. You must invest in some good-quality curtains and blinds to keep the heat at bay. Doing this will keep the indoor air cool and pleasant, so you won’t have to deal with the pricking heat and can avoid keeping the AC on all the time.
Use Organic Beauty Products
Many personal beauty products cause harm to the environment, and the best example of this would be sunscreens. Sunscreens usually contain certain ingredients like oxybenzone, nanoparticles, and homosalate, which are known for blocking direct contact with harmful UV rays. However, these elements lead to coral bleaching and can also cause physical harm to aquatic lives. An environmentally-friendly alternative would be using a mineral-based, organic sunscreen as it will not only protect the ocean but also keep your skin safe from the damage that chemicals cause.
Install LED Lights
We all know how precious our energy resources are and how they are limited in nature. It is vital to take responsibility and cut down on as much energy usage as possible by incorporating energy-saving alternatives. One of the most effective ways to do this is by swapping your regular lights with LED lights. Standard bulbs and tube lights are known for the power strip they usually cause, as they take up a tremendous amount of energy. However, such is not the case with LED lights. They are designed to radiate low heat, prove energy efficient, and last longer without compromising the intensity and brightness.
Avoid Taking Exceedingly Long Showers
Taking long warm showers can be really relaxing, but it is certainly not responsible for taking long showers every day. It is important to draw the line and make it a point to give a short amount of time to let the shower run. This one small change in your daily routine can lead to an unbelievable amount of water savings. To give you the statistics, if you cut short one minute from your shower time, you can save approximately 150 gallons of water in a month. That’s right! In just a month, you can bring about a significant change.
Reuse Your Grocery Bags
Grocery visits are inevitable, and you must take them every once in a while. And of course, you can’t visit the grocery store without carrying your bag if you are conscious enough. But for maximum benefit, make sure that you reuse your bags, irrespective of their material. Indeed, plastic has a high carbon footprint and is highly unsafe for the environment. You should reuse other bag materials like paper and cloth to their total capacity to keep the waste from piling up. It may seem like an inadequate step, but know that you’re going to be bringing in groceries for as long as you live, so you might as well keep the practice going.
Conclusion
These were some of the best eco-friendly hacks and lifestyle changes that are not too difficult to adopt and apply but can lead to a highly positive response in the long run. Try out some of these hacks this summer and see your savings grow! You can also live happily knowing you’re doing your best to help the environment.
