In order to love this eco-friendly lifestyle, you need to know why you are doing this, why is it important and what you can do every day that can make all the difference.
Why is it important to protect our planet?
One reason is that it is our home. It is where we live, where you explore and where we get our source of food and living so, why not take care of it.
It’s not too late to change our ways or clean up after ourselves. It takes one person to make a difference. Look at the domino effect it is playing right now. Even younger kids are making efforts starting in their schools and passing on the knowledge to inspire more kids to do the same.
So what about you? How are you making a difference?
There are many ways we can do this. Before you think of ways that tell you that you can’t do this, I am going to tell you many ways that you can because let’s be honest you can do it!
Opt Out of Plastic Straws
If you need straws in your life and that is completely fine, aim for reusable straws such as metal ones or silicone or paper straws. You may not be able to be at a restaurant that carries such things but, you could make sure that you have one available to you by bringing your own straw. I’ve seen plenty of awesome foldable ones. Just remember to bring it back with you.
Reusable Containers over Sandwich Bags
I am on the bandwagon for reusable containers. Why do you have to buy those sandwich bags all the time when you could use these containers for leftovers for work. If you really need a sandwich bag, especially if you have some young ones, then there are reusable sandwich bags out there. You may worry about dishwashing these alternatives, but most of them are dishwasher friendly. If you do not have a dishwasher at home you can use the one at work if there is one available.
Recycle All The Time
You really don’t have an excuse. There are recycling bins everywhere. Start at home by having the correct bins around in your kitchen, bathroom, and office. It makes it a no brainer when you are faced with your options. Remember to wash out your food containers as a courtesy because it costs money from your city budget to get it cleaned. Imagine all the recycling the city has to deal with all the time.
Have a Recycle Mindset
Sometimes you have to get creative before you think about throwing something out. If it’s still working, think about donating it. If it is broken then see if you can recycle it somewhere. There are places that you can recycle phones, batteries and more. If it is old rags or torn clothing that you can’t donate, then give it to H&M. They have a clothes recycling program that doesn’t mind the torn, stained or old clothes. They take it to recycle it.
Reduce your litter and start a compost! Compost your food scraps instead of throwing them into the trash. It is a better way than simply tossing it out. Compost is various organic materials that everyone may think of as trash or waste that actually can be produced into a soil conditioner that is rich in nutrients.
Related:Â Common Mistakes You Do When You Recycle
Reduce Paper
Who needs paper these days when we have technology? Regardless if you have paper for tax purposes or if you simply have trouble getting rid of your paper, there are ways to have both in your lives. Consider scanning paper documents and creating an online folder instead of a physical folder in your home. There are many online sites and apps that work when you are not home such as my favourite, OneDrive or even Box or the iCloud for Apple users.
Related: How to Go Paperless & 3 Better Ways To Store Your Files
Final Thoughts
