With eco-friendly becoming more and more important, the term is beginning to be used in everything from job advertisements to vacation homes. However, what is eco-friendly?
Being eco-friendly is simply defined as an act of living with the intention of reducing or not creating harm to the environment. This practice goes beyond influencing and changing the life of the individual, it influences communities and businesses so that they may conduct themselves in an ethical manner. In order to be eco-friendly and turn green, there are three main headlines to help promote the better lifestyle other than planting trees, buying locally and using eco friendly products.
REDUCE | REUSE | RECYCLE
With an aim to create habits that are in favour of the environment and in balance with the earths eco system, it is important to begin by reducing usage across many items. This can be done by using the following tips:
• Taking shorter showers. Reducing water usage is a quick and easy way of preserving the environment. By reducing your shower time by a couple of minutes, you could save up to 20 Litres of water.
• Replace/Reduce disposable items.
• Turning off electronics when not in use.
• Drive less, walk more. By swapping driving for walking you begin to reduce the carbon footprint left behind by the exhaust gasses released from the car.
• Littering. DON’T DO IT. There are bins located everywhere so that rubbish may be ethically disposed of and recycled. It is important to not litter as it can become harmful for the other organisms living around us, as well as the future generations to follow.
• Buy only what you need and Compost. Overbuying is something we are all guilty for. This is also one of the largest sources of wastages within households. If we have any food wastages, we should compost them for better fertilisation.
Although the media is constantly effectively selling us “new” and “improved” products, however, we already own so much that we don’t need to purchase these products, especially if we reuse what we already have!
• Use Reusables. Switch from taking disposable to reusable containers and bags with you when you go shopping is a smart way to reduce the amount of rubbish that later ends up in landfills. Purchasing reusable keep cups and drink bottles are also a easy way.
• Donate. If you no longer need something, then sell it! Not only is it a good way to make money, but it also ensures that it doesn’t end up in a landfill where it cannot be recycled. Donating is also another option, find the nearest homeless shelter or donation bank to donate unneeded items!
• Rechargeable items. Purchase solar panel lights and rechargeable batteries to reduce electricity usage.
Just like reusing items, recycling can often be downplayed by “new” and “improved” products. However, recycling can create new and improved ways for usage.
• Upcycling. Don’t throw it, give it a new life. Use old glass jars for storing buttons and home-made jams, get creative and recycle used items. Search up some DIY’s online for creative ideas.
• Plastic Bottles and Recycling bins. Make a recycling bin in your home/office and encourage everyone to use it. Also make separate ones for plastics and cardboards!
• Collect water. Have leftover water in the bottom of bottles? Don’t throw them out or tip them down the sink. Pour them into plants. This can also be done by placing a bucket under a leaking tap to collect run off water to be used later for watering plants or washing the dog.
• Composting. Not sure what to do with the left-over veggie scraps? Compost them in your garden to fertilise the dirt for better crops