We have 12 years to limit the catastrophe known as climate change. Regardless of your stance on the issue of global warming, one thing that we can all agree on is that we need to be more responsible and take better care of our planet. You may not realize it, but there are so many quick and easy changes you can make to your everyday lifestyles so that you can live life a little more sustainably! Here are some of the approaches I have taken to become more environmentally friendly:
Unplug your appliances when they are not in use
Did you know that even when your appliances aren’t being used, energy is still being drained out of them? The best way to prevent excess energy waste is to unplug all of your appliances when you’re not using them. This includes chargers, lamps, ovens, microwaves, and more. I highly recommend using power strips so that you can unplug everything all at once!
Wash and dry your clothes without heat
When you wash your clothes, your washing machine and dryer use the most energy heating up the water. By washing and drying your clothes using cold water and cold air, you are saving yourself tons on your PG&E bill and saving the earth too! In addition, washing your clothes in the cold actually makes them last longer because heat makes them more prone to damage.
Use reusable containers
It’s time to ditch the disposable plastic wrap and the plastic baggies! These items, although convenient, are extremely wasteful and cause a large amount of plastic waste. Instead, opt to pack your lunch and snacks in reusable containers. You can save a ton of money because you won’t have to keep buying more one-time use containers. You are also reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans!
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Consume less meat
Going vegetarian or vegan after eating meat your entire life is difficult. You don’t need to cut meat out of your diet entirely to be more eco-friendly — consider becoming a reducetarian! This movement strives to be more aware of meat consumption and to eat less meat in order to improve health, protect the environment, and prevent animal cruelty. Rather than eating meat every single day, you can try to eat it a couple times a week and substitute meat with other high-protein foods, such as tofu or soy.
Ditch the fast fashion
While fast-fashion stores offer trendy clothing at affordable prices, the fast fashion industry promotes textile waste at absurd levels. The quality of these clothing items aren’t the best either, so these clothes are in and out of your closet extremely quickly This also leads you to spend more money. Opt to go thrift shopping instead — reusing clothes is one of the best ways to become more environmentally friendly. Besides, you’ll save tons of money buying clothes at affordable prices and these items are often much higher in quality.
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