We hear so much about being green and sustainable living. At every turn, we are encouraged to pursue sustainable living. Did you know that there are some simple sustainability practices you can do at home? Read on!
Let’s start firstly by looking at exactly what we mean when we talk about sustainable living. Sustainable living simply means being aware of how we live and the impact we have on our environment. It means living in such a way that we do as little harm to the environment as possible.
Now that we’ve defined sustainable living let’s take a deeper look at some simple sustainability practices you can do at home.
1. BUY REUSABLE ITEMS INSTEAD OF DISPOSABLE
Wherever possible buy items that are reusable. As a result, this will help reduce the amount of waste going to the dump. For example, instead of using plastic wrap in the kitchen, you can opt to use material bowl covers instead. Another idea is to avoid buying disposable razors and opt for an electric razor or a non-disposable one instead.
2. START A COMPOST HEAP
Instead of sending veggie peels to the dump start your own compost heap. It’s a far more effective way of dealing with your food waste and it has the added bonus of providing the compost you need for your garden. It’s such a win-win!
3. GROW YOUR OWN VEGGIES
It’s not as difficult as you may think to grow your own veggies. And there are so many great benefits to growing your own veggies. With some basic knowledge and plenty of water and care you can enjoy organic veggies straight from your own garden. Some veggies that are pretty easy to grow are spinach, tomatoes, butternut and potato to name a few.
And over time you will increase your knowledge and be able to expand what you grow in your own veggie garden. It’s a fantastic way to eat healthy, organic veggies and save money on your food bill.
4. MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING PRODUCTS
This is such a great idea for 2 reasons. Firstly, when you make your own cleaning products you are not buying ones in plastic containers. As a result, you are reducing the amount of plastic going to the dump.
Secondly, many of these products contain ingredients that can be harmful to the environment. When you make your own products you are avoiding this.
Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda make excellent cleaning agents. And vinegar smells much better when infused with citrus peels.
5. OPT TO BUY PRODUCTS NOT WRAPPED IN PLASTIC
Wherever possible try to buy products that are not wrapped in plastic. This can be challenging but if each one of us tries in a small way it will make a difference.
An example of how you can do this is by choosing to buy your veggies fresh from your farmer’s market. In this way, you are able to avoid all the plastic packaging.
6. RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE!
This is something we can all do. Make it a habit to recycle and in this way, we can reduce the amount of rubbish sent to the dump.
One important thing to bear in mind is that when we recycle we need to do it properly. This means that you must only put items into recycling that your recycling provider has specified. Don’t add just anything to the recycling. Only add recyclable items because if you add non-recyclable items it can contaminate everything and make it unusable.
7. BE WATERWISE
Taking care of our planet means being careful with how we use our water. We need to make it our aim not to waste water. A way in which we can do this is by collecting our grey water and using it to water the garden.
8. REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY YOU USE
With a few simple adjustments, we can all reduce the amount of energy we use. This is important because the number of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere from energy use has a negative impact on the environment.
Some ways in which you can reduce your energy use is by unplugging your devices when you’re not using them and using energy-efficient LED light bulbs in your house.
As you can see there are simple, yet effective sustainability practices you can do at home. Let’s keep these in mind each day and do our best to live sustainably and care for our planet!