In today’s world, knowing how to be green is a valuable asset that is quickly becoming the hottest trend. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint on the Earth and get back to living a healthier and more natural life. The energy it will take you to switch things up in your life will pale in comparison to the savings you will see from doing so. As the global economy shifts unpredictably, it helps to be one step ahead. Practicing these conscientious living habits is a great way to ensure and preserve the future of our planet.
1. Go Paperless
Eliminating the paper trail in your home is a highly effective way to start going green in your home. Start out by trying to sign up for the paperless option on all of your bills, insurance policies, and other business correspondence. If you can, opt out of receiving any pre-screened credit card offers. Doing what you can to reduce the junk mail that comes to your door will make a drastic difference on the amount of waste your family produces. When you do use paper, be sure to recycle it appropriately.
2. Rethink how things are Used
Anyone can recycle an object but it takes a special kind of genius to rethink how the items are used. For example, plastic bags can be refurbished into several creative things without much effort at all. While most people either save their plastic bags for later or throw them into the recycling, you could be using them for all sorts of projects. Use your leftover plastic bags for things like hand protectors, makeshift rain shields, and even paint containers. Indeed, turning something that would otherwise be trash into some useful and money-saving treasure is always a good idea for the green home.
3. Create a Compost Bin
If you want to be green then you should probably start looking into the benefits of composting. This technique allows you to transform your food waste into fertilizer, which in turn could be used in a garden to grow more food. This money-saving and environmentally-friendly method of disposal is easy to create; and if you do it right, then it will only cost you a few bucks. There are numerous informative sites about composting available to the novice person. Most will walk you through the process, giving you insights on which items to compost and which ones to throw out.
4. Make your own Cleaners
Making your own green household cleaners may seem like a lot of work but you would be mistaken to think so. In order to avoid all the unnecessary chemicals that are usually used to manufacture modern cleaning products, you will have to know a few useful recipes. All natural cleaning is the way to go if you want to live in a green home. On top of the environmental benefits, making your own cleaning products can save you some money too.
5. Wash with Cold Water
You do not have to take cold showers to live a green life, but washing dishes and laundry in cold water is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. As often as possible, allow your dishes and clothes to take a chilly bath. This will not only use fewer natural resources but it will also drastically decrease your monthly utility bills. If you want to take things a step further you can even get appliances that have the “Energy Star” sticker on them to further improve the way your home uses energy.
Pete Kontakos is a blogger that enjoys sports, animals and discussng green alternatives!