The effort to make your carbon footprint go down might have already shown results, but you feel like you could be doing more. The following strategies are useful not only for the environment, but they will have an immediate positive impact on our life and your wallet, too. They all start at home, and how you manage your daily activities, so they are easy to implement.
1. Buy fresh produce
Farmers sell their produce in season, and that means that the food you could put on the table doesn’t require expensive costs of transportation. Also, it doesn’t come packaged in plastic, so that’s another great thing for the planet. If you have ever thought of starting your own vegetable garden, it’s the right moment to start.
2. Switch to paper straws
Plastic appears to be everywhere we look these days, and it is clear as day that there are alternatives you could use. One of the mundane things you can easily replace is plastic straws. Paper straws are one alternative, but if you want to use something that you don’t have to throw away after using it only once, metal straws are also here to stay.
3. Reusable bags are in
Plastic bags are among the biggest enemies of the environment right now, so here is another strategy you can implement starting this moment. Reusable bags are great not only for the planet but also for your budget since you don’t have to shell out money for them all the time.
4. Buy in bulk whenever possible
Buying in bulk has definite advantages. For starters, everything comes in a bigger box, jar, pack, etc., so you don’t have to deal with as much trash that comes from packaging. Also, this means that you will get everything at a discount, which is an excellent thing for your budget, too.
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5. Recycle, recycle, recycle
As much as you may try, some things are not easy to replace with eco-friendly alternatives. However, it is possible to have a zero-waste attitude despite that. You only need to be clearly aware of the rules of recycling and make sure that all the trash in your house is divided into the correct categories so that you can then deposit them for the garbage company to collect them and take them to the corresponding recycling facilities.
6. Prefer hiking to expensive travel
Whenever possible, switch from expensive trips that involve flying by place to distant locations to hiking somewhere close to home. This is a cheap form of entertainment that will demand very little of you in terms of expenses. You can only grab your gear and a pair of binoculars from Vivitar and then hit the great outdoors for an exciting adventure.
7. Cook at home
One sure way to reduce waste is to cook at home, where you can control all the ingredients, and you can decide on how much to cook so that no waste is created. This strategy will work wonders for your health and even your waistline if you make healthy recipe choices.
8. Decide on a minimal wardrobe
Millions of tons of clothes end up in the trash every year, and the fast-fashion that, unfortunately, has become so popular over the last years, is also responsible for a lot of waste that harms the environment. If you want to be part of the solution, limit your wardrobe only to several items you truly need. You surely don’t need a fourth pair of shoes or another t-shirt that looks exactly like the other 6 you have already in your closet.