With April 22nd, 2021 officially marking 51 years of celebrating Earth Day, it's more important than ever to be green. If you're looking for simple changes you can make at home in honor of the holiday, these easy, eco-friendly lifestyle changes on our list will help guide you: little yet important things like reusing the items you already have, purchasing environmentally-friendly products that don't come in excess packaging, and reducing your daily water and energy consumption. After all, even a tiny bit goes a long way when it comes to saving the earth!
One way to be smart shopper is to keep your eyes out for products with the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, or winners of our most recent Good Housekeeping Sustainable Packaging Awards. As Anne Marie Bonneau of Zero-Waste Chef once said, “We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” Here are some tips to help you kick off your sustainable-living journey. Earth Day comes once a year, but these lifestyle changes could be beneficial for the other 364 days, as well as years to come! We only have one (Mother) Earth, so let's treat her right.
Did you know you can save up to eight gallons of water a day just by shutting off the faucet when brushing your teeth? Similarly, you can conserve a lot of water while washing your hands — just turn off the tap for those 20 seconds you're scrubbing with soap.
Unplug Appliances When Not In Use
Yes, your households appliances are wasting energy even when they're not turned on! Instead of leaving things like your coffee makers, toasters, and even your lamps plugged in indefinitely, make the small effort to unplug when you're not using them.
Wash Laundry in Cold Water
About 90% of the energy your washing machine uses goes towards heating the water. To save energy, wash your laundry on the cold water setting for at least one load a week. Plus, cold water may even be better for your clothes — it can remove many stains from clothing, while hot water tends to shrink, fade, or wrinkle certain fabrics.
When it comes to your household products, shopping eco-friendly goes a long way. Instead of single-use, disposable items, look for "green" products that are reusable, sustainably sourced, or made of recycled materials.
Americans use 36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper every year, which represents the pulping of some 15 million trees. A more environmentally friendly option is to invest in a bidet instead — not only are these devices more sanitary (and cheaper in the long run), they can also lower our use of toilet paper to save both trees and water.
It's certainly cheaper to hold onto a cloth towel than to buy a new roll of paper towels every week.
This one's a simple fix. Replace your regular single use plastic bottles with some of plastic, glass, and stainless steel reusable water bottles that are all the rage right now.
Turning off your lights when you're not home, or even not in that room, can significantly cut down how much energy you're using. What do you need them on for anyway?
You can still fulfill your caramel frappuccino cravings every once and while — without throwing a way a plastic cup afterwards. Bring your reusable coffee mug to your regular coffee shop and ask them to put the coffee in there — chains like Starbucks and Dunkin will even give you a discount.
Invest in a rainwater collection system. There's so much you can use this non-drinking water for — like cleaning or watering plants.
Always running out of batteries? You can stop making those late night drugstore runs for replacements by using reusable batteries instead.
Those tiny drops of water add up big time when it comes to your water bill. Tighten up a drippy faucet to cut down on the water you didn't even realize you were consuming.
Taking the stairs cuts down on the energy use required to power the elevator. Plus, it's a great workout!
Determining the amount of CO2 you produce through your daily routine is the first step to fixing it. This is one of those things you can't "un-know" once you know. Warning: The results come with a little side of guilt.
It's never been easier to ditch your car. Organize a carpool with co-workers, use a rideshare app, take public transit, or be the most health-conscious and ride a bike. Less cars on the road not only means less air pollution, it also means less traffic. Not to mention all of the gas money you'll save!
Going "green" doesn't necessarily require you to get on your roof to install solar panels. There are little switches you can make, like buying energy-efficient light bulbs that could even save you a few dollars in the long run.
Everyone still has that mail they get that makes them think "How did I end up on this list?" It's time to save some trees and get your name off that mailing list once and for all. Opting out of the printed phone directory is also worth looking into. Try Google instead.
Everything is online these days. Think about how much paper you can save just by getting bank statements and bills sent electronically and paid the same way. It's the same deal with event or travel tickets. Most places don't require physical copies anymore.
Turn the page with a single swipe. Sure, there's a certain excitement that comes along with cracking open a new book, but there's also a certain satisfaction that comes from sliding your fingers across a screen. Some publishers even offer interactive editions when you purchase an e-book. Audiobooks are a great option too. Both also free up a lot of space in your bag.
Similar to all your kitchen and household appliances, it helps to get into the practice of powering down your electronics overnight (they need to sleep too!). It's worth noting that your devices are wasting energy even when they're not turned on. The best way to maximize your energy efficiency is to totally unplug and shutdown.
Bringing a little greenery into your home can help regulate the temperature through the moisture they release into the air. This also helps reduce the energy required to heat and cool your home. Plus, they look good!
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