Sustainability has never been more important than it is today, particularly as new stories emerge about environmental calamity and the decline of cherished species around the globe. Nonetheless, going green is often easier said than done, and many parents and homeowners today are struggling when it comes to ensuring they’re mitigating their carbon footprints while doing everything they can to ensure a brighter, greener future for everyone. Isn’t there an easier way to go green?
Luckily for you, by relying on these 5 tips, you’ll help transform your current abode into a veritable greenhouse. Stick to the basics, and build small but incremental progress over time, and you’ll be seeing the results of your new, greener lifestyle in no time.
1. Loop your kids into your efforts
For parents of younger children in particular, efforts to go green at home are virtually wasted if you don’t directly involve your children. After all, your kids will be responsible for throwing away their own trash and recyclables before you know it, and they’ll need all the help they can get when it comes to establishing a sustainable lifestyle for themselves that maximizes comfort while minimizing pollution.
Check out some excellent advice specifically tailored for kids, and you’ll be equipping them with the tools they’ll need to go green at their own homes one day.
2. Consider your finances
Too many homeowners today are refusing to take environmentally-preferable options when it comes to their purchasing and dining habits because they mistakenly believe that going green means shelling out some extra cash for a flashy alternative. As a matter of fact, however, going green isn’t just more than a saying – it’s actually economically beneficial to most households in the long run, and warrants serious financial consideration from homeowners everywhere.
Check out easy ways that you can save money while going green, and you’ll see the imperative to turn your home into a nature-friendly resort sooner, rather than later.
3. Revisit your old electronics
In today’s day and age of consumerism, it’s easier than ever before to be forgiven for tossing out an old electronic product after you’ve finished using it, or once it’s become obsolete. That being said, throwing out old electronics is one of the most harmful things many homeowners do to the environment, and there’s an easy solution that won’t just help you mitigate your carbon footprint, but will help fulfill your moral side, too.
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Check out places to donate your old electronics too, and you won’t only be cutting down on the amount of pollution you’re putting into your local ecosystem, you’ll be benefitting the less-fortunate, too. Your old electronics shouldn’t be brushed under the rug; in today’s world, many of us go through more than one or two phones, laptops, or tablets a year, and putting those aged electronics to a better use than throwing them away is one of the easiest steps to make your household greener.
4. Re-evaluate your diet
Many people are ignorant when it comes to how seriously their diet is impacting the environment; believe it or not, methane emissions from the cows we all love to eat so much is one of the leading causes of global climate change, meaning we have to change our daily consumption habits if we’re to make any meaningful progress when it comes to going green.
Burger-lovers have nothing to fear; this doesn’t mean you have to completely cut meat out from your diet, nor should you be ashamed about the occasional trip to McDonalds. Rather, you should focus on eating more greens and fruits whenever possible, which has the added benefit of boosting your health while simultaneously helping your household reduce its environmental impact.
5. Make a shopping commitment
You’d be surprised at how much your shopping habits impact your home’s carbon footprint; if you’re a frequent shopper at a grocery store that exclusively or primarily users plastic bags, for instance, you’re likely throwing away large sums of plastic bags, too – and some are doubtlessly being left behind and improperly tossed in the garbage can, to boot. That’s why you can go green at home by taking an eco-friendlier approach to your day-to-day shopping, especially when it comes to reusing environmentally-friendly bags and employing carpooling strategies with your friends and family members.
You shouldn’t stop at these tips alone; no
household can become green overnight, and meaningfully cutting down on your
carbon footprint takes serious dedication above all else. If you follow the
above tips closely, however, you’ll soon find yourself engaged in and enjoying
your new, greener lifestyle. That’s the first step towards permanent changes to
your daily habits, which are absolutely necessary if you truly want to live and
love in a green, eco-friendly home for the remainder of your life.