When you want to reduce your footprint, remember that it won’t happen overnight. Going green involves making better choices while you perform everyday activities, so adopting even the smallest sustainable practices can add up. The key to success, though, is turning those practices into consistent habits. Below are five sustainable practices that can become habits to make your lifestyle greener.
1. Reuse Paper and Plastic Bags for Shopping
Unless you’re completely unaware of the recycling efforts that have been going on for several decades, you know about the push to reuse paper and plastic bags. Many campaigns have been launched to encourage people to recycle bags as well.
In fact, reusing and recycling paper and plastic bags is one of the best things that you can do for the environment. You can save the bags that you get at the grocery store or farmers market, and take them with you the next time that you shop. On the other hand, consider using tote bags to transport your purchases.
2. Opt for Paperless Documents
The next time that you receive a paper bill in the mail, print movie tickets or purchase a traditional newspaper, think about the trees that were cut down to make them. Trees are a crucial part of the environment because they remove carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into oxygen.
You can reduce the need to cut down trees by getting paperless utility bills and e-tickets and by reading the news online. Along with saving trees and improving air quality, choosing paperless alternatives can prevent clutter.
3. Avoid Disposable Kitchen Items
Even in the kitchen, there are ways to reduce waste and become more sustainable. Instead of using single-use paper towels, for instance, you could use washable, reusable towels. Similarly, use reusable plates and silverware instead of single-use paper, plastic, and Styrofoam alternatives.
Rather than buy bottled water, get a faucet filter or upgrade your home’s filtration system. If you like to carry water with you throughout the day, get a nonplastic bottle that you can wash and refill.
4. Use Eco-friendly Bathroom and Household Cleaning Products
Most people don’t think about the damage that bathroom and household cleaning products cause to the environment. A lot of these items contain harsh chemicals that are bad for your health too. Look for sustainable shampoos, conditioners and soaps that you can refill. Consider searching for environmentally safe cleaning products, or make your own natural cleaners with ingredients from your kitchen.
5. Recycle Old Sneakers
It’s only natural to want to update your wardrobe with fresh items. However, it usually involves throwing away sneakers that take decades to decompose in landfills. Fortunately, you can run a GotSneakers campaign to recycle your sneakers and help repurpose them into athletic surfaces such as playgrounds and running tracks. Best of all, you can get your community involved and earn some money in the process.