Good Environmental Habits = Easy Way to Save our Planet

11 April 2008 One Comment

We all want to help the environment, but many times we are too busy with our daily lives to make changes that we think are needed to develop a more sustainable lifestyle and a more environmentally friendly culture.
Therefore, you can make small, simple, easy habit changes that all add up to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Eco Habit Tip 1: Drive Less. Driving less doesn’t mean you have to stay home. Try combining driving with alternative modes of transportation:
- If you live close to school, walk or bike. If you live far away, carpool.
- Take the bus.
- Shop by phone or mail.
- Drive electric/hybrid cars instead of gas-guzzlers.
- Plan all trips. Plan the timing and the route of your trips such that you will avoid being caught in the “thick” of traffic.

Eco Habit Tip 2: Eco-Friendly Eating. Planting a garden and buying seasonal fruits and vegetables at Farmers’ Markets, is both healthier and better for the environment. Unfortunately, many big food processors, even ones that grow organic fruits and vegetables tend to neglect basic, good for the earth, farming techniques like crop rotation. Organic fertilizers are trucked in and produce is trucked out to be sold across the country using precious fossil fuels and contributing to air pollution. Avoid McDonald’s. Well, not just McDonald’s, but they’re the worst. Not only is their food nutritionally empty, and actually harmful to your health, but they are one of the worst polluters and destroyers of the environment.

Eco Habit Tip 3: Recycle. Many of you will live in cities or towns where recycling is easy — you just put your glass, paper, plastic and cans in bins at the curbside, and the recycling truck picks it up like the regular garbageman does. For those of us who do not live in such progressive areas, we have to find a recycling center and drop it off. Either way, the simple habit to develop is to have separate containers for each type of recyclable good, and simply separate them at the point of disposal instead of tossing them in the trash.

Eco Habit Tip 4: Energy Economy.
- Turning off the stand-by habit. According to the Government, the average UK household wastes £37 a year just by leaving their electrical appliances on stand-by.
- Change Your Lightbubs – A compact fluorescent light bulb is more energy-efficient and will save your money in the long run.
- Regulate the heater or air conditioner and use it only when necessary.
- Only open the freezer or refrigerator when really needed and do not leave the door open while making a decision on what to take out.

Eco Habit Tip 5: Eliminate as much trash as possible
- Buy only recyclable products.
- Eliminate the use of plastic and cans that are non-recyclable (as much as possible)
- Avoid buying products with styrofoam packaging.
- Use rechargable batteries instead of single-use batteries.
- Re-use containers and plastic bags as much as you can.

Eco Habit Tip 6: Save water
- Turn off the faucet when not needed.
- When showering, brushing your teeth, or washing dishes, only run the water when necessary.
- Drink all the water in your water bottle, or label it with a sharpie so that you remember it is yours.

Eco Habit Tip 7: Avoid environment pollution
- Turn off your car’s engine when not needed.
- Use eco-friendly household cleaners. It’s never made any sense to us to use “dirty” chemicals and volatile organic compounds to try to get things cleaner around the house
- Do not use products with spray containers.
- Don’t throw your trash in Nature.