Everyone has the responsibility of taking care of the planet to maintain a healthy environment. The planet is home to all living creatures, and the source of life-sustaining resources. Therefore, a healthy planet is vital for the survival of the human race, animals, and plants.
You can take part in this initiative by adopting a few lifestyle changes, and as a bonus, save money in the long run. This article encourages you to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle in your home to improve the environment and save the planet.
The Importance of Caring for Our Planet
Everything humans, animals, and plants need to survive comes from the earth. For example, humans need clean drinking water, nutritious food, and clean air every day to prevent illnesses. These are naturally-occurring resources found and sustained in the earth's ecosystem.
Sadly, some human activities destroy the ecosystem, and endanger these natural resources. For instance, disposing of waste in rivers kills aquatic life, and makes the water unfit for human consumption. The contaminated water also seeps into the soil, and destroys plants. As the cycle continues, it causes global issues, such as climate change, global warming, wildlife extinction, ocean acidification, pollution, drought, and diseases. Eventually, the ecosystem will lose its capacity to sustain life.
The effects of climate change are becoming even more visible each passing day. Over the past few years, different countries all over the world have experienced severe droughts, floods, and rising water levels, among other harsh climates.
As a result of the climate crisis, many governments are now looking for long-term solutions to this problem. These solutions may involve enforcing stringent regulations to govern manufacturing practices, and evaluate the risks of toxic substances in consumer products. In addition, manufacturers should adopt circular production to recycle their used products.
On the other hand, consumers have a moral obligation to protect their environment. It takes only a few simple lifestyle changes to save the planet, and cut unnecessary costs of consuming more resources than needed.
Here are some tips on how to start living green:
Buy Reusable Products
Reusable products are available in different forms. Examples include a reusable water bottle, fabric tote shopping bags, stainless steel drinking straws, and mesh produce bags. Because these products are durable, you only need to buy them every so often. In addition, most reusable products are degradable, and harmless to the environment.
Recycle for Cash
Some manufacturers have recycle-for-cash policies that allow consumers to return empty or old items to the manufacturer in exchange for some money. Additionally, some states mandate beverage manufacturers to enforce such policies to control littering.
You may also recycle old items in various creative ways. For instance, you may use empty glass bottles to create attractive home decors, such as flower vessels.
Reduce Energy Bills
Investing in renewable energy for lighting, heating, cooling, and cooking saves money. Although the installation fees may be costly, you won't have to worry about expensive heating and cooling bills, or any other high energy expenses in the future.
Saving energy is also good for the environment. By reducing energy consumption, the demand for fossil fuels significantly drops. As a result, the amount of carbon footprint from burning fossil fuels declines. And, when the amount of carbon footprint drops, it makes the air fresher and cleaner.
Start a Home Garden
Home gardens are not only for flowers. You can plant your vegetables, spices, and herbs, and have a fresh supply of groceries right in your yard every day. In addition, growing your food at home helps you avoid chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers.
There are many ways of creating a home garden, if you have limited space for the traditional garden in your yard. For example, you can fill empty plastic water bottles, containers, glass jars, and shopping bags with soil, and place them in open spaces outdoors. You can also create vertical gardens against your wall, using vessels and pipes.
Your home garden can also make you some money. If you have a large harvest, you can sell some of your home-grown produce to your neighbors and friends.
Cook Your Food at Home
Takeout food is a great idea, but it may not be pocket-friendly to sustain an everyday lifestyle, especially if you have a large family. Besides buying the food, you'll also need to pay for delivery costs. On the other hand, a homemade meal costs much less than the total cost of ordering takeout meals.
Cooking at home is also cheaper when growing a home garden. This is because there's a wide range of recipes to prepare using the ingredients from your garden. In addition, cooking allows you to prepare meals in precise quantities enough for you and your family to avoid food wastage.
Besides saving money, cooking improves environmental health. For example, it reduces littering caused by the plastic and paper packages restaurants use to pack their food.
Make Meal Plans and Menus
Speaking of cooking at home, having a meal plan is a great idea. It helps you prepare your shopping list for things you need instead of randomly shopping for groceries and other supplies. As a result, you'll spend less money on your supplies, and ensure zero waste.
Meanwhile, ensuring zero waste of food also positively impacts efforts to save the planet. The National Resources Defense Council report shows that 40% of food produced in the US goes to waste. That puts farmers under constant pressure to produce more food to keep up with the demand, something that can be avoided by implementing different ways to achieve zero waste.
Because of the high demand for food, farmers use technology such as greenhouse farming to increase food production. This technology has many advantages, but is also responsible for releasing 35% of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, these greenhouse gases cause air pollution, smog, and climate change. For these reasons, reducing food waste reduces demand for food, and eases the pressure for mass food production.
Walk or Ride a Bike More Often
About 220 million Americans drive a car every day for about one and a half hours. These cars produce large amounts of harmful byproducts by burning gasoline and diesel, resulting in air pollution. One report shows that a single passenger car emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Walking or riding a bike over short distances is one effective way of reducing emissions from your car. These exercises keep you fit, and reduce the amount of money you spend on gas.
Use Eco-Friendly DIY Cleaners
Detergents are among the everyday items used at home. For example, consumers use different detergents to do laundry, dishes, and general cleaning. However, many consumers are unaware of the high levels of toxins found in some detergents.
Many detergents contain high levels of bleach, formaldehyde, phosphates, and other toxins. These chemicals wash away into waterways, causing pollution. In addition, some of these chemicals absorb into the human body through contact. Eventually, they cause various health problems, including skin irritation, congenital disabilities, and cancer.
Homemade detergents and cleaners are safer for the environment and human use. Besides, you only need a few readily available ingredients at home to make these detergents. These ingredients include vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, water, etc.
Buy Long-Lasting Products
Although durable products cost more money, they'll save you a lot of it in the long run. For example, a premium quality mattress can last more than 25 years with proper care, while ordinary mattresses last about 5 to 7 years. Therefore, if you buy a typical mattress for $700, you may spend $3,500 over 25 years to replace your mattress every time it wears out. On the other hand, a premium quality mattress worth $1,500 may last over 25 years before wearing out.
The durability of a product depends on the quality of the materials it comprises. Usually, cheap products have a shorter lifespan because they contain poor-quality materials. For instance, synthetic mattresses wear out in less than ten years, and end up in landfills. These mattresses also don't decompose as organic products do. As a result, they pollute the soil, and contribute to the landfill menace.
On the contrary, durable mattresses contain high-quality materials, such as organic latex, cotton, and wool. Furthermore, because these materials are organic, they are eco-friendly, and cause no harm to the environment when disposed of.
Collect Rainwater
Tapping rainwater for home use reduces money spent on water bills every month. For example, you may use rainwater to clean, water the garden, fill your pool, or wash your car.
Unplug Your Electronic Devices When not in Use
When you leave all your major electronics plugged into a power strip, they consume small amounts of electricity. Such devices are called energy vampires, and rightfully so, because they consume hundreds of dollars in electricity bills. Unfortunately, this is common in many homes.
Given that electricity also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, it's essential to reduce its consumption. Therefore, unplugging your devices from the power source keeps your environment healthy, and also reduces the cost of your electric bill every month.
Pro tip: Consider investing in energy star appliances, such as light bulbs, washing machines, microwaves, blenders, etc. This is because energy star products will save your energy bills.
Green Living Home Makeover Tips
When doing a home makeover, you may consider these tips to reduce consumption costs, and save your environment.
- Install low flow shower heads, toilet tanks, and water faucets to reduce water consumption.
- Install alternative energy sources, such as solar and biomass systems for cooking, warming, and lighting.
- Replace light bulbs with LED lights.
- Avoid paints and synthetic decorations that emit harmful VOC gases. Instead, use organic decorations, such as plants and flowers, and low VOC paints.
- Insulate your home to keep it warmer during winters, and cooler during summers.
- Use upholstery made from natural and organic resources, such as latex mattresses and bamboo reeds seats.
- Refurbish old items, instead of replacing them with new ones, to reduce expenses.
- Donate items that are in good condition to charitable organizations.
- Buy second-hand materials, instead of brand new ones, to reduce expenditure.
What are the Best Ways to Start Saving the Planet?
One of the best ways of saving the planet is by cutting down on unnecessary expenses, and recycling used items. These individual efforts have a more significant influence on the global strategies for saving the environment.
How can I Recycle Household Items I no Longer Use?
If you have household items you no longer use, you may consider donating to a charitable organization near you. You can also creatively repurpose some of the items, such as making tote shopping bags out of old jeans.
Alternatively, you may contact the product manufacturer to find out whether they collect and reuse old items from consumers. If they do, they'll guide you on how to return the old item to one of their outlets.
How can I Make My Bedroom Eco-Friendly?
To achieve an eco-friendly bedroom, consider investing in toxin-free products. For example, choose organic mattresses and bedding over synthetic ones to avoid harmful VOC gasses in your bedroom.
Organic mattresses have numerous advantages. For example, these mattresses are hypoallergenic, ideal for allergy-prone sleepers, children, and vulnerable individuals. In addition, they contain no harsh chemicals that pollute the environment, and cause respiratory difficulties.
Organic mattresses made of natural latex are also durable. Thanks to the responsive nature of natural latex, these mattresses don't wear out fast. As a result, latex mattresses last longer than ordinary mattresses.
Where can I Buy an Eco-Friendly Mattress?
Latex For Less is where your search for a durable organic mattress ends. Here's why you'll love our mattresses.
High-Quality Materials
The durability of a mattress depends on the materials it consists of. The Latex For Less latex mattress contains 100% natural latex, best known for its resilience and durability. It also contains organic cotton and wool tactfully crafted to create an ultra-soft cover and surface. Latex For Less sources these materials directly from farmers to ensure we collect the best quality, and cut costs.
Durability
Latex For Less guarantees 25 years of quality sleep, thanks to the unmatched craftsmanship that comes with the mattress and the premium quality of the materials used. This mattress doesn't dip or lose support over time, giving you the absolute best value for your money.
Eco-Friendliness
Given that the mattress contains 100% organic materials, it breaks down easily when disposed of. Latex For Less is among the few mattress manufacturing companies that promote green living, and a healthy environment.
Cost-Effectiveness
Buying a mattress is a huge investment. This is because mattresses are not the kind of products you buy every day. When you spend money on a new mattress, you hope that it will serve you for many years. Unfortunately, not all kinds of mattresses can guarantee durability and cost-effectiveness at the same time.
But, that's not something you should be concerned about when shopping for a mattress at Latex For Less.
By being honest about the source and quality of materials found in our mattresses, we clear any doubts regarding their durability. In addition, Latex For Less eliminates middlemen costs imposed on buyers by working directly with farmers, and processing orders online. This strategy further explains why Latex For Less mattresses are sold at reasonable prices.
Delivery is also free within the contiguous US. Lastly, the mattress comes in a small box packaging, making it convenient to move, and also prevent packaging waste.
