Carbon emissions are a growing concern in this day and age. We are becoming more educated as a community about the harm carbon emissions is causing our planet and its environment and atmosphere. Some simple ways to help lessen your carbon footprint at home and live a more eco-friendly life:
Greener Laundry
Air dry and skip the machine dryer. The planet has natural ways of drying out our clothes, through wind, heat and sun, so why not take advantage of this nifty fact and save the world unnecessary damage and save yourself some money.
Use grey water safe laundry liquid / powder. Using eco-friendly laundry cleaners helps lessen the amount of toxic chemicals that your local rivers and wildlife come into contact with. As an added bonus, most eco-friendly or organic laundry are allergy safe too.
An Eco-friendly Kitchen
Always try your best to purchase kitchen appliances with the highest possible energy rating and the lowest water consumption rating. Appliances such as dish washers can actually help you save water and energy in the home if you get a model with the best green ratings and use it for large washing loads – washing one glass and a plate in a dish washer really isn’t going green!
If you wash your dishes by hand, do not leave the water running as you suds up your dishes. Running water tends to waste more water than we are aware of. To save water, if you have a large load and two sinks to wash them in, soak and suds up the dishes in the first sink before rinsing them in the second.
Buy your home food storage containers. Not only will storing leftovers and packing lunches in containers keep your fridge neater, it will also help you cut down on using items such as cling wrap and tin foil as you won’t need to use endless rolls to cover the tops of dishes or wrap up your lunch.
Envirtonment-conscious Homecare
Replace all your cleaning products with eco-friendly cleaning products or better yet make your own home cleaners.
Green Bathroom Tips
The easiest yet most overlooked eco-friendly tip is too turn off the water when you brush your teeth. This could save up to 8 gallons of water.
Take 5 minutes showers and lessen your hot water usage. This not only saves water and energy, but it also does your skin more good as hot water dries out your skin. If your shower takes awhile to heat up, save the running cold water in a bucket and use that in other parts of the home for example to either flush your toilet or use in the garden.
It may not be the most appealing idea, but only flush when necessary. Or better yet, install a toilet will a dual flushing system that allows you to flush with half the tank or a full tank depending on what is needed.
Green Transportation
Wash your car at a drive-through car wash on your way home one day. This saves on water and consumption and many car washes run their water off into sewer systems where the water is then treated before it travels back to nature.
Carpool with your friends to work or when taking your children to school and help lessen your carbon emissions. When possible utilize public transport and walk as much as possible. The physical activity is another added bonus for your health.
Go Green in the Garden
Use mulch to cover the tops of garden beds as this helps contain water when you water your plants. And only water your plants during the cooler hours of the day, this saves water and saves your plants being damaged by the water heating up.
Make sure no taps are leaking around and inside your home – this could save gallons of water a month.
If you have a pool, buy a pool cover to minimize evaporation.
More Tips for Conserving Energy and Reducing Waste
Say no to plastic bags. Instead of using multiple plastic bags when doing your shopping, opt to use a fabric bag or simply carry your goods if you can manage it.
Use energy-saving light bulbs in the home and only use your lights and other electrical devices when necessary. You can also turn off all the appliances in your home at the source instead of at the set to help lower energy usage and costs.
If you have pets, use an organic or greywater-safe pet shampoo and wash your pet on the lawn so the water serves double duty.
Sources:
- Ca.lifestyle.yahoo.com, 30 ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint (accessed July 20, 2010)
Rachael Pui - I graduated with a degree in Journalism and Marketing and used to work as an editor for a local community newspaper in Australia. However ...
