5 Simple Tips For Green Living

Looking for ways to minimize your environmental impact and aren’t sure where to start? Adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle for 2022 is a great chance to begin the new year on the right foot.

That doesn’t necessarily mean expensive measurements; by changing your habits with small actions you will not only save money, cut your carbon footprint, decrease your home’s waste, and improve the quality of the Earth but also, improve your overall wellbeing.

You can either start by considering reusing materials instead of tossing them to the landfill and then recycling, switching lights off when you leave a room, choosing low-water and drought-resistant plants, going digital (the more you do online, the less you need paper).

To help you to be kinder to the planet, we’ve put together some of the simplest ways to make your life greener and healthier.

• Use alternative ways of transports

Walking or simply using an alternative method of transportation such as a bicycle helps you to maintain your heart pumping at a good rate, and your circulation improves while reducing greenhouse emissions and CO2.

According to the British Heart Foundation statistics, coronary heart disease and stroke are the most significant cause of death; nearly 170,000 people a year. It is essential to take care of this factor, whatever your age is. However, the older we get, the more we should get active to avoid risks.

The good news is never too late to start to build up new healthy habits, so why not consider commuting more responsible whenever we can?

• Eat well, eat consciously

Every day we make food decisions, including costs, freshness, packaging, taste and culture. The concern around food is that globally, 1 in 9 people are hungry, and 2 in 10 are obese due to inequalities and food trends, such as extreme avocado consumption. Each requires up to 320 litres of water to grow.

When we buy food from intensive resources GHG producing such as processed food and meat, these impact our health by increasing allergies, obesity, and social implications in agriculture rules.

If you are up for a more sustainable diet, avoid wasting food or use them by composting at home and creating nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants. Also, buy organic when you can, eat less low carbon food such as dairy and processed meat or simply have more local and seasonal fruits/vegetables.

When at work, consider bringing your lunch in reusable containers. It’s good for you, good for the planet, and good for your wallet. Eliminate plastic and look for eco-friendly alternatives: take your lunch in a reusable insulated bag or another carrier, with a cool pack if needed and use reusable containers, utensils, napkins, and cups or bottles.

Buying lunches every day almost inevitably ends up with a mountain of packaging waste and is way more expensive than making your own too. Fast food and fast-casual restaurants often serve meals in single-use, throw away packaging that ends up in landfills or sometimes on the side of the road.

• Save water, reduce your bill

According to the Government report on water supplies homes with high-efficiency appliances save about 30 per cent of water usage. Benefits of these appliances are, for instance, maintaining treatment costs on pumps and heat water low, which helps prevent air pollution and takes costs down of finances.

Start by only using as much water as you need. That will save both water and the energy needed to heat it. Also, regularly check all water-using appliances to prevent any leaks and replace old appliances if required. Replace your old toilets or consider some extra options. Did you know you can get dual-flush toilets or water-saving devices for toilet cisterns that reduce water per flush?

Consider switching to a water meter, so you pay for only the water you use. Invest the money you save into water-saving devices and plumbing, such as rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling systems. That will help you keep the environment healthy and prevent anxiety when the bill is due.

• Improve the air quality in your home

A green home is not only efficient in terms of energy costs and emissions but is also quite satisfactory in terms of improving the air quality.

Don’t underestimate indoor air pollution produced from cooking and heating with traditional coal stoves and toxic chemicals; that may cause mild headaches, fatigue and dry eyes, and allergies. Choose BLEN energy sources such as biogas, liquefied petroleum gas, electricity, and natural gas.

When revamping your home, paint your walls or furniture using non-toxic colours (low-VOC). Sometimes, a simple gesture of changing air by opening windows regularly or choosing the right plants for your lounge can improve the quality of your home environment, too.

• Get social

Living eco-friendly is not only about saving the planet and eating well. It also includes the community. Get informed about your area’s activities or find your network on social media, for example, volunteering for your community garden/backyard or cleaning the beach.

Join groups and make friends while building social connections among people who share your same values; this keeps you healthy, mentally and physically fit. The planet will thank you, too.