How to become more Eco-Friendly - Get Started Guide
The alarming data surrounding climate change is making more people consider their environmental footprint.
If you’re wanting to learn more eco friendly then we’ve put together a handy guide on some of your day-to-day products and small changes you can make that can help reduce your carbon footprint.
You don’t need to turn your whole life upside-down to start becoming more eco friendly.
Get started with a few changes, and soon you will notice the difference in the rest of your eco-friendly choices!
Here are some simple ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint, and get you started to become more eco friendly.
1. Turn electricals off
Turning lights off when you leave a room is a good start, but you can go even further by turning electrical equipment off standby.
The average household in the UK can save a staggering £80 per year by switching off electricals at the plug!
So it’s not just friendly for the environment, but for your pocket too. You can go one step further and get a Smart Plug, so you can turn your electricals on and off at times that suit you. Check them out on Amazon
2. Energy efficient products
3. Conserve water
Most of us are familiar with the concept of not running the water whilst we brush our teeth – but we’re still very wasteful within other ways!
Filling up the kettle to just the right amount helps reduce the amount of energy needed to boil. Taking a shower vs a bath is often a quick way to reduce wastewater.
Adding a dual flush feature is also an inexpensive way to make a difference.
4. Drive less
Driving less is often seen as an impracticality for those who drive a lot for work or leisure.
However, we can all do our bit to take fewer car journeys. Reducing even the small trips to the shop can make a big impact on your carbon footprint!
Don’t forget about public transport, riding your bike, or even carpooling with your friends/co-workers!
5. Eat less meat (especially red meat)
Our meat consumption has a terrible impact on the environment.
Did you know that one burger causes more CO2 emissions as driving a car 200 miles?
The average household in the UK uses around 150 litres of water a day. That includes all showers/baths, drinking water and every time the toilet flushes. To get a burger on your plate, it takes over 3,000 litres of water to get it there.
This comes from the maintenance of the land, crops to feed the animals, their drinking water. You can read more here.
It is important that as a planet we take steps to eat less meat, but you can do it gradually, eating one less meal with meat each week, or go all the way with a plant-based diet. If you do buy meat, buy it locally so the environmental impact is lower.
6. Cut down on single use plastics
Cutting down on your plastics can help reduce the waste building up in our oceans and rivers which are contaminating the seas and destroying marine life.
In addition to the damage plastic causes to animals, when plastic is burned it releases a large number of dangerous toxins which are released into the atmosphere.
Making a conscious decision to reduce your plastic consumption can have a significant impact on the environment.
Since the UK introduced the ‘plastic bag tax’ the number of single-use plastic carrier bags sold is down 90%.
You can find reusable ones on Amazon for relatively cheap!
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide has given you an introduction on how to be more eco friendly.
There are changes on this list that we can all make to improve our environmental impact. If they seem a bit overwhelming, just start at the top of the list try it for a week!
Once you give it a go, you will find even more ways to help reduce your carbon footprint.
If this article made you even more curious about being eco friendly and you want to keep up to date with the latest eco-friendly tips, news and products, then check out our blog.