10 Easy Ways to be an Eco-Warrior
I know, I know. Adding in eco-warrior to all the other things you already do seems so hard!
We know we need to do good things for the planet but actually implementing them and living green can be so overwhelming! A bit like healthy eating.
Well, I would give you the same advice as I do about healthy eating……..baby steps.
Just start doing one or two things here and there when you can. Today, I’m not going to tell you to buy chickens, compost and start a vege garden (even though those things are amazing). I have some really easy ideas for you that don’t require that much effort, just a little bit of thought.
I also like to think that by implementing these small things into our daily lives, our kids will learn by example and go on to be eco-warriors themselves. Of course, being eco-friendly usually means you also save money. It’s a win/win really!
Here are 10 easy ways to be an eco-warrior.
♥ Stop buying books, newspapers and magazines.
Okay, the one exception I make is for good cookbooks, non-fiction books or kids’ books that you will use over and over again and lend to friends. Even the, I try to source from the op shop!
However, one-off fiction, magazines or newspapers are things you don’t have to buy. You can either go digital, invest in an e-book reader or you can hire them for free from your local library.
♥ Turn off stand-by appliances.
Go around the house at night and turn off at the wall all those appliances that use stand-by power. Things like microwaves, tvs, dvd players, aircons, computers, modems and phone chargers. You would be surprised at how much energy these appliances use and cost you over a year!
♥ Buy more local stuff.
Next time you shop, challenge yourself to buy as locally as you can. Swap overseas brands to Australian ones. All those food miles cost our environment.
♥ Make the op shop your first stop.
If you need something, check to see if the op-shop has it first. You would be surprised at some of the good things you can find at an op-shop. There is usually a huge array of homewares, toys, furniture and clothes to choose from.
Why buy new drinking glasses when you can pick up nice ones from the op shop for 20c?! Further to this idea, you could swap things amongst your friends or check out garage sales. If you are new to op shopping, check out my top op shop tips.
♥ Full loads.
Whether it’s the dishwasher, the washing machine or the dryer, make sure you have a full load before you turn it on.
♥ Carpool.
Heading out to meet friends or taking the kids to sport? See if you can organize lifts and get as many people in the car as you can!
♥ Use an eco-bag for gifts.
As well as looking funky, giving gifts in reusable eco-bags encourages more people to use them. Of course there is no waste either. I love the LOQI ones – super cool and so lightweight.
♥ Buy in bulk.
Buying in bulk reduces the need for lots of packaging. Join a co-op or buy online and fill up your recycled glass jars! We have recently bought laundry and dishwashing liquid in bulk and I would recommend this to everyone. Check out the 20 litre tubs of Abode cleaning products.
♥ Switch shower heads.
Get yourself a water-saving shower head – they aren’t expensive or hard to install. They can be easily found at your local hardware store. You will not notice the difference but you will notice the savings!
♥ Make notebooks.
Cut up all the used paper from your home office or kids’ school work into squares. Staple it in one corner. You have just made your own notebook for shopping lists and phone messages.
So there you go. Easy huh? Can you give any of these a try? Do you already do some of these?
What other small steps can you add to this list?
You might also like to read:
How to store fruit and vegetables without plastic
Smart Swaps for Single Use Plastics