Making selective collections, turning off the lights, moving by bicycle… are small care and daily actions that, if integrated into people’s daily lives, can do a lot, contributing to the protection of the Planet. So here are the green habits to adopt immediately to help save the Planet.
Simple daily actions and green measures can also be used while traveling. Each of them can make a difference and contribute to the preservation of our Planet. Here are 10 green habits we can all adopt both at home and on vacation:
1. Do not buy plastic bottles
Plastic bottles are one of the biggest contributors to our mountains of landfills. One million bottles are used every minute, and only 9% of these can be recycled. The rest accumulates in our landfills and often ends up in the ocean, where experts say there will be more plastic than fish by 2050. A sustainable alternative is to use a bottle when traveling, choose tap water whenever possible (which can be purified through special filters), and prefer water in glass bottles.
2. Recycling: one of the good green habits
It may seem trivial, but recycling is critical to our environment at home and on the road. Most cities now have a recycling system, but if your city where you are on vacation does not yet practice recycling … then you can start! And don’t forget to teach it to the little ones too. According to bbc , recycling half of your waste reduces CO2 and pollutant gases emitted into the atmosphere by between 150 and 200 kilos per year.
3. Plant a tree
Planting a tree in your garden is one of the best ways to reduce air pollution. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, improving the air in cities with positive effects on our health. The more trees there are, the cleaner the air will be.
4. Save water
Water is a precious commodity that, unfortunately, is not unlimited. Yet, thanks to technology, it is now possible to purify and reuse it, not just take a shorter shower and turn off the tap while brushing our teeth. With some effort, you can take a few simple steps to reduce consumption of this precious commodity.
5. Save electricity
To avoid waste and excessive energy consumption, why not install energy-saving LED bulbs in your home? A small investment was useful for the protection of the Planet that will lower your bills because they consume 75% less energy than normal ones. In addition, in your ecological chalet at home or on vacation, always remember to turn off the lights and turn off all devices and appliances when you are not using them.
6. Dedicate yourself to self-production
Homemade food, natural soaps, preserves, jams, body creams, or herbal teas …. l ‘ self-production is one of the fundamental options to save money and live more sustainably. Just think of the CO2 emissions we avoid by giving up our car trip to go to the supermarket to get what we can self-produce. The trip is avoided with the products (which often come from far away) and the packaging is saved. Sometimes, a few simple ingredients are enough to produce what we need at home. An example? You can make ecological and natural cleaners using lemon, vinegar or orange peels.
7. Choose sustainable mobility
To eliminate your carbon footprint, choose the train instead of the car, avoid cruises and, when you can, try to get around by bike. Of course, it is always better to choose public transport to move around and avoid more air pollution. But when that’s not possible, organize or participate in ridesharing! In addition to being more environmentally friendly, your trips will also be more fun and you will have the opportunity to meet new people.
8. Pay attention to expenses.
In Western countries, around 670 million tons of food is thrown away every year, even if it is still packaged. That’s more than 95 kilos per capita per year. It is therefore necessary to learn how to shop, to choose the necessary quantities of food without being influenced by offers and to avoid wastage. It is better not to overfill the fridge: a full fridge consumes much more. Finally, it is important to buy organic and local products, supporting the virtuous economy and the short supply chain. This also reduces CO2 emissions associated with the movement of food products. And, if you are lucky enough to have a farmer’s market close to home, choose it over the supermarket!
9.Use second-hand items
A cell phone, an old-fashioned dress, coffee grounds, an old bicycle… everything has a second life.
In an increasingly consumerist society: we immediately tend to throw away what is broken and then immediately buy a new product. But what if instead of throwing it away, we fix it by giving it a second life? Fruit and vegetable scraps can become compost for the garden, an old cotton T-shirt makes an excellent dust rag, not to mention that many items can be bought second-hand.
10. Choose washable diapers
Did you know that disposable diapers produce 15% of non-recyclable waste? In addition to being expensive for families (around 1,500 euros per child), they damage the environment and irritate the skin. That’s why, if you have to take care of a newborn, the right solution is washable cloth diapers, ecological and reusable in addition to not irritating the baby’s skin.
As a final task, we just have to apply these 10 simple green habits and share our new lifestyle with friends and family for a more sustainable world!