8 *Small* Changes You Can Make To Live A More Eco-Friendly Life!

Climate change, massive carbon footprints, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, heat waves and increasing landfills are all very real issues. Knowingly or unknowingly most of us make small, seemingly harmless choices in our everyday lives without understanding the impact they have on the environment. Add to this depletion of natural resources and the environmental impact is extensive and practically irreversible. Every day, we are running out of essential resources. The choices we make lead to insurmountable amounts of waste polluting the oceans and growing landfills. If you have finally gotten around to understanding that sustainable living is the only way forward, here’s saluting you! 

Wondering how to do your bit for the environment?

Most people would believe that it’s inconvenient, expensive and requires too much effort to live a greener and happier life. But the truth is that it takes just a few small steps to live more mindfully. Here are 8 easy ways all of us can live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Save Water

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This one is the easiest and perhaps the most obvious way we can reduce the impact we have on mother nature. We must save water, and it’s the easiest thing you can do. If you thought that this was a global concern, one that would never affect a country that receives abundant rainfall in most parts, please read up on India’s water crisis. It is proof that this IS a global issue that requires our attention, immediately.

Here are a few ways you can save water every day:  

• Take quicker showers, bathe with a bucket if you can. Think of all the people you will be helping that don’t have access to clean groundwater. Put an egg timer into your bathroom so that you don’t end up wasting water while you shower.
• Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth and wash your face. This small change could save a LOT of water in the long run. 
• Flush mindfully, use the half flush method if you can.
• Turn on the washing machine and the dishwasher only there is a full load.
• Get water-saving shower heads installed in your apartment.
• Fix any leaky taps, every drop counts.

Recycle and reuse

Learn the art of recycling and upcycling things. A simple Google search will yield you thousands of ways you can recycle absolutely anything you lay your hands on. Old clothes, rugs, bottles, appliances, everything can be upcycled into something meaningful. Buy things only when absolutely necessary, adopt a minimalistic approach in life. It’s proven to improve every aspect of your life! 

Eliminate single-use plastic

Plastic pollution and increasing landfills of single-use trash are two of the biggest global problems we currently face. We have accumulated way more garbage than we know what to do with and invariably this plastic pollution lands up in our oceans threatening marine life. This is a problem that we can all eliminate, one small change at a time. Here’s how:

• Say no to plastic bags, carry a cute tote when you go shopping instead. It looks cuter and the environment will thank you! Did you know that it takes anywhere between 15-1000 years for a plastic bag to decompose? Imagine how much of a difference you can make by just replacing your grocery bag?
• Say no to plastic straws, buy multi-use steel straws instead.
• Buy yourself a reusable coffee cup to encourage you to say no to single-use coffee cups.
• Use a glass water bottle instead of disposable plastic bottles.
• Replace your menstrual pads with menstrual cups instead.

Grow your own vegetables

Have a small garden installed in your backyard or balcony and grow your own veggies. Even if you can’t grow too much, grow your own herbs. Every single plant has the potential to purify the air we breathe. 

• Be a responsible adult and mother some houseplants.
• Encourage your friends and family to surround themselves with greenery too
• Learn the art of composting – It will make your garden greener and your flowers bloom faster. 

Turn off

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These simple tips can save you thousands of rupees on your monthly electric bill and reduce your energy output.  

• Turn off all the appliances from the main switch instead of simply putting them into sleep mode. I’m talking about your televisions, WiFi routers, music systems and air conditioners.
• Turn off the lights during the day – open the blinds, let the daylight seep in! 
• Not to sound like your mom, but turn off the lights if you’re not sitting in the room.
• Use sustainable electric items like CFL’s and LED’s – they may cost more in the short term, but in the long run they will save you thousands. They consume less electricity and last much longer than conventional choices.
• Buy rechargeable batteries for your appliances.
• Air-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer.
• Invest in appliances that are environmentally friendly and conserve more energy.

Make sustainable fashion choices

Whenever you can afford to or have the choice to always pick sustainable fashion over fast fashion. It might be harder and more expensive, but learn to invest in quality pieces that will last you for years rather than cheap 3-4 time use clothing. It’s going to help declutter your home and your life. Most of us have the tendency to hoard on things because they’re cheap. I recommend you watch some of Marie Kondo and recycle and donate the things that no longer spark joy in your life. Support and invest your money into brands that are more conscious of their footprints. 

Go paperless

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Do you know how many trees are in that one sheet of paper? Think twice before you take that print out, do you really need it? It’s very simple for all of us to live a paperless life in this digital age. We’re all glued to our phones anyway so why not cut out the paper? 

• Making digital copies of things instead of taking print outs.
• Opt for e-bills, e-magazines and newspapers.
• Unsubscribe from all junk mail.
• Use less toilet paper or none at all.
• Invest in reusable glass containers instead of paper and plastic ones.

Carpool and use public transport

If you live in India, chances are you will roll your eyes at this point. But we’re getting there. The condition of our public transport is improving a little every single day. Give it a shot. 

• Carpool or uber/ola pool. You might end up meeting some interesting people if nothing else.
• Take the bus or the train.
• Walk or ride a bike to work, your waistline will thank you too.

Let’s all do our bit for mother nature, shall we?

Featured Image: Instagram

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