How to Be Eco Friendly: 7 Fantastic Tips

Did you know that since 2021, 85% of industries and consumers are making efforts to purchase more environmentally friendly products? In addition, more than a third of consumers worldwide are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

If you're wondering how to be eco-friendly in your everyday life, you'll first need to take an honest look at your daily habits. Although it might feel overwhelming initially, you can easily learn simple eco-friendly tips that you can implement today.

Keep reading this guide to learn seven fantastic eco-friendly tips that will reduce your carbon footprint! 

1. Reduce Your Food Waste

In the United States, 108 billion pounds of food are wasted each year. Not only does food waste cost a lot of money, but it wastes precious environmental resources too.

When food goes to waste, the water, labor, and energy that goes into producing the food are also wasted.

In addition, food in landfills can produce high levels of methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is one of the leading causes of global warming.

The good news is you can make small changes that will make a significant impact. You can start by not buying more food than you need at the grocery store. Doing this prevents food from spoiling before you can eat it.

You can also freeze food you can't eat immediately and make creative recipes with your leftovers instead of throwing them out.

2. Start Composting Food Scraps

Composting is a fantastic way to recycle your home's organic waste. It's a natural process that converts organic food materials into nutrient-rich mulch or soil. When you compost your food, you're caring for the environment by giving back to it.

You can find compost bins or tumblers on Amazon and often at local hardware stores or Walmart. It's also a good idea to check if your city or town offers a community composting program.

In addition, some local municipalities have rules for the types of bins you can use, so be sure to get this information before you begin.

There are only certain foods you can compost at home, which include:

• Food and vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds
• Paper coffee filters
• Paper tea bags without staples
• Crushed eggshells
• Grains like bread and cereals
• Nutshells
• Fruit pits

Avoid composting food like meat, fish, bones, and dairy products. These types of foods tend to attract animals and insects to your compost pile.

3. Be Conscious With Your Water Usage

Saving valuable resources is a significant part of caring for the planet. Most people don't realize how much water they waste doing simple tasks at home.

The best part is you can begin making changes today. An excellent place to start is in the kitchen. Be sure to wait to run the dishwasher until it's full. When washing dishes by hand, turn off the water when you're not actively rinsing dishes.

When you're brushing your teeth, don't leave the water running the entire time. 

Finally, check to ensure the toilets, faucets, and showers aren't leaking. It's also a good idea to replace old fixtures with water-efficient fixtures.

4. Bike or Walk to Work

Passenger vehicles are one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. 

Switching to eco-friendly transportation like biking, walking, or public transportation is key to preventing climate change.

Some workplaces offer incentives for taking public transportation, so be sure to ask if this is an option for you. Also, many cities and towns have bike-share programs. These programs allow you to rent a bike to commute to work.

5. Use Less Plastic

Have you ever thought about how many products are packaged in plastic? Many products are packed in single-use plastics that you use once and throw away. Most of these plastics end up polluting the environment or in landfills.

Also, many people use plastic bags when they go grocery shopping and use plastic water bottles.

So, make a conscious effort to look for products that are packaged in glass, which is more environmentally friendly. Purchase reusable bags instead of plastic bags, and carry a reusable water bottle to avoid buying plastic bottles.

6. Buy From Eco-Friendly Companies

It's essential to remember that producing new products takes a lot of materials and energy to make. As a result, many brands are now taking significant steps to become more eco-friendly overall.

You can easily find clothing brands investing in eco-friendly production processes that save energy and waste. Before you do your shopping again, take the time to research different companies. Find out how they plan to reduce their impact on the environment.

You should also look at what eco-friendly companies like these carbon capture technology companies are doing to help the environment.

Finally, consider buying secondhand clothes. Many secondhand clothes stores and resale websites will allow you to keep your closet full of stylish clothes without impacting the environment.

7. Cut Down Your Energy Use at Home

Finally, there are many ways you can cut back on your energy use at home. First, unplug appliances when you aren't using them. Also, when possible, wash your clothes with cold water and consider using a drying rack or hanging your clothes outside on a clothesline.

You'll also want to look for drafts in your home. Check the seals around your doors and windows. Caulking these cracks will keep the hot and cold air out, which cuts down your energy use and reduces energy costs. 

Adding insulation in your attic, basement, and floors over crawl spaces will save you an average of 11% on energy costs.

You can also consider switching your appliances to ENERGY STAR appliances, which meet strict energy-efficiency standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Learning How to Be Eco-Friendly

Now that you have some tips on how to be eco-friendly, you can start making changes today.

Remember, small changes can make a huge difference and reduce your carbon footprint significantly. Over time, you can look to make more changes, such as switching to solar panels.

To learn more environmental and energy industry tips, check out the rest of our blog today!