Green Alternatives to Everyday Items
The world is gradually moving towards a greener future. Renewable and clean energy is becoming more prominent. The public is more aware than ever of the destruction being caused by unsustainable practices. Because of this, there is a willingness to improve habits by shifting to a greener way of life. And this is being implemented across households, industry and commerce.
While you alone cannot change how the world works, you can contribute in your own small way. By practising a green way of life and teaching others the same, together we contribute to the greater whole. Minor changes to everyday items can help you achieve this.
Here are some ways you can get started with making a difference:
Energy Efficient LEDs and Rechargeable Batteries
Inefficient appliances and devices are among some of the worst culprits of wasted energy and increased carbon emissions. For example, for almost a century, filament light bulbs were used in practically every lighting device until low power, efficient bulbs were developed. These bulbs, available from outlets like LEPRO, are fitted with LED lights that use 75% less energy than traditional lighting solutions.
Batteries are also prominent in wastage. But you can save a lot of money and unnecessary carbon emissions by using rechargeable batteries. All major brands such as Duracell and Rayovac manufacture reusable alternatives to their popular batteries. For each rechargeable battery, 1,500 single-use batteries are spared from landfills and recycling.
Swapping disposable for reusables
If you look into your weekly waste, you might spot single-use items such as kitchen towel, water bottles and straws. By taking a look at these items – and seeing which ones you use frequently – you can begin to make big changes in the amount of stuff you throw away.
Kitchen rolls can be replaced with washable cloths – and you don’t need to buy anything new. Just cut up an old holey t-shirt of cotton bed sheet. People are switching to reusable fabric toilet paper to save money and help the planet, while menstrual products can also be replaced with washable pads or a reusable cup. Instead of clingfilm, look for items such as beeswax wraps. You can even make your own at home with beeswax and a piece of cotton, as this tutorial shows.
Reusable Food and Drink Containers
A massive scourge of the 21st Century is single-use food and drink containers. As well as the long degradation time, the manufacture of drink and food containers involves harmful processes. Such processes include toxic chemicals, carbon emissions, heavy metal particulates and polluted wastewater.
Reducing the amount of single-use containers has been a top priority over the past few years in conjunction with plastic reduction. As a result, reusable food and drink containers made from sustainable and/or recycled materials like bamboo and pine are now becoming widely available, as are recycled plastic water bottles.
In addition, biodegradable waste bags reduce the amount of plastic in the environment, and reusable food and drink containers help reduce carbon emissions and toxins on a massive scale.
Clothing & Other Textiles
The fashion and textile industry have an enormous impact on the environment, causing chemicals to leak into natural waterways while using an excess of energy and promoting waste. ‘Fast fashion’ is a term used to describe the main issues associated with popular high street brands, as they release new lines each and every week encouraging shoppers to buy clothing to wear no more than once or twice before mindlessly following the next trend. The same goes for home textiles and other similar products, as social media is reinforcing the push behind trends and popular styles which is now present in home interiors.
Choosing not to buy into such social constructs would be the most green option, but of course you still need to be able to source fashion and home textiles somehow! Thankfully you can explore a range of more environmentally friendly options, including thrift stores that stock secondhand goods, as well as eco-friendly independent textile businesses that are committed to producing more conscious lines. If you fall out of love with any of your clothing then do not throw it away – donate it to a thrift store or send it to a charity to make sure it can continue to serve its purpose rather than going to landfill.