Going Green: Where To Start

 

Sustainability is becoming more and more mainstream. I’m noticing in conversations with my neighbours and even in a checkout queue that more people are doing things to make a difference and live a more green life.

With the right approach, it is possible to make changes to how you live and make both your home and lifestyle a little more sustainable, and all without too much stress.

You’ll find too that once you start making changes to lead a more sustainable life, it becomes a lot easier than you might think to keep them up, as well as implementing new greener steps into your lifestyle.

The hardest part is getting started, as there always seems to be a lot to think about and take into account. With that in mind, below are a few useful pointers to help you to get started, allowing you to add a green touch to your lifestyle and your home.

Think about your energy 

A great starting point when it comes to making changes, is to focus on your energy consumption. The amount of energy that you use to power your home (and your lifestyle) has a big impact on the environment.

Using a resource, like Think Renewable, to find out about what your options are when it comes to taking steps to lead a more environmentally conscious lifestyle and change the way energy is supplied to your home, can be exceedingly useful. Instead of using environmentally damaging energy, consider opting to swap to using clean, renewable energy in your home. Here at home we use a green energy supplier which relies on renewable energy to power our house.

Walk more, drive less

It’s a simple concept but if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, limiting car journeys can make a huge difference. Instead of driving everywhere, think of some ways that you can reduce your vehicle use. For shorter journeys you could walk. You might want to think about getting a bike for routes that are too far, or would take too long, to walk. If you’re going to cycle, it might be worth taking a cycling safety course, to make sure that you know how to safely navigate the roads and stay safe while out and about on your bike.

When you do need to travel by vehicle, consider taking public transport, such as a bus or a train to help reduce the impact your journey will have on the environment. Another option is to start car sharing – there are plenty of apps that can be used to source car sharing buddies to travel with, should you need to find some.

Start buying second hand 

An easy change to make is to stop buying brand new items and to start buying second hand ones. From clothes to furniture – and everything in between – opt to buy pre-loved items rather than new ones wherever possible. It might seem like a small change but by cutting back on what you’re buying new, you will significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, you could save yourself a lot of money at the same time.

There are lots of options for buying items second hand, from shopping online on sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace to buying from charity shops, auctions and junk sales. Buying second hand items is super simple to do and is also extremely budget-friendly, making it a great option if you’re trying to keep your costs down as well as leading a greener life.

Repair, refurbish and reuse 

It’s far too easy to get into the habit of throwing things out when they appear broken, instead of attempting to fix them. However, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more earth conscious life, it’s important to get into the habit of not simply throwing things away when they break or you no longer like how they look. Instead, it’s a smart move to take the time to think about how you can fix, refurbish and reuse them.

Take your old dining table, for example. Perhaps it’s too small for family meal times now and you need to replace it with something larger. Instead of chucking it away, consider how you could refurbish and reuse it. Could you turn it into a desk for your little ones to use for arts and crafts? Or, could you seal it and use it as an outdoor table? Before you decide to throw an item away, take the time to think carefully about what it could be used for.

Stop using single-use items 

Another simple way to lead a greener life is to stop using single-use items whenever possible. Instead of buying things like disposable sandwich bags, opt to use reusable packaging. Swap out disposable makeup wipes for reusable makeup remover pads. Switch from using disposable plastic bottles and instead buy glass alternatives and use refills for them.

These kinds of changes might seem small but they can make a big difference to your carbon footprint, especially when continued over time. So, if you’re serious about leading a greener and more earth conscious life, then it’s important that you make these changes and stick to them.

There you have it, a few simple steps for how you can start to make your home, as well as your day-to-day life, a little more green. It will take time to adjust to the changes and implementing them won’t be an instant fix, but over time you can begin to lead a far more eco-conscious life.