Easy (Almost) Effortless Ways To Be More Eco-Friendly
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Thinking about trying to be a bit more eco-friendly, but honestly it just seems like a bit too much work?
Here are some really easy ways to adjust your lifestyle to become a bit more eco-friendly without much effort at all.
Bring out your lazy inner eco-warrior.
1) Turn off lights as you leave a room
Get into the habit of flicking that switch as you walk out the room.
Bonus: Using motion sensors for your lights means you don’t even have to switch them on yourself – the ultimate in lazy sustainability. Setting yourself up with smart lights means you can also control them from your phone app wherever you are, so you can even turn the lights on and off from in bed!
2) Go paperless
Next time you’re logged into your utility or banking provider, take a few seconds to toggle the button to go paperless, choosing to receive communications digitally.
Save unneccesary paper, postage and time.
3) Use a bamboo toothbrush
You’re brushing your teeth anyway right? So why not take a minute to order yourself some new bamboo toothbrushes and lower your plastic use. You can get them delivered to your door, so don’t worry, you don’t even have to leave the house.
4) Take shorter showers
This will lower your water bill, give you a little extra time back and save on energy.
5) Wash up in a bowl not under a tap
This saves approximately £25 a year. Or if you have one, use your dishwasher, which can actually be more efficient water wise than washing up by hand, especially if it has an eco mode.
6) Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of letter the water run cold each time you have a drink.
Then you’ve always got a nice cold drink ready. These swing top bottles are a popular choice for this, and fit perfectly in your fridge door.
7) Drink tap water instead of bottled
You’ll save cash this way too. Consider investing in a good reusable bottle, to take out and about with you – they can keep your drinks hot or cold for 12 hours!
8) Stop buying fast fashion
Take a break from clothes shopping and help your wallet and the planet. If you still want to switch up your wardrobe, try buying from charity shops or buy/sell apps and websites.
Read more: 5 great reasons to shop second hand
9) Turn off and unplug things that aren’t in use, especially overnight
Leaving things on standby still uses a surprising amount of electricity.
10) Adjust your thermostat
Just a few degrees either way is enough to make a difference. Use more or less layers of clothing before adjusting the heat.
11) Do your reading online
Newspapers, magazines, books…they’re all available online, so stop buying paper versions – you’ll save money too.
Try Kindle Unlimited free for 30 days – unlimited ebooks for a month!
12) Switch out wipes for reusable alternatives
Try reusable versions instead of wipes such as these make up remover pads – you can just throw them in the wash with your regular laundry.
Read more: 7 simple sustainable swaps
13) Wash your laundry on a lower temperature
Most items will get just as clean washed on a colder cycle – and it’s much more eco friendly.
14) Recycle your clothes
Donating clothes rather than throwing them away both helps stop waste them at landfill and gives other people the chance to buy secondhand and be more sustainable than buying new.
15) Buy locally
Buying locally helps reduce environmental impacts such as pollution caused by transportation, and local business will appreciate the support, so it’s a win-win.
There are tons more adjustments you can make and easy ways to be eco friendly, like buying sustainable gifts, but these are some of quickest and easiest ways to make simple changes without breaking a sweat.
