An environmentally friendly lifestyle doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. Small changes to our lifestyles can save money as well as lower our carbon footprint.
You’ll notice our green list includes some green lifestyle hacks that you are probably already doing ,or accustomed to hearing, as well as new ones. All of these green hacks are easy to fit into your life and are easy on the pocket book. A definite win-win!
Earth day doesn’t need to be only one day a year. Make every day April 22 with these easy, economical green lifestyle changes.
Clothing & Accessories
Another Chance. By purchasing clothes and accessories used we save money, reduces manufacturing pollutants, and keep old clothes out of landfills. Next time you are in the market for some new shoes, bracelets, or purse, consider buying gently used at your local thrift store, second hand shop, consignment shop, garage sale, and let’s not forget eBay.
Give away or donate your old clothes instead of throwing them in the trash.
- Clothing swap is a great excuse to get together with friends. Have them bring their clothes, and accessories. Make a day or evening out of it; maybe with some wine or mimosas? Help the environment while also having a great time.
Sniff Test. According to NPS.gov, the average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load and the average dryer accounts for about 6% of a home’s energy consumption. We can lower our water and energy consumption by:
- only washing our clothes when they smell
- make each load a full load
- use cold water for laundry, this small switch, for 1 year, would result in enough energy to power a car for 421 miles!
- Dry full loads of laundry. Even better, utilize a drying rack or clothes line to really save some green and help the planet.
- Switch to fragrance free and environmentally friendly laundry products, dryer sheets, or wool dryer balls. Fragranced laundry products have been found to emit VOC’s. While standard laundry detergents include surfactants and phosphates both of which contribute to problems with in our water ways.
- Clean lint screen after every dryer load, improves circulation and efficiency.
Feeling eco-crafty? You can DIY your own laundry detergents and wool dryer balls! This will most certainly save money and the planet will thank you. Bonus, making your own products will make you feel so accomplished!
Here are some great blogs to help you out:
- Detergent- Kelly Dixon at The Smart School House has a 3 Ingredient Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe that OK for HE machines. Her post has great pictures and a video tutorial to help make this batch of laundry detergent.
- Dryer Laundry ball- Erika at A Little Insanity has a great DIY wool dryer ball tutorial. Her tutorial is so complete, that I feel I might be able to pull off making a few of these! Trust me, that is saying something.
Household
Thermostat, switch out the old for one with an energy star rating. According to energy.gov, we can save up 10% on the heating and cooling of our homes by simply turning the thermostat back by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day.
- Winter, set the thermostat to 68 while you are awake, turn it back a few degrees while you sleep
- Summer, try it at 78 while you are awake.
Water heater. Set your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Energy.gov has found that switching from manufacture recommendation of 140 to 120 degrees will result in a significant amount of money and energy saved every year. Bonus, turning down the water heater will also reduce mineral deposits and corrosion of your water pipes. Saving energy, saving money on energy and repair bills!
CAUTION: always consult your water heater’s owner’s manual before adjusting your settings!
Kitchen, like so much of our households, holds room for eco-improvement.
- Dishwasher, run only when full and choose eco-friendly, biodegradable, and plant-based dishwashing products. These will clean without harmful bleaching agents and phosphates.
Food
- Need warm or boiling water? An electric tea kettle can help and for less money than using the stove top. There are so many different types to choose from and many price points. It is easy to find an electric tea kettle for most budgets.
- Make soups, stew, and meals in the crockpot. Using the oven and stove incur costs and energy usage, but they also can warm up the house. This can be a problem in the warmer months, causing the AC to be used more often. Save fossil fuel and money by using your slow cooker. The meal will be just as warm and tasty, but more environmentally friendly!
- Local is where its at. Local is defined by the Farm Act as any food that’s origin is no more than 400 miles from its end point. Local food is healthier, not only due to its smaller carbon foot print, since it has spent less time in transit, it still has many of its vitamins and minerals intact. Buying local food will save energy, pollutants, and benefits our local growers and producers.
- Skip the Red Meat. The raising and producing of beef is very resource intensive. In comparison to other meat and vegetables, beef ,and lamb production, has been found to account for 10 to 40 times more green house gas emissions than vegetables and grains. To boot, it takes 840 gallons of water to produce 1 serving of red meat! This is an area where small changes really can make a big impact on our environment.
Bathroom
Water off. The average sink faucet will pump out 3 gallons a minute. Make sure to turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth.
Showering saves more water than taking a bath. Switch out your old for showerhead for a low-flow version and get ready to save cash and water. This small switch saves ½ gallon of water per minute.
Faucets and Aerator upgrades can save 700 gallons of water per year, which equates to about 40 showers. Look for the Water Sense certification. These are inexpensive fixes that can really make a difference for your wallet and the planet.
Out and About
Coffee Break. Many coffee shops will allow you to bring your own travel mug and give you a small discount on the fill, like Starbucks for example.
Save your card board coffee sleeves and re-use the next time you grab some java. Or purchase a super cute knit coffee sleeve off of Etsy. I was gifted a cute pink knit sleeve with a yellow flower years ago. I love it!
BYOW, bring your own water. Americans consume 3.3 million water bottles an hour! Unfortunately, only 1/5th of those will be recycled. Break the cycle by purchasing a reusable water bottle. From the grocery store to Amazon, it’s easier than ever to find a reusable water bottle that fits your budget and lifestyle.
Just say no, to plastic grocery bags. I know this has been said before, but Americans are still using them. To the tune of 100 billion plastic grocery bags a year and they account for 8 % of litter. Leave some canvas bags in the car so they’re always ready for the next shopping trip.
April 22 is officially Earth day but will these small changes every day can be Earth day at you house.
Your Turn
Do you have any eco-friendly hacks that work for you? We’d love hear them!
