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Leading a sustainable life means thinking eco-friendly in every decision we make. That includes products we purchase as well. Here are four amazing ideas.
If you think pollution is a widespread issue all over the world, you would be right. Even with all the information we have today, very few people recycle things like plastic. A recent study suggests that only nine percent of plastic gets recycled. Because of plastic pollution alone, experts believe that over 1 million seabirds die each year.
There are lots of steps people living in your home can take to help protect this incredible planet we live on. These days, there are more eco-friendly products available than ever before, including reusable items, cleaning products, and many more.
If young people are living under your roof, setting an example is one of the best ways of showing them how easy it is to recycle plastics and other items around the house. Try to keep the environment in mind every time you purchase a new product. Young people are very impressionable, and they often copy what older people in a household do. Setting a good example might encourage them to follow suit.
Reusable Bags
Almost twenty years ago, the Republic of Ireland was the first country in Europe to charge people for plastic bags. Before 2002, customers were offered at least one free plastic bag every time they purchased an item in a grocery store. Although the government pleaded with people to reuse their old bags, very few did until they were forced to pay 33 cents for each bag when they were at the checkout counter. The government-funded a huge advertising campaign to educate people on recycling and why they were forcing people to pay for something they had been getting for free all their lives. The public reaction was incredible, and plastic bag use dropped significantly almost overnight. Within a couple of weeks, it seemed like everyone around Ireland was reusing bags. A lot of other countries in Europe were keeping a close eye on their Irish neighbors, and down the line, they all enforced similar laws.
However, you don’t have to reuse a plastic bag bought for 33 cents from your local grocery store. Instead, there are stylish reusable bags, most of which are made from recycled material. In comparison to basic plastic bags, these bags tend to be a lot stronger, allowing you to carry heavy items without the worry of the bag breaking.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we seem to be spending a lot more time cleaning our homes than before. However, a lot of the cleaning products readily available use harsh, dangerous chemicals. However, there are cleaning products available that are naturally derived, non-toxic, and biodegradable.
Manufacturers who make these eco-friendly products keep in mind people’s safety and the well-being of the planet. A lot of these brands that sell these items give back to the community by supporting different projects.
However, you can save money by making eco-friendly cleaning products yourself. There are plenty of videos on streaming sites like YouTube with tutorials on how you can make the products from ingredients you have lying around your home. A lot of cleaning products can cost a lot of money, so not only are you helping out the environment, you will also be saving yourself some cash too!
Reusable Straws
Most of us know how bad plastic straws are for the environment. The worst thing about plastic straws is that they are only designed to be used once, and when a person is finished drinking from them, it’s time to throw them in the bin. Plastic straws have proved to be a complete disaster for the environment.
So you might be wondering how you are going to have a cocktail party without using plastic straws? Luckily, there are lots of reusable straws made from different materials available. Stainless steel straws have become extremely popular in recent years and here are some of the benefits:
- Safe and easy to use: Although glass straws look good, they can easily break. Children love to drink from straws, however, if a child were to break a glass straw while handling one, it could cause a serious accident. Stainless steel straws are safe and almost impossible to break with your hands
- Easy to clean: Bamboo straws are another popular eco-friendly straw widely available, however, due to the uneven surface they are often hard to clean. Stainless steel straws are easy to clean, and they are rust-proof too so they will last a lot longer. If you buy stainless steel in bulk you often get a free cleaning device for free.
- They are cheap: You can go online and find reusable straws for less than $2. Not bad for an item you can keep for many years.
Harmful by-products are used to make plastic straws which will over time find their way into the planet’s environment. Once the straw is thrown away, it might end up in a river or the ocean. This can cause harm to wildlife and ecosystems too.
Do It Yourself Eco-Friendly Home Products
Instead of spending your hard-earned money on expensive products, why not consider making your own.
- DIY dishwashing tablets: First, get two cups of baking soda, two cups of washing soda, half a cup of citric acid, and twenty drops of essential oil. Then you must mix the dry ingredients together and gradually add vinegar. After it is mixed well you must add whatever essential oils you want. Once your mix is complete you must put it into an ice container and leave it there for 24 hours.
- Eco-Friendly Labels: You can change the design of the label yourself, add your own logo, or make your own hang tags. These are great sustainable quilt labels, labels for your clothes, or even for electronic devices.
- Bug repellent spray: Bugs like mosquitoes are harmful pests that can put you and your family in serious danger. Although bug spray is a necessity, especially during the summer months, a lot of manufacturers who make bug spray use harmful chemicals like DEET. So, why not make your own eco-friendly spray instead? You’ll need around thirty drops of essential oils, rubbing alcohol, water, and witch hazel. You can use whichever essential oils you like, just make sure to avoid buying oils that don’t have synthetics.
These are just a few eco-friendly ideas you can make yourself at home.
The Takeaway
Going green is not as hard as many people think. A few minor changes to your lifestyle can help benefit the planet. To live a normal life we need things such as food, clothes, and cosmetics, but this doesn’t mean the environment has to suffer every time we buy something from the store. There are plenty of eco-friendly products available that are good for the environment, so we can still get what we need without hurting the planet we live on. Going green will help reduce your carbon footprint, and keeping that in mind every time you purchase a new product can make a huge difference. Explaining to younger people in your household why you are going green and showing them how to recycle, educating them on the environment, and encouraging them to buy eco-friendly products can help change their future.
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