For many people, they love the idea of being environmentally conscious, but are often put off in making the change because the change seems too difficult. Often people are afraid of what they might miss or have to give up – their lifestyle, the clothes they wear, the car they drive, the house they live in. Believe I know, as I had that very same fear of change when I was first seriously thinking about being more environmentally conscious. As a family, we are still working our way through how we can live an eco-friendlier lifestyle. It takes a bit of thought and persistence.
Taking it in baby steps certainly helps, but forming good habits is what will make the changes stick in the long run. Over the next few blog posts, I will give you some of the changes we have made over the last few years. By following these ideas, you will start to become more green. First we are going to give you some suggestions about food and when you are shopping. The other topics we will cover are the home, the garden and transport. The list may be long, but start with just 1 or 2 ideas at a time and when you have master them, then move on to the next step:
Food
Avoid food waste. Plan your meals for a week and do a weekly shop. You will be amazed at how much you save, but how organised your days will be.
Buy local. You will reduce your carbon footprint when you buy food sourced locally and from local farmers’ markets.
Where possible buy organic and Fairtrade. The impact of the chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) on the environment is reduced when you buy these certified foods. Also, care is given to the workers preparing the food.
Have at least one meatless meal per week. The environmental effects of meat production are huge and very wasteful. If everyone reduced the amount of meat they consume per week, it will have a great impact on the effects of meat production on the land, the atmosphere and the waste build up.
Cook from scratch. Not is processed food not very good for you, but it has a huge impact on the environment.
Bring a packed lunch to work.
Love your coffee. Then invest in a reusable coffee cup and avoid throwing away disposable coffee cups.
Stop buying bottled water. Bring a reusable flask instead.
If you don’t have a Coffee maker, but are thinking of investing in one avoid one that uses pods. The plastic waste mounts up. If you really want one, ensure you can recycle the pods.
Recycle food packing appropriately.
Shopping
Bring your own bags when shopping. It is easy to forget them, when you don’t have the bags on hand (I know, it happened to me a few times). Always keep a bag handy, next to your front door and in the boot of your car.
Shop for eco-friendly products. Look for the certifications such as carbon neutral product, GOTs, OekoTex and Palm free. Also, look at the list of ingredients to see what products are made from. Do they contain a lot of nasty chemicals and is the packaging recyclable?
Buy in bulk and reduce packaging.
Reduce your purchases. Do you really need it? Not only will the environment thank you, but so will your hip pocket.
Don’t be taken in by fast fashion – the latest clothes that are not so trendy in 6 months. It is best to go with a style that you like and that can grow old with you. Buy well made, classic styles that won’t date.
Call back again on Wednesday for more suggestions on how to become green. Let us know if these steps help you.
Hope you are having a good start to your earthly passionate week.
Attracta & the team