Easy Habits To Adapt To Be More Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly
It’s a new year, so it’s the best time to make those small changes in your lifestyle that can definitely make an impact in protecting our dear planet.
1. Digitise everything, use less paper for you uni work and everyday life.
You can now get academic papers online, lecture slides are available on your uni portal, you have everything you need to completely eliminate the use of paper especially your uni work. Additionally where possible, when you go shopping opt for your receipt to be emailed to you rather than opting for a printed version. You won’t believe how much this can help reduce your carbon footprint!
2. Make sure your electronics are completely off when not in use
Standby power can make up for up to 30% of your electricity bill (so it’s not good for your bank account either!). Even if you’ve switched off your device when the main plug-point is not switched off you’re burning electricity. You’ll be surprised how many devices are just sitting idle, wasting energy.
3. Replace all the plastic in your life with beautiful reusable alternatives
There are SO MANY eco-friendly alternatives in the market now that we don’t have an excuse to slack off anymore. Using foil or cling wrap? Replace it with beeswax wraps, carry a water bottle that you can refill rather than purchasing a plastic water bottle, carry a cloth bag when you go shopping and buy loose produce rather than the ones packed in plastic, going out? carry a metal straw with you, ditch the cotton buds with reuseable ones. These are simple alternatives but can make a huge difference in the carbon footprint you leave behind.
4. Educate yourself on your recycling options
A lot of recycling ends up in landfill because of every states limited capacity but there are other ways you can ensure that your recyclable waste is not ending up in landfill. For example, there are organisations where you can post certain types of recycling and get a discount when you shop there or brands like MAC and L’occitaine that take beauty containers and give you a discount of some kind. Additionally, if you have a lot of bottles and glass jars that you need to recycle then you can always find the closest recycling station and take them there (hot tip: some of them even pay your for your bottles/glass so you can even make some extra cash!).
5. Be mindful of how much water you use.
Did you know on average a person uses 10-12 litres per minute when you take a shower? So even if you take a quick 10-minute shower you are essentially using 100 litres of water! That really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? However, there are many ways you can help reduce water wastage. For example, replace your old showerhead with a more efficient showerhead which can help reduce how much water is used and turning the tap off when you're washing your face, shaving or brushing your teeth.
Who else is going to try to make some changes in their lifestyle this year?
