Eco-living tips for you, your home and workplace
We have collected some eco-living tips for your home, workplace and lifestyle. Everyone can make a difference, no matter how small.
One of the best things you can do is talk about sustainability with family, friends and co-workers. You can share your ideas about eco-friendly products and things you do, or join sustainable clubs and projects to really get involved.
Let’s hope you can find some useful tips in the following ideas, and pass these onto family and friends too.
Living with less plastic
- Use bamboo tooth brushes and hairbrushes
- Avoid synthetic clothing that shed microfiber plastics when washed and worn
- Use stainless steel shaving tools
- Use soap bars for washing hands, body and hair
- Clean your home with natural ingredients
- Use plastic free natural deodorant
- Use natural oils to cleanse and moisturise
- Bring a travel cup to avoid disposable cups
- Use reusable straws, like bamboo, glass or stainless steel
- Use a reusable stainless steel water bottle
- Use reusable sandwich and food bags and wraps
- Shop local and at farmer’s markets and use your own bags.
Make your home eco-friendly
- Use LED lighting
- Install solar panels
- Harvest rainwater
- Use energy efficient appliances
- Turn off electrical appliances at the power point, especially stand by appliances
- Choose eco-friendly building materials
- Insulate your home
- Cold wash with your washing machine
- Install low flow shower heads
- Run washing machines and dishwashers only when full
- Compost or put your food scraps in the green bin
- Choose eco-friendly cleaning products
- Recycle as much of your household waste as possible, including, batteries, clothing and electrical items, printer cartridges and more.
- Grow your own food
- Line dry your clothes
- Set heating and cooling temperatures an energy efficient levels
- Draft proof your home by checking window and door seals and fix and draughts or cracks
- Fix things instead of disposing of them
- Upcycle belongings
- Put up a ‘no junk mail’ sign on your letterbox
- Plant more in your backyard
- Use organic or home made fertilisers
- Encourage bees by planting bee friendly plants.
Be eco-friendlier at work
- Be mindful when printing
- Take public transport to work
- Car pool with a co-worker or neighbour
- Take your own food into work, with reusable containers and utensils
- Turn off computers overnight, instead of leaving on standby
- Turn off electrical items, lighting and heating and cooling at the end of each day or when not needed
- Have recycling bins at work or a similar waste management system
- Purchase and use recycled office supplies
- Work from home when possible.
Be an eco-friendlier consumer
- Utilise op-shops and buy second hand clothing and items
- Donate unwanted household items and clothing to avoid them going into landfill
- Don’t waste food, plan your meals and use shopping lists to avoid this
- Eat less meat
- Avoid fast fashion and purchase from sustainable retailers
- Purchase local, to save on transport and to support locals
- Make products instead or purchasing them, such as beauty products, soaps, cleaning products and more
- Get your groceries delivered – 1 vehicle on the road doing deliveries versus 20+ individual ones
- Use your own shopping bags and purchase products with less packaging
- Put on an extra layer of clothing instead of using the heating.
Sources:
www.lessplastic.org.uk/9-more-tips-living-less-plastic/
www.coinet.org.uk/10-smart-ways-to-make-your-home-eco-friendly/
www.newamericanfunding.com/blog/go-green-with-these-eco-friendly-home-tips-infographic/