Along with making our homes eco-friendly, we should also try to make small changes in our day-to-day routine to adopt a lifestyle that is not harmful to the natural environment.
We can also take help from the “Waste Hierarchy” based on the very famous 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). We need to set our priorities that’ll help us make efficient use of every available natural resource to conserve energy and reduce our carbon footprint.
As the title of this article suggests, here we have rounded up some easily available eco-friendly alternatives that can replace the items you use on a daily basis.
Fabric Napkins
It has become a norm these days that almost every other household heavily relies on tissues and packs filled with disposable napkins that are made using very light paper. Since they have been designed for one-time use only and they have a very short life and end up in waste in large quantities. A household may require plenty of them on a regular basis to keep their routine going.
However, whether it is about cleaning the spills or wiping your face, oily hands, sweat and runny nose, you can easily use napkins made of fabric for all of these tasks. A fabric napkin is soft, absorbent and most importantly, long-lasting as it can be reused multiple times after being properly washed and disinfected.
Reusable Water Bottles
Plastic water bottles are now being heavily used in today’s world. From carbonated drinks to fruit juices and mineral water, everything is served in plastic bottles, which are already creating a lot of mess when dumped without being recycled. Also, plastic is one of the most difficult materials when it comes to recycling.
To prevent plastic waste from spreading and wastage of other related materials, we should abandon using plastic bottles and liquid containers. The best option here is to go for using reusable water bottles and all the other types of containers.
Glass bottles are also among the good eco-friendly alternatives to plastic bottles. They were being used back in the old days, but for some reason, they were overtaken by their plastic counterparts. Understandably, things can’t be changed overnight, so try to reduce your dependency on plastic bottles slowly and gradually.
Rechargeable Batteries
Of course, how can we forget rechargeable batteries when talking about eco-friendly. They have been around for decades, lasting a lot longer than normal batteries. People who use different electronic items that run on batteries can also save a lot of money using this eco-friendly alternative. So, get rid of all the disposable batteries and bring home the rechargeable ones.
Keeping into account the harmful greenhouse gases that are released into the environment when manufacturing batteries, rechargeables are a lot better than disposables. Since they can be reused, their production frequency can be much lower than normal batteries.
Tote Bags
Shopping bags made from polyethylene are widely used around the world. Of course, they are harmful to the environment as they are made from plastic, which is one of the major pollution sources in the world.
On the other hand, getting used to the routine of relying on cloth bags, which are more commonly known as tote bags, wouldn’t be that hard. Since they can be reused multiple times, they are considered good for the environment, probably the best eco-friendly alternatives to disposable bags, which have already caused a lot of damage to nature. Even municipalities across the country discourage the consumption of plastic shopping bags to curb waste and pollution by implementing strict policies.
Energy-Efficient Lights and Electric Appliances
Light Emitting Diodes (LED) bulbs are now being commonly used in our homes, offices and many other corporate and public places. There are many benefits of using LED bulbs. They not only last longer than incandescent bulbs but also bring down electricity bills because of their energy-efficient nature. Despite consuming very little energy, they produce ample light and this naturally makes them environmentally friendly.
Along with light bulbs, you can easily find many different appliances in today’s world that are claimed to be energy efficient because they are powered by inverter technology like air-conditioning units, refrigerators and many other kitchen appliances. You can get your conventional appliances changed with energy-efficient ones. In this way, you can also cut down on your electricity bill.
Switching to EVs
Well, if you are planning to ditch your old car and considering switching to an electric vehicle (EV), you are making the right choice. One of the key reasons why people are being encouraged to switch to EVs in today’s world is because they are not only energy-efficient but also ensure a pollution-free future.
As the name implies, electric vehicles run on battery-powered motors instead of combustion engines, which release harmful gases containing components of lead and sulfur oxide while converting gasoline into energy.
More and more use of electric-powered can significantly reduce air pollution. Less maintenance, high energy efficiency and eco-friendliness, there are many compelling factors why you need to switch to an EV.
Natural Cleaning Products
The majority of households in the US use a variety of chemical-based cleaning. However, what most people don’t know about is that they are doing more harm than good to the environment. Also, these chemical-based artificial cleaners are usually very expensive.
So, if you’re looking for some eco-friendly alternatives, in this regard — which will also save you some money — then you should consider going for natural cleaning products. They can be easily made at home.
To make your own natural cleaning products, you’ll need simple ingredients that may be easily available at home. They include liquid soap, white vinegar, natural salt, borax powder, washing detergent, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and lemons.
Mixing all these ingredients won’t cause any harm to the natural environment. This will also greatly reduce your expense of buying artificial cleaning agents, again and again, consequently bringing down their demand in the market.
There you have it — a detailed round-up of some eco-friendly alternatives to everyday items. We hope by making these small changes in your routine, you could start adapting to an eco-friendly lifestyle, playing your part for the betterment of the natural environment.
