We’re always being told to be eco-friendlier, but how exactly can we do that? There are several ways to keep your home costs down and be environmentally friendly towards our planet at the same time. Read on to find out the best lifestyle changes you can make and items that you can easily swap to both practice sustainability and to save yourself money.
Reduce Plastic Usage in Your Home
Start off with the basics. Plastic straws, plastic snack bags, and plastic grocery bags may seem harmless, but they can largely accumulate in the long run and end up being thrown out in the trash. Plastic straws can be easily replaced by glass and stainless-steel straws, which are reusable, fun to use, and easy to clean. Try using silicone storage bags as an alternative to plastic snack bags, which are just as effective to freeze, cook with, and store your lunch. Everyone has that one drawer that is full to the brim with plastic grocery bags. Defeat this habit for good and swap them out with a canvas tote bag, which are sturdy, fashionable, and easier to carry.
Make Your Own Broths From Veggie Leftovers
Excess amounts of food waste that is dumped in landfills produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Instead of throwing away your veggie leftovers, save them and make delicious veggie broths from them. It’s a fantastic way to get a second use out of food that would otherwise be thrown away. Also, it’s important to remember to be realistic with weekly food consumption to avoid wasting any edibles.
Reuse Food Mason Jars
You can easily give new life to your mason jars, such as those used for sauces, jellies, jams, and peanut butter. Once they’re empty, make them multi-purpose by simply removing labels, cleaning them, and filling them up with your favourite foods. This way, you can save buying new jars and know that you’re one step towards being friendlier towards our planet.
Manufactured Housing
If you’re considering moving somewhere new and want a sustainable option, manufactured homes are ideal. They can cost up to 35% less per square foot than site-built homes, and they’re also built in about one third of the time that it would take to construct a home on site. Today’s manufactured homes are built to the highest standard ensuring safety and security, and offer smaller energy bills, reduced waste, water efficiency, and are often built with sustainable materials.
Buy Food in Bulk When Possible
If you don’t have a bulk buying store near you, it can be handy to buy food such as oats, quinoa, meat, and dried fruit in larger quantities to save money on your food shopping and to reduce waste. Since many foods are manufactured with unnecessary packaging, buying bigger quantities of food means that you will be able to significantly reduce your packaging waste over time. What’s more, buying exactly what you need means that your food will stay fresher for longer, and it can encourage you to be even more mindful of your sustainability choices.
Please note that some of the links above and below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
