Last Updated on August 21, 2020 by Ellen Christian
Are you looking for simple green choices to start living a more eco-friendly life? Living green is important to Marty and I. We try very hard to be aware of our carbon footprint and how our decisions impact the world around us. Here are a few simple changes that you can make if this is a goal of yours this year.
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Simple Green Choices Anyone Can Make
Living in rural Vermont gives us the opportunity to make a lot of green choices. We grow some of our own food: vegetable garden, herb garden, fruit trees, berry bushes. In the past, we’ve raised ducks and chickens for their eggs and because they are fun to watch. When the weather cooperates in the summer, I use our solar oven for simple meals.
Living a greener lifestyle doesn’t have to be time-intensive like growing your own food or learning a lot of new skills. There are some very simple green choices you can make to live a greener lifestyle. You don’t have to do them all. Just choose a few that are easy to incorporate into your life and make them habits.
Use less electricity
Turn things off you are not using. This is very basic and applies to many things. Is the television on and no one is watching it? Is the light on in the other room and no one is in it? Be more aware of what is on and what is off in your home. Learn more about electricity consumption.
Recycle more often
Check with your town to learn what you can and cannot recycle. Don’t toss things that could be recycled instead. This includes paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal. Here are a few creative ways to recycle in your home.
Buy second hand
Each time you purchase second hand, you are saving something from going into the landfill and you are reducing the costs of new *things* that need to be manufactured. Check tag sales and thrift stores. If you’re not familiar with shopping at thrift stores, you might be surprised at what you find.
Stop using plastic bags
Bring your own bags when you shop. One of the first simple green choices I made was to bring my own reusable shopping bags when I went to the store. In Vermont, there will be a plastic bag ban in the near future. Some other states have already done this. So, now is the time to get used to bringing your own.
Use a reusable water bottle
Stop buying bottled water. Water from the tap in your own reusable water bottle is a much better choice for the environment. You can always buy a filter for your water bottle if you need to. If you’re not a water person, skip the take-out coffee and bring hone from home in a reusable mug.
Limit your use of disposable products
Choose cloth over paper. Buy reusable cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Get a reusable coffee filter instead of disposable. Use traditional plates instead of disposable paper plates. There are many different ways you can limit your use of disposable products. This is one of the easiest simple green choices we made. Just choose one at a time. Learn how to make reusable sandwich bags.
Re-use when possible
Did you know that aluminum foil and plastic baggies can be washed out and re-used? Don’t do this if they held meat for safety reasons. But, you might be surprised which items can be used more than once instead of throwing them away.
Buy eco-friendly products
We buy eco-friendly products whenever we can. There are lots of cleaning products that are natural and effective at the store. Or, you can make your own eco-friendly cleaning products for just a few pennies. Learn more about cleaning with vinegar. It’s easy and it really does work.
Don’t try to do all of these simple green choices at once. You’ll probably feel overwhelmed and that won’t make your changes long-lasting. Instead, pick one or two of these changes a month. Stick with it until they become habits. Once you have a few incorporated into your routine, reward yourself for a job well done. Enjoy the simple things in life.
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Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
