You can lead a greener life without spending more money. This lifestyle is based on sustainability, respect and care for the environment and any way of life. The planet is suffering and if we do nothing in a few decades, everything we know today could disappear due to increasing levels of pollution.
How to lead a greener life
The three R
You have to start with the basics: reduce, recycle and reuse . Before buying a product it is better to think for a moment if it is really necessary or not. We live in a very consumerist society, in which most of the objects that are bought are not really essential and their use does not compensate for the resources that have been spent to manufacture them.
And then the use and disposal is over. Separating the garbage and recycling is a simple gesture that can help the planet a lot, it is only necessary to change the routine a little and have several small garbage cans instead of one large one. There are even cubes with dividers inside, so the “I don’t have space” excuse no longer works. It is also very important to try to give a second life to the things that surround us and have stopped being useful to us .
These three actions, in addition to helping the environment, save money.
Choose well where to buy
Not all food, personal hygiene, cleaning and other products have to be bought in large supermarkets. There are more and more small stores with bulk products , which allows you to make purchases more adjusted to the needs of the house so as not to throw anything away later; stores with local products , to avoid the emission of large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere during transport; stores with animal products from organic farms , which are more respectful; vegan cosmetics stores , because it is not necessary to use animals to make good cosmetic products.
It is true that buying all the products in cooperatives, organic stores or in bulk can be more expensive. But if we all bought a small part of them, the impact on the environment would be great.
There is the option of setting up a small vegetable garden on the balcony . It is a very good way to save money, reduce consumption in supermarkets and have a very entertaining time.
Reduce plastic
We are surrounded by bags, containers, wrappers, bottles and a host of other plastic objects that could easily be replaced by other more environmentally friendly materials . Heating food in a plastic container has been shown to be toxic, so why not use a glass one? It is more sustainable and does not harm health. You don’t need to buy water bottles either, why not refill a glass bottle? Tap water can be filtered before pouring into a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle. And it is the same with plastic bags. Cloth bags can be used, they are much prettier, easy to wash and reusable.
With these small gestures, the consumption of plastic would be greatly reduced, which is a material that has a very long life and recycling cycle .
Know how to buy clothes
The clothes are in direct contact with the skin, so it is better to have little but that is of quality. The best thing is to bet on healthy, sustainable and natural fibers, such as linen, hemp and organic cotton; and avoid antimony in polyester or black garments and chrome in green, blue and brown because they contain toxins. In addition, during the tinting process, the water that is used goes to the rivers.
As clothing is one of the most difficult things to recycle because it is made with short and mixed fibers, when you buy it you have to take a good look at where it was made, what it was made with and whether or not it is toxic. It is also very important to think for a moment if that garment is really necessary or not. And most importantly, it should never be thrown away because it can be repaired, sold, exchanged or donated .
Save water and electricity
There are some very simple gestures that can help the planet a lot if we all practice them. Something as obvious as closing the tap when it is not necessary to be open, not using hot water for everything or showering instead of bathing are very basic actions to start a more ecological and even more economical life.
As for electricity, it is better to choose electricity companies that are committed to renewable energy . Electronic devices should also be unplugged when they are not being used, the lights should be turned off if no one is in the room, energy-saving light bulbs should be used, and natural light should be used to the maximum. Painting the walls of the rooms with light colors increases the luminosity, which can mean considerable energy savings throughout the year.
Learn to clean
Cleaning can be more toxic than not doing it. Many cleaning products contain toxic substances , so they clean up in the end by making a mess. It is best to use environmentally friendly products and rid the home of toxic, corrosive, abrasive, flammable and dangerous substances. In addition, many of these products end up in the sea through drains and other substances end up in the air, so that our body daily absorbs a myriad of toxic particles that, in the long run, can trigger diseases. You also have to avoid air fresheners and replace them with plants, which in addition to cleaning the air, give a fresh and natural aroma to the house.
Use public transport and bicycles
Avoid using the car for short or unnecessary trips. In these cases it is better to use public transport, the bicycle or the electric scooter or unicycle, even walking can be a very good option to gain health and reduce pollution.
If the car is a very necessary element, it must be kept in optimal conditions to prevent it from polluting excessively . Any gesture is valid to reduce the emission of gases into the atmosphere.
Try to repair
The poor quality of the appliances makes many people choose to replace instead of repair when the first failure appears. Although they can sometimes be a bit difficult to find, it is best to buy appliances that can be opened for repair . Of course, here the economic factor is very important and, often, the repair can be even more expensive than the acquisition of a new one. But by trying, nothing is lost.
If the appliance cannot be repaired, it must be taken to a recycling point. You can also try to sell it by parts.
Practice veganism
To lead a greener life you don’t need to go vegan from head to toe, although this would be ideal. But it is necessary to eliminate cosmetic, personal hygiene or cleaning products of animal origin and companies that experiment with animals . And our recommendation, in addition, is that at least one day a week do not consume anything of animal origin .
Changing habits from one day to the next is not easy. But the above practices, without involving too great an effort, can have a very positive impact on the environment. Together we can still save our planet if each one of us manages to lead a more ecological life.
