9 Easy Ways to Go Green At Home
Hi, friends.
Happy Earth Day!
Every day’s a good day to be thoughtful about our impact on the environment, but going green—or making choices that limit that impact—can feel a little overwhelming. In honor of the occasion, we’re sharing a few of our favorite ways to go green at home. And we promise—they’re all easy!
Shop local.
Chances are, the produce you pick up at the grocery store has traveled a long distance to get there, and transporting those foods creates carbon emissions that are just plain awful for our environment. Although some reporting suggests that those emissions are lower than is often believed, whenever possible, heading to your neighborhood farmers’ market is best. There, you can shop for fruits and veggies that were grown locally and didn’t have far to travel. Bonus: expanding your connections in the community!
Eat less meat—or skip it altogether.
Hear us out. That bacon you love for breakfast? While it may taste good, its impact on the environment is anything but. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meat production contributes to air pollution; the overuse of fossil fuels, water and land; rainforest erosion; and water contamination, to name a few. If you’re not ready to give up the bacon or burgers entirely, consider having a few meat-free meals each week with easy recipes like these.
Swap out plastic shopping bags for reusable totes.
Stores are amping up their efforts to recycle paper and plastic shopping bags these days, but a surefire way to reduce demand for them—and, in turn, the harmful environmental impact of their production and disposal—is to stock up on reusable totes instead. Most grocers, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, sell their own branded bags in-store, but you can make food shopping fashionable, too, by using a sturdy canvas or cotton tote, a net-style sack, or even a stylish backpack.
Make paper a thing of the past.
Newspapers. Magazines. Mail-order catalogs. Takeout menus. Utility bills. The stream of paper that comes into our homes never seems to stop. Cut down on your paper consumption by going electronic. Switch to digital newspapers and magazines that you can read on your iPad or Kindle, opt for paperless billing from your utility and credit card companies, cancel your mail-order catalogs (anyone else love online shopping?) and, when Friday night rolls around, browse your favorite local restaurants’ menus online. An extra pleasant perk? Cutting down on all that clutter.
Buy rechargeable batteries.
In addition to having a relatively short life span, some single-use batteries contain toxic metals, like cadmium and lead, that make them hazardous for the environment when they get tossed out. To cut down on toxic waste—and to save money in the long run—consider buying rechargeable ones instead. You’ll get lots more use out of them, and when they do finally fizzle out, you can recycle them with help from groups like Call2Recycle.
Weatherproof your windows.
Ever feel like you have to really crank that air-conditioner in hot summer months, or blast the heat in the height of winter, to get comfy? Sealing your windows helps prevent drafts that can let cool and warm air escape—and cause your bills to soar sky high.
Choose energy-efficient appliances.
If you have the option to choose your own appliances, shop for ones that bear the Energy Star symbol. Not only do they use less energy than their standard counterparts, but they can help cut down on costly heating, cooling, water and electricity bills as a result—all without sacrificing quality when it comes to performance.
Hang your clothes up to dry.
Dryers cost money to run, but they can also reduce the number of wears you get out of certain clothing items as they cause threads to weaken and wear down. An easy way to kill two birds with one stone? Let your duds air dry. Don’t have a big backyard with a clothing line? Don’t worry. Just grab a collapsible rack. You can set it up in your bedroom, bathroom or home office, then fold it up and slide it under the bed or behind a door when you’re done.
Try DIY detergents and cleaners.
From sprays that fight soap scum to gritty powders that render stovetops and other surfaces spotless, store-bought cleaning solutions are packed with hard-to-pronounce chemicals that can be harmful to our skin and lungs, not to mention the environment. DIY household cleaners can be just as effective, and require just a few powerhouse items you probably already have in your pantry (think vinegar, baking soda and lemons). A home that’s sparkling-clean and safe? That’s something worth celebrating.
Until next time,
The BRIGS team