How to Live a More Eco-Friendly Lifestyle

If you’re looking to make your life a little more eco-friendly, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we’ll cover some simple ways that you can reduce your environmental impact and live a more sustainable lifestyle. We’ll also share some tips for choosing eco-friendly products that are good for the planet and your wallet. So read on and start making small changes that add to significant results!

What is eco-friendly living, and why should you do it?

An eco-friendly lifestyle is living your life in a way that does not harm the earth. It means being mindful of your lifestyle’s impact on the environment and minimizing any negative impact.

You may also be familiar with similar terms such as ecologically friendly, environmentally friendly, and going green. They all have the same goal. To live a life that is kinder to our earth.

Unfortunately, experts predict we will consume the earth’s natural resources in less than thirty years. Therefore, it’s vital to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle for the health of our bodies and our planet. Our current lifestyles will no longer sustain the current population or future generations unless we make critical changes in our everyday habits and comfort.

How to live an eco-friendly life

If you want to live a more eco-friendly life, you must address three main areas in your life. These three areas can help jump-start your journey today, and they are products, activities, and habits.

Today, most products on the market are not as safe as we think. Sadly, many corporations use chemicals and synthetic materials and misuse natural resources to create products that are harmful to our health and the health of our environment. When purchasing products, pay attention to the ingredients. Certain ingredients used in many commercial products have been harmful to our health. If you are not sure what to look for, you can peek at our ‘No Thank You’ List on our website. It is a complete list of ingredients we strive to avoid in the products we curate. If they aren’t good for you, chances are, they aren’t good for the earth, either. In addition, question how the manufacturing process, if the packaging is sustainable, and if the company uses ethical labor practices.

You work hard for your money. Make your dollars count.

Regarding activities, our daily movements impact the environment more than we realize. From water waste and pollution to energy waste and air pollution, we have the power to make positive changes that make this world a better place for each of us. For an example of water pollution, a simple usage or over usage of fertilizer can run off into water leading to estuaries that kill natural plant life with overgrowth of bacteria and algae.

Finally, humans are habitual. We operate more hours on autopilot than in our conscious state in any given 24 hour period. As a result, our habits can positively or negatively affect how we live. The same goes for our impact on the environment. For example, if we never develop the good habit of recycling waste, our landfills will overrun our homes one day.

Tips for reducing your carbon footprint

The amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc., is defined as a Carbon Footprint.

Your carbon footprint is the same but might be more recognizable in terms of driving, the products you buy, the energy you use at home, the food you consume (and waste), the garbage you toss, and the air you breathe.

While we would never do away with or want to compromise the air you breathe, each of the other components of your carbon footprint has the power to do just that. The less carbon footprint we have, the better our air quality is.

Benefits of eco-friendly living

In addition to the quality of the air we breathe, there are many more benefits to living an eco-friendly lifestyle. Your choices can help limit the destruction of our natural environment, resources, and wildlife. Some of the benefits are:

Minimize air pollution and water pollution.
Minimize the waste of water and energy.
Increase your mental health. Natural lighting and fresh air are proven to increase happiness while reducing stress and depression.
Increase your health by minimizing your exposure to harmful chemicals and synthetic materials. Choosing organic foods grown locally is better for your body, and walking or biking over driving is better for your overall health.
Minimize consumer goods waste by purchasing and consuming only the products you need, recycling when possible. Both of these actions lead to less trash in our landfills.
Increase your self-esteem and your self-worth. When we do good for others, it is a natural boost for our morale. The same happens when we do good for our planet.

How to make your home more energy efficient

There are many things you can do to make your home more energy-efficient. Some you can even begin today. The simplest thing is to turn off all lights when you are not in the room or home. Other suggestions would be to adjust your thermostat by one degree. One degree lower in the winter months and one degree higher in the summer months.

For other suggestions on having a more energy-efficient home, you may enjoy reading my previous blog post on 20 Sustainable Hacks to Use Less Energy.

Top ways to save money and help the environment

Save money. Using less means spending less: lower utility bills and fewer purchases for things we don’t need.

Purchase things less often. Adapting a ‘Quality over Quantity’ mentality encourages us to save for items worth our hard-earned money and will last for years. This mindset will also help you say no to the plethora of cheap, poor-quality things that will break or fall apart in days or months.