How to Protect the Environment and Save Resources
It has become a trend for people to go green and to protect the environment. There are a lot of benefits resulting from your efforts: you can improve the quality of your life, you can cut costs by making green choices, and you can also protect your health. All you need is a few good ideas to save resources and make a change in your life.
You don’t have to start by placing solar panels on your roof; all small steps count and maybe one day you will get there. Until then, look around your home and search for things you could change.
Ways to Protect the Environment by Recycling and Not Only for a Better Future for Yourself and the Generations to Come
So, how to protect our environment? What is that you could do to make your life greener and live in an environment-conscious way?
You really need to drive your car?
In case you are wondering how to protect the environment, the first aspect you should think about is greenhouse gases. Each time you drive an SUV, you release pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. If you change your driving habits, you can make a difference. In case you have to take short trips, you should go by foot or use your bike. Aside from protecting the environment, it will also have a positive impact on your health. If you ride your bike, you can burn about 240 calories per hour. If you walk, you can burn 200-300 calories per hour.
What are you drinking from?
A lot of people are thinking about waste and recycling when it comes to the problem of plastic bottles. However, this isn’t the only issue of plastic bottles. Specialists are concerned that chemical contaminants can reach the water. You might think that if you recycle containers, the problem will be solved. Still it is a waste of resources and money. Instead you should get your own stainless steel bottle to carry water around. If you want to carry coffee around, you should get a thermos, so you won’t have to throw away any more disposable coffee cups.
What do you wear?
For sure you like the clothes that don’t seem to wrinkle. Did you ever think about why this happens? If you are thinking about protecting the environment, you should know that chemicals are applied to the clothes to keep them wrinkle-free. These chemicals are harmful for the environment and they also raise several health issues. You could protect the environment by choosing eco-friendly materials such as hemp, wool, organic cotton, and silk. Growing cotton can result in the producers using harsh chemicals to protect the plants. This is why it is important for you to choose organic cotton, which has been produced without using any harsh chemicals.
Organic food
Most fruits and vegetables you find in supermarkets have been shipped to hundreds of miles before reaching the stands. This means that they have been picked several weeks prior to you buying them. In case you are concerned by protecting the environment, you should go to your farmers’ market, where you will find freshly picked, locally grown fruits and vegetables. You can also ask the farmers whether they used any pesticides and whether or not the products are organic. This isn’t important only for the protection of the environment, but also the protection of your health.
What do you clean with?
If you want to become environment-friendly, it’s not enough to recycle cans. Each time you clean your home, you could be using some chemicals that are potentially dangerous to your health and to the environment. Instead you should be using cleaning products that your grandparents used, such as white vinegar and castile soap. There are some other natural products as well, such as borax and washing soda. These are just as efficient as the modern cleaning products, but they are good for the protection of the environment. You can use vinegar and water to clean glass, the floor, the shower, and even the toilet.
Plant trees
In case you are living in a family house or you have other options to do so, you should plant some trees. Although you might think this isn’t a whole lot of fun, if you have friends who are looking for ways to protect the environment as well, you could make it a lot more fun. There are numerous benefits of having trees, including reducing the use of electricity for air conditioning because you will have more shade, reducing the carbon dioxide levels of the air, producing oxygen, and improving the quality of water.
Cleaning your clothes
Did you ever wonder what cleaning your clothes does to the environment? If you take the clothes to the drycleaners, you should know that harsh chemicals could be applied to the clothes that remain in the fabric even after the process is done. When asking how to protect environment, you should also think about how to protect yourself. Since the chemicals are in the clothes, they will get in direct contact with your skin and everything in your home. In case you must take the clothes to the drycleaners, you should clean them afterwards, using water-based technologies. There are businesses handling such cleaning as well.
Pick up gardening
For sure you know why protect the environment, but there are some ways you may have never thought about. For example, did you ever consider producing your own fruits and vegetables? Naturally, there are some that you can’t grow on your own, but you could have carrots, tomatoes, apples, cucumbers, and many more in your own garden, if you have this possibility, Of course, it takes some work, but at least you will know that they were organically grown and they are good for your health and also for the environment.
If you recycle it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are eco-friendly. There is a lot you could do for yourself and for your environment, but it takes a lot of work and you will also have to become more considerate.
