Living greener is a catchall term that has become popular in the past couple of decades. Green living does not mean one particular thing, but several. The general idea, though, is that you’re trying to live more sustainably and not leave so big of a carbon footprint.
That’s something that matters more now than it ever did in the past. Some individuals still try to deny climate change, but it’s hard to do that when the polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate, and it keeps getting hotter in the summers.
These might seem like insurmountable problems sometimes, but if each one of us does our part to try to combat climate change, it does make a difference. Let’s look at a few ways we can all live greener and more sustainably.
Get an Electric Car or Hybrid
Hybrid cars have now been around for quite some time, and anyone who felt hesitant about them shouldn’t feel that way anymore. Some of them, such as the Toyota Prius models, hold up so well that you might have yours for 10-15 years before you even start thinking about trading it in.
There are also many electric cars on the market now, and some of them are not so costly as to be prohibitive. Electric car sales jumped 45% from 2016-17, indicating that more individuals are ready to make the switch.
If you’re ready to go to a hybrid or electric car, you should research some of the available ones to see if any of them appeal to you. There are larger ones for bigger families and recognizable brand names if you’ve been buying from the same car company for years.
You can also look into government rebates if you buy an electric car. The federal government does provide some incentives that can come in handy, and there’s no reason you should not take advantage of them.
Recycle as Much as Possible
Recycling is something that you can do as much as you’re able, and it does not require much effort on your part. All you must do is look for the recycling symbol on the products you use. If you see it, you can put it out in the recycling bin when the truck comes around to collect it.
Some people neglect to think they can recycle things like TV dinner trays, paper products, and even cans and bottles. There is a thriving recycling market for all of that, though. If you try to be cognizant of what you can and can’t recycle every week, that will definitely go a long way toward reducing your carbon footprint.
You can also reuse certain items yourself. For example, when you buy a case of water from the store, you can refill those plastic bottles many times. That’s a better policy than continually buying cases of water, which is wasteful.
Install Some Solar Panels
There are also government incentives in many cases if you choose to install some solar panels in your roof. Solar panels harness the sun’s natural energy for your heating needs, and you can save money with them over time versus other less sustainable methods.
Solar panels are also attractive and give your home some curb appeal. When the time arrives that you want to move on from that house, you can point to the solar panels as the main selling point. Many buyers will look for that type of feature as time passes, so you’ll be ahead of the trend.
Compost
Composting is another way to live green. You can compost things like tea leaves, grass clippings, cardboard, and newspaper. If you’re not sure what else you can compost, there are articles you can read online about it and books you can purchase as well.
Composting is also great for your yard and garden. It suppresses various plant diseases and deters pests. It retains moisture and enriches your soil, so you will be able to grow all kinds of flowers and plants that otherwise would not thrive in urban environments.
If you compost, you rarely need to purchase chemical fertilizer, so you save money. You also encourage the growth of several kinds of beneficial fungus and bacteria.
Living green should be an ongoing effort for you, a journey rather than a destination. If you get into some of the habits we’ve described, you’ll truly feel like you’re doing your part, and you can turn the tide against waste and pollution.
