Live Healthy Live Green

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse for a Greener Lifestyle

We all want to do more to help the environment but how many of us actually live a green lifestyle to the full? Just as growing our own food has many benefits, so does recycling, reusing and reducing everyday items around the home. Here are a few small changes you can make to help to lower your carbon footprint and ensure a greener earth.

Recycle

There are plenty of ways to recycle water: firstly, instead of buying bottled water in plastic bottles, invest in a water filter so you can still have quality water without the waste of both water and plastic resources. Secondly, if you have the space, save your rainwater for watering your plants, and when possible, you could rearrange your plumbing system to use as gray water around the house.

It’s important to know what household waste can be recycled and if you’re not sure, contact your local waste management services as not everything should go into your garbage disposal. Check which days of the week your recycling is collected and where you can take items such as hazardous material, batteries, etc.

Reduce

A whopping 40% of food goes uneaten in the USA which equates to $165 billion each year and most of it ends up clogging up in landfill. You can do your bit by not over-indulging in buying unnecessary food in your weekly shop. Keep an eye on any food you do waste so you know for next time and, if it’s already cooked, freeze or store it for another day.

Do you still receive your bank statements, credit or energy bills through the post? If so, think about going paperless and get them emailed online to you instead. The same applies when you book tickets for music or sporting events and browse catalogs to buy new clothes.

Reuse

If you’re still using plastic bags instead of a cloth bag, you can still reuse those plastic ones, either for going to the supermarket the next time, or for your waste paper bins, packed lunches or, to clear up the mess while walking your four-legged friend.

You don’t have to be a crafty person to reuse old clothes, blankets or sheets although if you are, there’s a host of ways to reuse them. For the rest of us, keep them to use as rags, decorating sheets or make a bed for your pooch out of them.

It’s making these small differences in our everyday lives that can not only help save our natural resources but some of these changes will also help to save us money at the same time as saving the planet.