Green Habits Everyone Should Have

Everyone knows that being conscious and respectful of our environment is essential in maintaining its wellbeing, as well as our own. How come, then, that so few people actually participate in environmentally friendly practices? One speculation is simply that many people do not know what to do or how to act in order to be “green”. Below are several rather effortless new habits one can pick up that will automatically reduce waste and consumption and help anyone live a greener lifestyle.

Energy consumption is a major issue that can easily be helped by merely keeping lights off in empty rooms. This is not only an environmentally friendly habit; it will also save you money on your electricity bill. The same is true for water consumption. It is extremely wasteful to allow water to run when it is not being used, such as when brushing our teeth. Keep lights and faucets off at all times unless needed.

Another way to automatically reduce energy consumption is to not use a clothes or hair dryer unless the convenience of speed drying is absolutely necessary. If it’s warm and breezy outside, hang wet laundry on a clothes line, and let your hair dry naturally which is healthier than using a high temperature blow dryer. Check out 10 Simple Ways to Use Electricity Wisely for additional tips on saving energy.

Junk mail has become one of the biggest environmentally hazardous annoyances in the consumer world. Nine times out of ten, flyers landing on our doorsteps are placed straight into household wastebaskets, quite literally taking our trees out of forests and sending them straight to the dump. In an attempt to stop the junk mail phenomenon in its tracks, many companies have allowed consumers to sign up for a no-junk mail policy, which stops most of it from appearing unwanted in our mailboxes.

Another way to help stop the senseless destruction of our forests is to reduce or eliminate the catalogs you subscribe to and instead use the internet to browse for new products. Many companies have implemented online catalogs that are a lot more detailed and interactive than traditional paper catalogs anyhow, making the at-home shopping experience even more enjoyable while maintaining respect for the environment.

Conventional cleaners are potentially harmful household items, given the chemicals used in them. Not only is this not healthy for the environment, it can also be dangerous for humans. These are excellent reasons to trade in your existing cleaners for biodegradable, planet friendly products, which can be made from household items or purchased in most stores.

You can see it doesn’t take much effort to implement one or more of the above practices into our daily lives. In fact, most of the green habits described above not only improve the environment’s health. Green living is also beneficial to our health, our wallets, as well as greatly improves the quality of our lives.

Photo Credits: Via Flickr

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