words Alexa Wang
Something you can do to help save the planet is to take little steps to establish eco-friendly habits around the home. One person can indeed make a difference in the world, and they can inspire more people to change their habits as well. There are many products readily available for sale that are eco-friendly. This means you won’t have to go out of your way to find something good for the environment.
Photo by Marco Verch https://www.flickr.com/people/30478819@N08/
Use Bamboo Paper Products
Most people know how important trees are to the environment. It’s estimated that approximately 27,000 trees are cut down every day and used for making toilet paper, with 83 million rolls being produced daily. Bamboo is considered a type of grass and grows back rapidly, making it a much better solution.
Bamboo paper products are strong, cooler, and softer than traditional toilet paper. Another reason to make the switch is that it’s 100-percent biodegradable, which makes it easier on the landfills and better for the soil. Bamboo toilet paper is also free of harmful chemicals, fragrances, and inks, making it a safe option to use.
Eco-Friendly Healthy and Beauty Products
Eco-friendly health and beauty products have risen in popularity over the past few years, making it easy to find a great substitute for the products you’re currently using. There are likely many eco-friendly alternatives to your favorite shampoo or body wash, containing all-natural ingredients.
Natural ingredients mean you know exactly what you’re exposing yourself to. There are no hidden chemicals or fragrances that can leave you with a bad reaction. These products also do not have any harmful impact on the environment and they do not do any testing on animals. Make sure to take the time to read the labels to make sure the product you choose is right for you.
Eco-Friendly Cleaners You Can Make
Most people already know that the cleaners they use around their homes are filled with many harmful chemicals. The good news is that you can make a budget-friendly eco-friendly cleaning solution with items you probably already have in your home. DIY eco-friendly cleaners are powerful enough to kill germs and work efficiently to clean areas around your home. Some of the most common ingredients in these DIY cleaners include:
- Baking soda
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Soap nuts
- Castile soap
- White vinegar
- Essential oils for fragrance
An effective glass cleaner is a simple mixture of water and vinegar. A wood cleaner can be made with olive oil, white vinegar, and lemon juice. There’s a DIY cleaner for just about everything you’d need. If you don’t want to make your cleaners, you don’t have to. As long as you spend some time reading the labels in the store, you’ll be able to find something made with natural ingredients.
Consider Solar Panels
Having solar panels installed is a great step in the direction of being eco-friendly. They produce no pollution or cause any emission of greenhouse gasses. They produce renewable clean power and will help you save money over time.
The high initial cost of switching to solar panels can be a bit high, but it’s becoming more affordable over time. Solar panels are an investment that will pay for themselves over time, which makes them worth it for most homeowners.
Recycle as Much as Possible
When you choose to recycle, you’re reducing the number of items being thrown into landfills each week. Once you understand everything you can and cannot recycle, it should become much easier to figure out what you can throw in the blue can for recycling. You can recycle a lot of things such as:
- Aluminum cans
- Cereal boxes
- Paper towels
- Cardboard boxes
- Glass bottles and jars
- Clean pizza boxes
- Cartons
Make sure the items are clean before throwing them in your recycling bin to avoid contaminating everything else in there.
Whether you make gradual baby steps to becoming more eco-friendly or giant leaps, you’re still doing your part to help the environment. Motivate your family and friends to get on board and inspire them to make more eco-friendly decisions.
