I think we can all say that we love our earth and want to care for it as much as we can. We all want the earth to be around for generations to come but do you know about all the ways that you can live a more eco-friendly life? There’s a lot and I’d guess that there’s at least one way to care for the earth that you haven’t thought of. Let’s see…
- Recycle your produce scraps.
Stop buying so much produce – just regrow it! Did you know that you can use your produce scraps for things like leeks, carrot greens, green onions, celery and romaine using the roots/base of the produce you purchased at the grocery store? Take the portion that you would normally through away (the roots of a green onion or the base of a celery or romaine heart) and instead put it in a little container of water so that water is only covering an inch or so. Change the water every day and watch your scraps take off! Once they have roots, you can put them in soil and watch them grow even bigger!
- Switch to ALL reusable
Reusable sandwich and grocery bags, rechargeable toothbrush, rechargeable batteries, reusable dish sponges, metal or glass reusable straws, reusable coffee filters… there are so many ways to rid yourself of those pesky reusable items that might seem small but add up over a lifetime.
- Get an affordable, long-range electric car
There’s a lot of great electric and hybrid cars out there but few that are affordable and offer the range that most people need. I recently tried out Chevrolet’s Bolt EV, which is essentially the first affordable, long-range electric vehicle. What’s most impressive is the estimated 238-mile battery range that lets drivers go long distances – you might even be able to get through a whole week on one charge depending on your commute.
My favorite feature was the one-pedal driving so that when you’re in “Low” mode at any speed, you can slow down and come to a complete stop by simply lifting your foot off the accelerator. This feature helps transfer energy back to the vehicle battery instead of losing energy when you hit the break. In all, driving an all-electric car like the Bolt EV can save you $13,000 in fuel costs over the life of the vehicle. With average costs of 13 cents per kWh in the northeast, the electricity used is basically equivalent to paying about $1/gallon. At less than $30,000 after the federal tax credits, it’s a really good deal. And it’s a win-win for everyone.
- Shop at thrift and consignment stores
By shopping at second-hand stores, you’re giving new life to beautiful clothes that might otherwise be going to the landfill. I’ve only been shopping at thrift stores (like COMO Thrift and the Jonnycake Center) for the past five years and have a fabulous, updated wardrobe. Don’t believe the lie that thrift stores only have outdated, out-of-style clothes – that’s false! Plenty of people get rid of brand new or like new items that have years of life left in them. Plus purchasing clothes and household items second-hand stores generally only costs a mere fraction of the price than if you were to purchase the items brand new. Give everything a good wash in hot water before wearing it and it’ll be as good as new.
- Use less water
We’ve got some ideas for this one such as use less water when cooking pasta…ever notice how the box tells you to put waaaay too much water in the pan? Just use enough to cover the pasta while it boils! Also, there are ways to rig your toilet washer machine so that you can utilize and recycle the undrinkable grey water from the toilet, sink or bathtub for other things like flushing the toilet. Keep a bucket in the shower to catch extra water to then use to water plants. If it’s yellow, let it mellow – ‘nuff said. Fill your lawn or garden with hearty, drought-resistant plants that thrive with minimal water. Water plants in the morning or at night so that the water is absorbed instead of evaporating in the warm sunshine.
