55 Thrifty Tips to Help Save the Planet
55 Thrifty Tips to Help Save the Planet
The world is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis, and we all must do our part. One of the best ways to help out is to make your home and lifestyle more sustainable.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save the planet without breaking the bank. Here are 55 thrifty tips to help you save the planet while keeping your wallet happy.
Thrifty Tips - Home and Personal Care
- Use cold water for laundry.
Not only does it help reduce your electricity bill, but it also helps reduce your carbon footprint.
- Hang Laundry on a clothesline.
Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine while hanging laundry on the clothesline. And you save lots of money on your electricity bill.
- Use clothes napkins instead of paper.
Switch up your napkin game and add some style to your table with cloth napkins. By removing the paper towels, you help cut down drastically waste, filling up landfills.
- Replace vinyl Shower curtains with PVC-free plastic, cloth, or bamboo
Not only does this help reduce the amount of plastic waste, but it also creates an environment that is free from toxins.
- Use energy-efficient light bulbs.
If every house changed to energy-efficient light bulbs, it would reduce pollution comparable to removing 1 million cars from the road.
- Avoid rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher
Let your dishwasher do the work for you.
- Replace dryer sheets with vegetable-derived ones or ‘dryer buddies.’
Keep your clothing soft, fresh, and chemical-free.
- Clean your dryer’s lint filter before every use to reduce drying time
Doing so will help reduce drying time and keep your clothes in tip-top shape.
- Use reusable shopping bags and bring plastic bags to recycling drop-off locations.
Find one at plasticfilmrecycling.org
- Water your plants in the morning or at night to minimize evaporation.
- Start a compost heap.
This puts food scraps and yard waste to good use and reduces greenhouse gases released from landfills.
- Cut down on paper junk mail.
There are lots of websites and services that can help you get off of mailing lists.
- Replace lighters with paper matches.
1.5 billion plastic lighters end up in landfills annually.
- Choose cotton swabs or q-tips with paper sticks instead of plastic.
- Recycle your Christmas tree.
Many towns and cities offer programs that put old trees to good use as mulch or erosion barriers.
- Wrap gifts in last year’s holiday paper, fabric, newspaper, and other recycled or reusable materials.
- Keep pollution-fighting plants in your home or office, like ficus or pothos.
- Try coconut oil for multiple purposes.
Coconut is an amazingly versatile product that can be used for moisturizing, shaving, cooking, makeup removal, and more.
- Try metal razors for shaving instead of plastic.
There is a learning curve, but it saves money and the planet.
- Borrow books at your local library instead of buying them
Buy or borrow used textbooks for classes.
- Donate leftover paint to community projects.
Some examples are Habitat for Humanity and Paint Care.
Environmentally friendly thrifty tips for pets
- Use topical flea treatments instead of flea collars.
Many of these collars contain carcinogens and, therefore, do not biodegrade.
- Pick up dog feces.
In other words, pick up Fido's poop. It can spread pathogens into streams when it rains. Use biodegradable bags and dispose of them in the trash.
- Do not flush cat feces.
Only flush cat feces if you have an indoor-only cat that has tested negative for toxoplasmosis. This parasite is known to affect marine life.
- Avoid using cat litter with Bentonite clay.
It is obtained using a highly destructive and inefficient method called strip mining.
- Adopt a pet, don’t shop.
Adopting a pet will reduce the demand for breeding and free up space in animal shelters.
- Choose dog and cat food with different protein sources.
Beef production harms the environment in many different ways.
Environmentally friendly thrifty tips for parents
- Choose cloth diapers or environmentally friendly disposable diapers.
- Choose biodegradable baby wipes.
- Cut down on screen time and electricity use by spending more time outside with your kids.
- Kids grow fast: Buy or borrow gently used equipment and clothing.
Environmentally friendly thrifty tips for food and gardening
- Commit to having at least one vegetarian day a week.
It takes 2 500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef.
- Replace plastic straws with metal or glass.
Bring them to restaurants and decline plastic straws.
- Use a reusable mug or tumbler at coffee shops that allow it.
- If old clothing is not good enough to donate, turn it into kitchen cleaning rags or use them as pillow filler.
- Buy local produce.
This cuts down on pollution from transporting goods.
- Buy essentials in bulk.
Buying the most used products in a household in bulk helps to cut down on packaging and driving to the store.
- Microwave popcorn bags are lined with harmful chemicals for you and the environment.
Pop the old-fashioned way in a pan or pot with oil.
- Use cast iron pots and pans for cooking.
They are free of harmful chemicals and can last for generations.
- Order groceries online.
Ordering your food items online cuts down on driving and helps you to stick to a list, which helps you avoid impulse buys.
- Help to make better consumption choices.
Download the Seafood Watch app from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to track which fish are plentiful, threatened, or polluted to make better consumption choices. See more about Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- Plant pollinator-friendly flowers for bees, butterflies, and birds.
When shopping for seeds and plants for the outdoor season, ask which ones are favorites among pollinators.
- Buy great-tasting and responsible tea and coffee.
Buy shade-grown, organic, Fair Trade, and Equal Exchange tea and coffee to protect environments, animals, and people.
Environmentally friendly thrifty tips for technology and transport
- Turn off your computer at night.
45. Buy rechargeable batteries.
And it's important to know how to dispose of old batteries responsibly.
- Give your old cell phone to a recycling program to keep it out of a landfill and prevent toxic battery leaks.
- Keep your vehicle’s tires properly inflated to improve gas mileage.
- Use the car wash.
Car washes are more water-efficient and environmentally safe than washing them by hand.
- Minimize the weight your vehicle is carrying and keep the trunk clutter-free.
- Opt for electronic bank statements and online bills.
It's a no-brainer! Get more time, save more money, and be more eco-friendly with electronic bank statements and online bills.
- Avoid idling your car or truck.
Letting your vehicle idle can waste up to half a gallon of fuel per hour and pollutes the air.
- Switch to the ‘standard’ picture mode on your TV to save energy
Flat screens are often displayed brighter than necessary to stand out in retail settings.
- Obey the law
Aggressive driving, such as speeding, braking, and rapid acceleration, lowers your gas mileage by up to 33%
- Search the web with Ecosia.org. They plant trees with their ad revenue.
- Take the FootprintCalculator.org quiz to determine your ecological footprint and how to improve it.
Conclusion
Often, when people are damaging the environment, it is because they don’t have the facts or haven’t considered a particular course of action.
Share this list with your friends – if each of them takes on board just one point, the effect could be immense. And if they share it too, think of the mass chain reaction. Let’s work together to make the world a better place. All great things start small.
Leave a comment