4 ways you can do both!
Sometimes when we think of saving the environment we think of strategies and procedures that require an entire global initiative. However, another way to look at this is to view it as a list of several small tasks that can be achieved on a daily basis that we all can do to help accomplish this goal. For example, there are many household habits we can adjust and implement – not only to help with this environmental cause, but also ones that can help us save money at the same time. Here are some fairly simple lifestyle changes that you can make that can also free up some more of your cash flow as well as reducing your carbon footprint.
1) Reducing Electricity Costs
The Issue:
In the course of the year, we use a high level of kilo-wattage (kWh) in our homes. Some of the most common outlets for electricity use include, appliances and lighting. It is also estimated that a large portion of the power we use is also classified as ‘wasted electricity’ that we throw away each year. Not only does the electricity we use in our homes contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions, it also means we are wasting some money in the process.
The Fix:
In order to improve your electricity efficiency rate – and lower your bills, you can simply remember to turn off and unplug your appliances & electronics, as well as lights when they are not needed. Even leaving phone chargers and laptop chargers – as well as other appliances left in the off position, yet plugged in when not needed can draw unnecessary power. Remembering to unplug these cords can help you out quite a bit in this money saving endeavour.
Additionally, if you have several electronics such as a computer, a TV, a printer, and so on in the same location – you can also choose to plug them into a power bar that has an on/off switch. Turning these off will also lessen the amount of electricity that these items are drawing from. You may also even opt to switch to appliances, such as washers and dryers that are more energy efficient, for example those with an ENERGY STAR certification.
In terms of lighting, on top of remembering to turn off your lights when you don’t need them, you can also look to switch to more energy efficient products, like LED lights that use about 75% less power than more traditional light bulbs. An added bonus is that these lights typically last longer, so you do not need to replace them as often and in turn pay more money.
2) Reducing Vehicle Pollution
The issue:
Vehicle usage also allots for an increased amount of greenhouse gas emissions that contaminate the air. As a result there are many environmental and health concerns, such as respiratory issues, increased allergies and asthma attacks, and even lung cancer. While this is just one of the ways that air pollutants are distributed, it is one that can be improved through reduced vehicle usage. Therefore choosing to leave your car at home can not only help the environment, it can also help you save some extra income.
The Fix:
First of all, if you are able to leave your car at home then this is a good method of helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If however, you are using your car it is important to be aware that when you leave it idling you are also wasting electricity and contributing to air pollution. Knowing that this is also a reality of leaving vehicles in the idling position can encourage you to change this behaviour. As you can see this can help you to save electricity and even save yourself some money. Since idling and of course more driving means more gas – making your vehicle’s gas last longer I’m sure will sound like a good idea to many people.
Keeping up with your vehicle’s maintenance routine can also improve the amount of air pollution that is emitted as well as the amount of gas you go through in some cases. It is also likely that these are little areas that you can start including in your daily life that will support both the environment and your bank account.
3) Saving Trees through Eco-Friendly Paper Use
The issue:
Ultimately, the more paper we use translates into more trees that have to be cut down. Not only does paper usage, particularly used in printing require a lot of energy, it also can create harmful gases known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs can be highly detrimental to our health and to the environment. The financial side of using a lot of paper also means that more money is having to be spend to produce these products – and also that individuals are having to buy more and more paper for a variety of uses. That being said, there are ways to reduce these costs and protect our health and the planet at the same time.
The Fix:
Theses days more homeowner’s and businesses are choosing to adopt an approach referred to as environmentally-friendly printing. In some cases, this simply means reducing the amount of paper they are using on a daily basis. Some additional strategies they are implementing to achieve this goal, include methods such as, printing on both sides of the paper, purchasing soy-based ink, using recycled paper and recycled ink cartridges during the printing process.
An overall good rule of thumb here can also be to think before you print. If it is something you really need to print, can you get away with just reading it on your device or choosing to only print a small portion of the document, for example. These are questions you can ask yourself each time you got to hit print. Lastly, opting to use digital formats over printing whenever you can can become more of a habit for you over time – and you may find this can work out just as well. Ultimately, if you are using less paper, buying less paper, not having to purchase ink cartridges, you can potentially save quite a bit of money on a monthly basis and certainly over the course of a year as well. Lastly but not least, the environment will thank you, your health will thank you and in the end more trees can continue to grow and improve the quality of the air we breathe.
4) Re-using Household Items & Buying Used
The Issue:
In choosing to buy new product after new product, we end up forking out a lot of money in the process. Whether this is in the form of clothing, furniture, and so on – you may still be seeing your income quickly disappear.
Here are some of the ways that choosing to always buy can have negative implications for the environment:
• More items will end up discarded in our landfills
• More raw materials are used to make brand new items
• More energy is used and more pollution is created during the production, manufacturing, packaging and transportation processes of new items.
The Fix:
Instead why not opt to purchase more items used, such as clothing, furniture and other items you may want and need that have been donated to thrift and second-hand stores? Often these items are still in good condition and you can get a lot of beneficial use out of them well into the future. Since second-hand stores typically offer much lower prices, you will also have the potential to save a lot more of your hard-earned cash.
Here you can follow suit with the reduce, reuse,recycle eco-friendly consumer approach in your daily life and at the same time you will benefit financially, while supporting the planet in various ways including, reducing landfill waste and pollution.
When all is said and done, it is within our capabilities to make simple changes that can help save our planet. Not only can you give yourself a little more financial stability by saving money, you can also have peace of mind that you are contributing to a global effort that continuously works towards improving environmental conditions, one person at a time. Overall, the act of being kind to your wallet and to your planet are two things that can very easily go and in hand.
