21 surprisingly simple ways to a greener life

By MiNDFOOD

An attractive woman happily lying on the grass outside on a sunny day
An attractive woman happily lying on the grass outside on a sunny day

Green tips that will improve your health, lifestyle and help save the planet.

Making the shift towards an environmentally-friendly lifestyle can help improve your health and life overall, and it’s also a major boost to the world around you. Sustainable living or “green living” not only saves energy, resources and money it also puts you into a healthier mindset.

Consider making these simple changes to a greener life today, and you’ll be thankful that you did in the years to come:

  1. Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
  2. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. An often-forgotten habit that wastes litres of water.
  3. Cut down using paper. When you use paper, you are destroying trees that were cut down to make that paper.
  4. Switch to a laptop. They use significantly less energy than desktop computers.
  5. Go organic. Choose local, seasonal produce only.
  6. Say no to single-use plastics. Bottled water is inefficient, expensive, and produces large amounts of plastic waste.
  7. Plant some bee-friendly lavender. These little beasts are vital to pollenating the Earth’s vibrant ecosystem, but they have been dying out due to the use of pesticides.
  8. Visit the Op Shop. Charity shops provide a way to recycle any unwanted items.
  9. Change to plant-based cleaning products. These are made from natural, sustainable, plant-based ingredients that don’t leave chemical residue behind, and are biodegradable.
  10. Plan green holidays. Holidays can have damaging effects on the places tourists visit via fuel consumption, damage to local habitats, pollution, and distortions in economies.
  11. Get a high-efficiency showerhead. This can save hundreds of litres of water per person per year.
  12. Drive Smarter. Simple changes in our existing driving habits can improve fuel efficiency by up to 25 per cent. Drive at or near the speed limit, keep your tires inflated, make sure oil and air filters are clean, and step on the gas and the brakes carefully.
  13. Cut down on takeaway foods. These only create more waste, and are generally not too healthy.
  14. Switch one appliance to an energy-efficient model. Look for the “energy star” label.
  15. Turn off lights when you leave the room.
  16. Support your local economy and shop at your farmer’s market.
  17. Pay your bills online. Not only is it greener, it’s a sanity saver.
  18. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater – especially as you head into the summer months.
  19. Repurpose glass jars as leftover containers and bulk storage, especially in the kitchen.
  20. Turn off your computer completely at night or when you leave the office.
  21. Switch all your lightbulbs to CFLs (or at least switch a few).

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