Try these simple life hacks to start helping the environment every day.
I recently read an article about ways we are unknowingly contributing to pollution. Some of them were pretty obvious actually, but some of them were pretty damning, especially for me, since I consider myself at least semi-conscious of my impact and pretty passionate about helping the environment.
But here’s what I don’t like about the article. It doesn’t list constructive ways that we can be helping the environment. Or what we should stop doing to mitigate the bad stuff. So here’s a little twist on the piece, with eight things you can do to help the environment a little bit every single day.
8 Simple Life Hacks for Helping the Environment
1. Stop using antibacterial soap. Some essential oils (like thyme and lavender) have natural anti-fungal and antibiotic properties. Bonus: citrus essential oils (orange, lemongrass) are also known for killing bacteria. And they smell oh-so-good! Also, check out this recipe for homemade hand sanitizer!
2. On lawn mowers… according to the article, a lawn mower has the same impact on air pollution as a 100-mile car trip (the article sites a Swedish study). Admittedly, I don’t know much about lawn equipment. But in lieu of adopting some hungry goats, maybe try using electric lawn equipment.
3. Stop using tea bags, or at least reuse them. If you do use tea bags, make sure that they’re compostable and toss the into your compost bin when you’re done with them. I buy loose tea from local places where I can make sure I get it sans pesticides. From there, just get an infuser!
4. No more plastic bottles! I use water filters and reusable glass bottles. I’m a little obsessive about it, but I have one on my tap, and then one of the water filter pitchers that I keep in the refrigerator if I want something cold. Also, reusable glass bottles are always preferable over reusable plastic ones, for your health more than anything!
5. Ban microbead exfoliators from your beauty routine. There are way better products out there anyways, like skin brushes or even just a plain and simple cloth. You could also head to Pinterest for some DIY sugar scrub recipes!
6. Don’t use disposable razors. Apparently these are some of the most wasteful bathroom products around. It’s tough to find an alternative, since things like waxing and tweezing aren’t exactly the most easy or comfortable solutions. Try to extend the life of your blades by blotting them with rubbing alcohol and drying them off after each use.
7. No more paper cups, especially for your daily coffee! See number four, above. You save money here too, since a lot of places will charge you less for your coffee when you bring your own travel mug. For the safest on-the-go coffee drinking, choose a ceramic travel mug.
8. Ditch the disposable chopsticks. Not only are they wasteful, but they’re often treated with a very toxic chemical. This is a tough one, especially since nobody is going to bring their own reusable chopsticks with them when they go out for sushi! I actually have reusable chopsticks, but only because I use them to keep my hair up! You can find them pretty readily available online. I highly recommend purchasing a few sets, for a fancier at-home sushi experience… or for keeping long hair out of your face (if that’s a problem we have in common…). Hey, every little bit helps!
[Image of woman with reusable bag via Shutterstock]