10 Simple And Convenient Ways To Be Environmentally Friendly At Home

“Reduce, reuse, and recycle!” I’m sure many of you have heard this phrase before. It is heard and seen everywhere. Sometimes, I even get tired of seeing it. There are many tips and tricks to be eco-friendly and slow global warming, but many of these tips are hard to do, like drive less and walk more. If you live far from urban areas and public transportation is not reliable, like in many parts of the United States, then walking is not an option, and you have no choice but to drive.

Here are 10 simple and convenient ways to be environmentally friendly at home. 

1. Use a thermos or metal flasks to drink water 

Are you tired of throwing out a large number of plastic bottles every week because you drink a lot of bottled water? There’s an easy option out of it, that is to switch to using metal flasks or thermoses to drink water. 

There are many pros to keeping and using a metal flask or thermos. One of the pros is that you don’t need to deal with throwing out a new plastic bottle whenever you finish drinking it. You can keep reusing the flask until it gets broken. Just remember to wash it once in a while to keep it clean and free of germs and bacteria. Another pro of using a metal flask or thermos is that it keeps your water or drink hot or cold for long periods of time. A good thermos can keep hot water heated for sometimes 24 hours and a good metal flask can keep ice water icy for hours on a hot summer day. Even though your bottle may be sitting in the sun for long periods of time, the water temperature will not be affected by the heat or cold outside. 

By using a metal flask or thermos, you are able to lessen the number of plastic bottles you throw out. Plastic bottles create more trash and pollution for the planet. The production of plastic contributes to water pollution and also used plastic bottles will never go away and pollute the oceans and harm ocean animals and also humans. 

I really love using thermoses and metal flasks. They are really convenient to bring around everywhere and fill up. It can either be filled up with hot or cold water. In the winter, it will keep your water warm for the whole day and in the summer it can keep it cold. It is also very convenient to fill up at water stations or just at any restaurant. I remember asking a Starbucks store at the airport to fill up my thermos one time and it was very handy. 

2. Take shorter showers

Sometimes while showing I think of all the water I waste so I get guilt-tripped into taking shorter showers. There are many benefits of taking short showers. In the summer, after showing, the bathroom would not be steamy and hot. On the other hand, in the winter after showering in hot water, your skin would not get dry from all the hot water. 

Shorter showers can save water, especially in times of a drought or water shortage. An extra gallon of water can be used for other purposes, like putting out a wildfire. Shorter showers can also save electricity that is used to heat water. 

3. Buy food in bulk

Try to avoid buying food that comes in small individual packaging. There are many types of foods, like instant noodles or ramen that come in small individual packaging with many layers of plastic packaging. Instead, try buying foods that come in large packaging or bulk with little individual plastic packaging. This way, you will have less trash to throw out at the end of the week and there will be less plastic packaging.

One of the best places to buy food in bulk is Costco. Not only do foods come in bulk, but many of their packages of food are larger. My favorite place to go is Costco when it comes to buying food. The sizes are larger compared to what you get in other grocery stores and also the prices are cheaper for a large amount. This way you do not have to go grocery shopping as often and you can use that extra time to do something else. 

4. Bring your own bags while going shopping

Buying shopping bags while shopping costs 10 cents or more nowadays. If you want to save that money, then you can bring your bags while going shopping, either when buying groceries or shopping for clothes. Bringing your own shopping bags can also reduce the amount of plastic bags in the ocean and in landfills. Plastic bags that are in the oceans can suffocate and destroy the habitat of the fish and other animals who live in the oceans.

I prefer using a cloth or reusable bags while shopping because they are of better quality than plastic shopping bags. If you are carrying groceries or stuff that are heavy or have sharp corners, plastic bags usually break more easily. But if you use cloth or reusable bags when going shopping, it is more durable and can carry heavier loads. Plus, a 10 dollar investment for a reusable bag is better than a continuous payment of a 10 cent plastic bag every time you go grocery shopping. 

5. Reuse your plastic bags as trash bags

If you occasionally forget your reusable bags at home and use plastic bags, you can reuse them as trash bags at home. Instead of buying trash bags, you can reuse grocery bags as trash bags. Or if you don’t have any plastic bags at home, try to avoid using trash bags and use a trash can and dump it out whenever it becomes full. 

Don’t throw out online shopping cardboard boxes when you are done with them. You never know when cardboard boxes came in handy. I keep many of my boxes after my package arrives and I have used the boxes for many purposes such as a storage box for small miscellaneous items, trash box, recycling box, or big boxes for moving. Cardboard boxes can also be flattened out and used as a mat or a floor covering if you are painting or doing something and want to protect the floor. 

6. Keep your windows open at night 

In the summers when the weather is hot and electricity is expensive, try to avoid using the air conditioner or the fan whenever you can. There is a method to keep your room or house cool during the day when the weather is the hottest. Keep your windows open at night or when the sun is almost down, and close windows the next day when the weather is starting to get warmer. This way the cool air is let in at night and can keep you cool when you sleep. You will avoid the hot weather by closing the windows during the day. 

I use this method during the summer and it keeps my room cool in the afternoon so I rarely turn on the fan or air conditioner, with the exception of when the weather is extremely hot. 

7. Reuse old containers and bottles

Do you drink a lot of boba or coffee or other large drinks with plastic bottles? Don’t throw them out when you finish. These empty bottles after cleaning can be used for many other purposes. Empty coffee cups or boba cups can be used for drinking water or juice at home or in containers for other purposes. I have used empty boba cups as flower vases at home, they may not look very elegant but they serve the purpose. 

8. Eat what you cook 

Don’t waste food. Think of how much money is spent on buying food, so don’t waste it. Every day, there are many tons of food that are wasted because people don’t finish the food they buy. Instead of throwing away uneaten food that is not finished in one sitting, it can be saved for the next day or the next meal. If you eat at home, plan on cooking enough for one meal. But if you end up cooking too much, then you can put leftovers in your refrigerator and heat it up the next day or finish it in the next meal. If you eat out, plan on ordering enough just for you to eat. Try not to order too much. Remember don’t buy too much food when going shopping. 

Wasting food is not just a humanitarian or social problem, but it affects the environment. When food is thrown away, it wastes all the energy and water that was used in producing, transporting, and packaging the food. Research shows that if food goes to the landfill and rots, it will produce methane gas that harms the environment more than carbon dioxide. Around 6-8% of human-produced greenhouse gas could be reduced if people stopped wasting food. 

9. Wash dishes by hand 

Washing dishes by hand not only saves water but also electricity. You can also be sure that your dishes are clean after you wash them by hand. I love washing dishes as a chore because I like getting my hands wet. It is a fun task to do at home after dinner or lunch. 

10. Try using natural lighting when you can 

I prefer using natural lighting when I am reading or doing homework. It does not hurt my eyes as much as artificial lighting. I keep my window blinds open during the day when the sun is out so I can rely on natural lighting from the sun. I can see things more clearly with natural lighting compared to electric lights. Using natural lighting can save a lot of money because electricity is more expensive during the day. 

These are some easy and convenient ways to be eco-friendly at home. You don’t have to go out of your way to be environmentally friendly. These are just small habits that can be changed in your everyday life.