Get To Grips With A Greener Life

Whether you are a passionate planet protector or just want to make some small changes to your daily life, it’s never been easier to live a greener life.

There are many simple things we can do within our home. The technology has been created for us, so it’s as simple as making a purchase. Solar panels are a great place to start. Now we can harness the natural power of the sun and save ourselves money. There have been some homes that have managed to generate an income from solar panels by selling their stored energy back to the grid! While there is an investment from you involved in purchasing the panels, you will quickly replace this investment from the money that you save on electricity bills.

Another great way to help protect our planet is to reuse the rainwater that falls year-round. There are multiple benefits to this. First of all, it is an excellent way of watering the garden. Not only is rainwater better for your plants, but you will be protecting the ecosystem too. There are numerous poly water tanks for sale, so research which one is best for you. You will be amazed by how much water you will collect. You can also use rainwater for other outside jobs such as washing the car or pressure washing the patio.

Your garden throws up multiple ways of getting to grips with a greener life. Planting trees will help improve the air quality around your property. Trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. Plants also offer this incredible resource. However, they do so on a smaller scale. By planting trees at our homes, we are literally improving the world we live in.

In your home, consider working on the efficiency of your recycling. You may already do a little, but there is always room to improve. While sending off your plastic and tin with your weekly waste disposal service is commendable, there is still a process involved that uses natural resources. From the fuel used to power the truck, to the electricity in the plant that sorts the recyclable race. Maybe you could think about better ways of reusing your waste.

People often associate compost with vegetables and food waste. However, paper is compostable material. Shredded down into small pieces, you can add this to your garden and kitchen waste to feed your garden.

You can also repurpose many of the products you send to the tip. Plastic bottles are incredibly useful around the home. You can use them for storage solutions or as planters for young seedlings. Use your imagination, and you can create all kinds of useful solutions out of things you would usually throw away.

Many of us believe that meat is the core of our diet. Humans are natural meat-eaters, aren’t we? Well, believe it or not, science has suggested we actually thrive on a plant-based diet. Currently, over 30 percent of the surface of the world is being used to raise livestock. A whopping 9 percent of CO2 from human activities comes from the livestock we breed. It also produces 65 percent of human-related nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is worse for global warming than CO2. So cutting back on your meat consumption could make a massive difference to our planet and to your health. You don’t have to quit meat altogether. Perhaps enjoy a few vegetarian evenings or replace chicken with fish.

Growing your own vegetables can really help you live a greener life. Not only will it provide you with a source of food and help your life a more self-sufficient life. It also cuts back on the emissions used to grow and transport the food you eat. You can grow vegetables no matter how little space you have. Tomatoes can be grown in hanging baskets, so can cucumbers. Potatoes will grow in deep planters. Garlic, chives and most herbs will thrive in a window box. There are many vegetables and fruits you could grow inside your home too. By reducing your reliance on supermarkets, you can make a real difference in how many lorries are used each year to ship products into stores.

Some of us are guilty of using far too much power in our homes. We let our heating and hot water run all day, we fill the kettle to the top when we only need one cup of tea. Perhaps we have older appliances that don’t meet today’s standards. There are lots of areas we can waste electricity in our homes. Start with something as simple as changing your light bulbs. By making a move from the conventional bulbs to LED lights, we can not only save money, but we save energy. Try and be a little more frugal with your home. Remember to switch lights off in rooms you aren’t using and consider how often your washing machine is running. A half-filled washing machine uses as much energy as a full one but isn’t always necessary.

When it comes to cleaning our home, we can get a little greener too. Shop-bought products aren’t always best. Using lemon and water in your oven is a powerful degreaser. Baking powder is an excellent deodoriser. You could also cut back on your use of paper. Don’t buy rolls of paper towels for your kitchen. Repurpose old t-shirts and use these to clean and dust your home. If you were going to throw it in the bin, it doesn’t matter if you use it for bleaching the toilet or dusting the bookshelf.

All around your home, there are ways we can care a little more for our planet. There are so many signs that our lifestyle is causing the world to suffer. Scientists have discovered that Mount Everest is shrinking 4cms a year due to global warming. We all need to do our bit to help keep our beautiful planet alive, so make sure you do yours, and you might inspire your whole neighbourhood to make a difference too.