Chances are, you’re already thinking about recycling if you’re planning to live a greener lifestyle. But, could you be doing anything to recycle even more, and even better? These days almost anything can be recycled, from paper to batteries and even your old car. So, before you throw something away, it’s always worth taking a moment to double check if there’s any way you could recycle it instead. And, bear in mind that even still, a lot of the items that we diligently add to recycling cans are still ending up in landfills – so recycle by yourself, wherever possible. This means cutting up old clothes to turn into cleaning rags, giving items away, or selling them on when you no longer need them, turning old bottles into vases or kitchen storage, or repurposing your old furniture with eco-friendly paint. There are plenty of creative ideas that you can get stuck into when it comes to recycling, and the best part is that you’ll have something new without having to go out and buy it.

Reduce your plastic use:

Plastic seems to have found its way into pretty much every aspect of our lives these days – but plastic does not biodegrade, meaning that once it’s thrown away, it remains on the planet for centuries. Plastic is quickly filling up our oceans and is one of the biggest contributors to environmental damage today – but even though it’s everywhere, the good news is that giving up plastic is not as difficult as you may think. Some ideas include:

• Invest in a reusable water bottle or reusable hot drinks cup to take out with you – most coffee shops and restaurants are more than happy to fill your reusable cup instead of giving you a take-out option. And, being able to use a water fountain to fill your water bottle will save you a lot of money compared to buying single-use plastic bottles.
• Bring canvas bags with you when you go grocery shopping.
• Buy fruit and vegetables loose rather than pre-packaged.
• Get a reusable lunch box to take to work.
• For occasions, consider non-plastic gift wrapping options – brown paper makes a classy alternative, or you could get even more creative with fabric wrapping ideas.

#3. Eco-Friendly Home Improvement Ideas:

If you are looking to invest in making some improvements on your home, then there are some options that tend to be environmentally friendlier than others. Whether you’re looking to renovate your home or just make some simple changes, it’s worth doing some research first to ensure that the work you’re planning is going to cause as little damage as possible.

Insulate your home:

One of the best improvements that you can make at home is adding high-quality insulation. Homes that are not well-insulated are much harder to keep at an ideal temperature when it is cold, and alternatively they are also difficult to keep cool when it’s warm outside. Insulating your attic, if you have one, and the walls in your home will help to trap the warm or cool air inside and make it easier for your home to reach and remain at the right temperature quickly. As a result, your home’s heating and cooling systems will not have to work as hard – and you’ll save energy and money as a result.

Invest in a programmable thermostat:

Programmable thermostats are becoming more and more popular and there are many options to choose from, whether you just want a basic version or a smart thermostat with all the bells and whistles. Investing in this for your home means that you can set your heating or cooling systems to come on at certain times of the day – in the winter, this means that you don’t need to leave your home’s heating system on all day while you’re at work just to make sure that you’re not freezing when you finally arrive home. A smart thermostat goes one step further; you can manage this from an app on your phone and control your home’s temperature remotely.

Plant some trees:

If you want to make your garden an eco-friendlier part of the planet, then planting some trees is a fantastic idea. Ecological sustainability is hugely important when it comes to eco-friendly living – things begin to fall apart when there is a lack of a stable ecosystem. Ensuring that as humans, we’re planting more native trees to replace trees that have been felled in order to make room for new developments is something that everybody should be doing in order to both protect the environment and improve air quality in cities and towns.

#4. Greener Transport Habits:

Transportation is another massive contributor to environmental damage – and with millions of cars on the road every day, it’s no surprise. Thankfully, there is a lot that we can do as individuals to improve our transport habits and become greener travelers. From getting to work or the store to taking vacations, making even small changes to your travel and transport habits can have an impact on the planet for the better.

Drive less:

If you can get away without driving, then you should definitely consider doing this – public transport is far eco-friendlier as it’s able to fit several people into one vehicle, rather than having several vehicles on the road. And, driving less is quite often kinder to your pocket – you don’t need to worry about paying for gas and your insurance premiums may be lower as a result. Getting rid of your car entirely could be one of the best things that you do for the planet, but if that’s not possible, try and find alternative ways of getting around as much as possible, particularly for short journeys. Walking and cycling are free, healthy and eco-friendly!

Car share:

If some of your co-workers live on your route to work, then it’s worth considering putting a car or ride share plan in place at your workplace. Ride sharing works quite easily – everybody takes turns being the driver and picking up colleagues on the way to work, helping everybody involved be kinder to the environment in terms of transport, along with saving money on gas and parking fees. This is a great option if walking or using public transport to get to your workplace is not possible.

Invest in an eco-friendlier car:

If you’re unable to give up your car completely, or are struggling to drive less at all, then one of the best things that you can do is invest in a vehicle that is kinder to the environment. Hybrid and electric vehicles are great options and the good news is that there are government initiatives that you might want to take advantage of in order to get one cheaper – in some cases, you may be able to get your hands on a grant towards an electric or hybrid car if you trade your old vehicle in. With drivers being encouraged to go electric thanks to future goals to replace all vehicles with electric models in this next decade, now’s the best time to make this change.

Fly less:

Flying is one of the most environmentally damaging things that you can do – just short, domestic flights can produce massive amounts of carbon. If you can get away with getting to a destination without flying, then you should certainly try and do so – taking a train can be a much more environmentally friendly method of transport. And instead of taking vacations abroad, why not stay closer to home and explore some of the most stunning destinations in the US?

#5. Shop Greener:

Finally, there are many green practices that you can put into action when shopping to make sure that your spree is impacting the planet as little as possible. Whatever you are shopping for, there are plenty of things that you can do to ensure you’re going about it in a way that’s as eco-friendly as possible. Sustainable shopping habits are great to develop as over time, they will help to reduce the amount of mass production and waste that’s sadly all too commonplace in the world today.

Buy second hand:

Whether you’re shopping for new clothes, a new laptop or smartphone, home appliances or furniture, you’d be surprised at the bargains that you can get when you’re shopping second-hand. And, buying pre-loved items means that not only are you saving money, you’ll also make sure that these items don’t end up being thrown in the trash – and helping your local community by enabling people to make a little bit of extra money selling their old stuff. Check out sites like Gumtree, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and eBay, and visit local thrift stores to see what’s on offer.

Get groceries delivered:

Getting your groceries delivered to your home is not only more convenient, it’s also better for the planet. This is because rather than having several people driving to the store to grocery shop, there’s just one van dropping off all the deliveries, helping to keep traffic off the road and reducing the amount of carbon emissions produced.

Buy local:

From food to new clothes, the closer to home the products you buy are made, the less carbon will be created when they are transported. And, you’ll be supporting your local economy – over time, this can lead to a boost and you’ll probably see even more locally produced items to choose from. Plus, supporting small businesses in your area is always better than giving your money to massive organizations.

From reducing energy at home to shopping locally, there are plenty of small yet hugely effective ways to live a greener lifestyle.