77% of Americans want to learn to live more sustainably, Forbes reports. Families are interested in becoming greener largely due to issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution. However, some parents don’t know where to start or doubt they’d make much of a difference. The good news is making just a few, small changes to your family’s lifestyle is enough to lower your carbon footprint and help the environment.
Start recycling
The current U.S. recycling rate is roughly 34%. Getting that number up to 75% will have the same effect as removing 50 million passenger cars from U.S. roads. Introducing recycling bins for plastic and paper into your home can get your family into the habit of recycling. You can then use your city’s curbside program or local recycling drop-off centre to empty the bins. Scrap metal like aluminium, copper, and steel is another important material to recycle. Recycling scrap metal conserves natural resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions produced during manufacturing new metal, Gardner Metal explains. For example, recycling aluminium rather than making it from virgin ore results in energy savings of up to 92%.
Conserve energy
Conserving energy at home will lower your energy bills and help the planet. For example, encourage your children to turn off lights and electronics when they’re not using them. This is a simple way to teach them about the importance of energy conservation without nagging them about using their devices too much. Additionally, start using power strips. Your electronic devices actually continue to use power when they’re plugged in but turned off. So, plugging all your devices into one or two power strips makes it easy for you to unplug the whole thing in one go and save energy.
Grow your own food
Growing your own food helps you save money, reduces your environmental impact, and lets you enjoy fresher better-tasting food. It’s also a fun way to get your kids outdoors and teach them a valuable life skill. Cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and strawberries are easy to grow and fun for children to watch grow and pick and eat once they’re ready. You also don’t necessarily need a big space to start a garden. Vegetables can even be planted in pots or hanging baskets.
Making a few small lifestyle changes can end up making a big impact on the environment. These green living tips can help your family become more eco-conscious.
