The task of saving the planet is not a single-handed crusade. Instead, it relies on the collective effort of many people doing many little things for considerable gain.
Every little change you make will add some punch and, hopefully, inspire those around you to do the same, especially your children. After all, to ensure the planet’s future, we must build an army of environmental crusaders in our homes!
Changing our everyday habits is an excellent way to do this, but the key is to make these changes sustainably. After all, sustainability is the name of the game.
We have come up with a list of simple things you and your family can do to make your home a little greener.
We have called the list the Green ‘Its’ of Change, and we invite you to adopt as many of them as you can!
The Green ‘Its’ of Change.
Take It
Perhaps the most simple habit to adopt is taking a drink bottle and reusable coffee cup with you wherever you go. If you are not in practice, it can be challenging to remember to grab these items as you head out the door. Why not plant backups in your car, at the office, or in your gym bag as a necessary insurance policy until the habit beds in and becomes second nature?
If you want to be super vigilant, you can introduce a no-cup, no coffee/hot chocolate policy. No coffee?! Trust me. That coffee cup will quickly become an extension of your coffee-drinking hand.
Don’t be afraid to extend this policy to your children and their hot chocolate desires!
Bag It
Since the government banned single-use plastic bags, many of us have readily accepted reusable shopping bags or recycled boxes as the norm. But what about taking things one step further and investing in some cloth produce bags?
There are several brands on the market these days, with some available to buy at your local supermarket. If not, a quick Google search will point you in the direction of a local stockist.
Refill It
Wholefood refillery stores like Bin Inn are popping up everywhere. Take in your vessels and replenish your supplies. Among the many items you can stock up on is dishwashing liquid, oils, coffee, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, hand soap, shampoo, dogfood, flours, spices etc. In some stores, you can even make your own nut butter!
The habit of refilling is a great way to reduce your waste packaging output and, at the same time, will save you money at the checkout.
Scrunch It
Recycling your soft plastic packaging is another simple home hack. The beauty of this one is that many supermarkets are the drop-off point – no extra trips to build into your already busy schedule!
Soft plastics include bread bags, produce and frozen food bags, courier packs and bubble wrap, plastic packaging for toilet paper, breakfast cereals and snack foods. As a general rule, it is suitable for recycling if you can scrunch it in your hand.
Be sure to clean any soiled packaging by rinsing it in your kitchen sink and drying it off before setting it aside with your other soft plastics.
Reuse It
Many items in the ‘Scrunch it’ list above can be re-purposed and used repeatedly. Bread bags are particularly well suited to this. Instead of buying zip-lock bags for lunch box snacks etc., grab a used bread bag.
And your vessels for the refillery? Bread bags are great for this purpose too. Or, save jars and bottles instead of turfing them in the recycling and give them a second life.
Scrap It
Domestic food waste that ends up in landfill decomposes without oxygen. During this process, the harmful greenhouse gas methane releases into the atmosphere; this gas is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Recent studies show that New Zealand households contribute over 120,000 tons of food waste to landfills each year.
So, how can you do your bit to reduce this figure and the damaging effects that result?
Fortunately, many among us are keen environmentalists who seek to dismantle the roadblocks of our increasingly urban existence. These industrious folk have developed many handy solutions that make it easy for us to dispose of our food waste more sustainably. Among them are worm farms, bokashi bins and rolling composters. All three options come with their pros and cons, but all offer a remedy. Hopefully, one will appeal to you and your household.
Park It
Where possible, park the wagon and opt for an alternative mode of transport. If you live a reasonable distance from your place of work, why not walk, bike or run to the office? Transport and exercise in one hit? Now that’s what we call efficiency.
Swap It
Nowadays, many general-use household items come in an environmentally friendly form. Wood or stainless steel options seem to be the norm – toothbrushes, razors, pegs, dish brushes, nail brushes etc. You can even grab your shampoo and conditioner in a soap-like bar rather than the traditional plastic bottles.
You don’t need to go nuts and switch everything out at once. Tackle a couple of items at a time until you find the products you enjoy using the most.
Do It
And finally, the it that matters most – Do It! It only takes one small step in the direction of change. The most important thing is that each of us takes that step.
Why not commit to making one change per month? In less than a year, your family will have mastered the Green ‘Its’ list and may even be why a family you know decides to switch to some Green Habits of their own!