House & Garden

4 Ways to Live a Greener Lifestyle

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Considered unusual only a few short years ago, living ‘green’ is now a mainstream lifestyle; countless individuals and families are now choosing to live in a way that minimises their impact on the environment. But it can be daunting to find out where to start, so below are a few suggestions to help you start living green.

1. Reduce Your Electricity Costs

One of the biggest detriments to a green lifestyle is the use of electricity, which can emit damaging elements into the environment by burning fossil fuels. The biggest difference you can make when starting on your new green lifestyle is to reduce your use of electricity. There are plenty of ways to do this (use fewer electrical appliances, turn off all extra lights and reduce or stop the use of air conditioning), but a great way to continue your lifestyle in a less damaging way is to install solar panels. Installing solar panels means that you can continue to use your powered equipment while reducing your electricity usage – and your electricity bill!

2. Grow Your Own Food

Not everything can grow in every environment, but if you can grow it, you should try. Growing your own food means less reliance on larger supermarkets, fewer plastic bags, and less fuel burned by the trucks carrying food from the farmers to the supermarkets. Not to mention, you can avoid using chemicals when growing your food, so you won’t be introducing nasty chemicals to the environment or to your diet. If you can’t grow your own food, consider buying directly from the farmers through your local farmers’ markets.

3. Put Away Your Car Keys

Having a car is a great convenience – it helps you get around quickly, you can carry extra things, and you have the freedom to travel whenever you need to. But maybe a car isn’t always necessary. Whenever you can, try swapping your car for a bicycle, public transport, or even just a pair of walking shoes. By using your car less, not only will you save money, but you will also be reducing your carbon footprint by burning less fuel. If you’ve never given public transport a try, give it a go for a week. Bring along your favourite book, or download an interesting podcast, and you might just find yourself enjoying the forced downtime.

4. Learn How to DIY

Whether it’s a new scarf or a new bookshelf, learning how to be self-sufficient and do things yourself can save you a significant amount of money, give you a great sense of satisfaction, and also reduce the strain on the environment caused by mass production. If you really don’t trust your own skills, opt for second-hand (or pre-loved) items, so you are recycling rather than buying new. You will probably be able to pick it up fairly cheaply this way, and you will have a far more interesting item than if you had bought it brand new from a store.

Well, there are some starter tips to help you adapt to a greener lifestyle. Can you think of any tips that are missing here? Share your suggestions below.

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