Wellness & Lifestyle

4 Easy Ways to Become More Eco-Conscious

by Isabella Tejada

Earth Day is nearly here! With it quickly approaching, let us celebrate it by allowing it to help remind us to take care of the world the way it takes care of us! A little can go a long way, if you play it right! Below find a few helpful tips to aid in becoming more eco-conscious.

Get reusable everything!

Among the everyday items that we take for granted are paper/plastic cups, plastic straws, and plastic bags. For example, did you know it takes 20 years for a single paper cup to decompose in a landfill? And Americans throw out around 58 billion cups every year. The statistics are staggering. BUT there is a helpful and simple way you can do your part! There’s a whole market for reusable items now and it’s growing! Not only can you find items to match your personality, but you’re also helping the environment tremendously. Buying a reusable tumbler with a straw and taking that when you’re on the go is a great way to cut back.

Cut down on standby electricity!

UNPLUG! No we don’t mean shut yourself out of the world of technology! What we do mean is when you’re not using wires or appliances, make sure they’re unplugged. For example, you can save up to 25 percent on your energy bill if you unplug appliances like your washer and dryer! For smaller items a good way to cut back is to use power strips, that way you can shut down the power strip and not have to worry about the excess energy being sucked up while your bill skyrockets.

Carpool or take public transit!

By carpooling or taking an alternative form of transportation, you can actually contribute to making the earth cleaner! Less cars on the road, means less carbon and gases going into the air and polluting it! Grab a friend and hit the road together, it’s always more fun to have a sing-a-long with someone else!

Conserve water usage!

Water is probably the most precious thing on this planet, and it is also one of the things that gets wasted the most. For example, an average family of four uses 881 gallons of water per week just by flushing the toilet, so you can imagine what else uses tons of water! Just doing small things like turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth and scrubbing your hands with soap will help conserve so much water! Another great tip includes filling up your sink with water and washing your dirty dishes at once in sink rather than keeping the faucet running.