Climate change is all around us, rearing its ugly head in the form of recent severe weather catastrophes and damage to flora and fauna. Many of us wonder what we can do to stave off and potentially reverse these adverse impacts. If you are among this group, there are simple daily habits you can adopt to minimize your carbon footprint. And, some of these methods can save you a few bucks!
Make Your Own Coffee or Tea
You can save a few quick bucks and reduce pollution by brewing your own coffee or tea at home. There are many varieties of coffee makers currently on the market, and all of them get the job done. Paper cups, plastic tops, plastic stirrers, and other items you might use at your favorite coffee house create tons (literally) of plastic and paper trash every year, and a lot of it can’t be recycled properly. This kind of trash sits at waste dumps and landfills for decades without decomposing. Meanwhile, home-based coffee brewers and products can be packaged in recycled materials and are made of sturdy materials such as silicon. Plus, you can brew as much as you want and add the flavorings you love without paying $4 a cup!
Use Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags
On recent grocery store runs, you might have noticed fabric shopping bags on sale by the checkout counter. These are bags you can buy and bring with you when you go grocery shopping. Many of them are manufactured using recycled materials and fabrics. If you don’t like the appearance of these, you can always look for a better quality shopping bag online. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a slogan that you can live up to by making simple earth-friendly choices like this. You may even opt for nylon produce bags, which are lightweight and last a lifetime!
Buy Items with Less Packaging
You can’t control what companies and large corporations produce, but you can control what you buy. Refusing to purchase items with unnecessary packaging can add up to reducing the overall consumption of over-packaged goods. These companies will eventually feel the financial pressure and change their packaging practices if enough consumers decide to observe this.
Sometimes, adopting eco-friendly habits might be financially rewarding. If you buy drinks and foods in aluminum packaging, save every one of those cans or containers after washing them out. You might be surprised at how much cash you earn when you finally take it all down to your local recycling center!