In recent years, governments worldwide have given a lot of attention and resources to the environment. Still, there is only so much the government can do. 

As time goes by, the focus shifts to individuals and what each person can do towards sustainability and environmental conservation. 

If you have always longed to be part of something bigger than yourself, doing your part for the environment is a great option. 

Here are some simple ways to be more eco-friendly. 

1. Make Conscious Purchasing Decisions

You will be surprised at how different products of a similar function are. Some companies put a lot of thought into their manufacturing process and how they impact the environment. Others don’t. 

If you are to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle, try and keep this in mind when shopping. Look for products that are manufactured with minimal damage to the environment.

With some effort, you can identify recycled toilet paper, books, cleaning products, and so on.

2. Minimize Chemical Cleaners

Everyone shares the need to have a clean home. However, some cleaning products we use are harsh on the environment. They find their way to drainage systems, runoff, and water systems and interfere with plant and animal health. 

The good news is, numerous companies have, over the years, taken up the challenge to produce safe cleaning products. 

These aside, there are natural compounds that can be used in cleaning without any harmful effects. These include products like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, borax, and hydrogen peroxide. 

3. Carpooling

Carpooling ferries more than one person in a car at a time. This reduces the number of cars on the roads. This is one way to reduce Greenhouse gases (GHG). 

To get started, just find a few neighbors or co-workers that go in the same direction as you do. Ideally, you should have enough people to occupy the number of seats in one car. 

You can then arrange your timings and carpool. Everyone can chip in on fuel and other costs. Aside from eco-friendliness, carpooling can be fun and is cheaper than owning and operating a vehicle individually. 

4. Buy a Durable Water Bottle

In hot summer months, the norm is to grab a bottle of water on your way, discard it and get another one later on when needed. 

Each plastic bottle disintegrates into 10,000 microplastic pieces with time, which is extremely difficult to clean up. 

A better way to go about this is to buy a durable, sturdy water bottle. You can fill this up in the morning and again throughout the day as needed. 

Last Word

These eco-friendly tips might seem insignificant. In actual reality, they are not. 

When you replicate these individual efforts by the billions of people that inhabit the world, the result is a much better, safer, cleaner place for all. 

Photo by Dimitry Zub from Pexels