Making this switch will make a huge impact on the environment, since plastic bags take 10-20 years to decompose, and the pollution is spreading to more of the oceans every year. You can throw your trash directly into the bin and then wash/rinse the bin often, or you can invest in eco-friendly trash bags. You have two options when it comes to eliminating harmful plastic bags from your home. Or at least, stop using traditional ones. That would be a problem if thousands of bottles made their way to the, but an average 8 million metric tons of plastic makes its way into the sea every year, which means the earth not only has a problem, it has a very big one. Plastic water bottles, for instance, take over 400 years to decompose, and some can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade. While you should certainly focus on the energy crisis the world is encountering, you should also pay attention to the amount of single-use plastics that are being used, thrown away, and finding their way into the world’s oceans. Use a programmable thermostat.īy switching to a smart, programmable thermostat, you’re able to reduce your HVAC energy consumption by scheduling hours during the day (when you’re at work or sleeping) when the AC or heater doesn’t run as often. LED bulbs cost more up front, but they’ll actually save you in the long run since they consume 85 percent less energy and last about 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs. Replace the light bulbs in your home with LED bulbs. You can even make your own laundry detergent and skip the fabric softener for added eco-cred. Your washing machine’s energy consumption comes almost exclusively from heating the water. Your washing machine, unlike your dryer, doesn’t require a lot of energy to run. Hooray! But you should use cold water cycles whenever possible. Read more about creating a Zero Waste Laundry here! Use cold water when you wash clothes. Plus, hanging your clothes in the sun helps to brighten greying whites, and lift stubborn stains – bonus! Your dryer, apart from your fridge, is the appliance responsible for the greatest energy consumption. If you can get out of the habit of using your dryer for every load, you’ll drastically reduce the amount of energy your home consumes each month. It might seem like a step back in time, to start hanging your clothes on a clothesline in the sun – but it’s actually the norm in some parts of the world! We’ve just gotten used to the convenience of a dryer. If you can, air-dry your clothes outside. Here’s some ideas to get started… Stop using your dryer. Instead of wasting energy, make changes to lower your carbon footprint every day. If you’re of the mindset that what you do doesn’t really affect the world, consider this the average American has a carbon footprint of 14.95 tons! That’s the highest in the world – and we all need to do our bit to make sure that number goes down to a more sustainable level. It’s also important to keep in mind the amount of pollution that occurs when you use nonrenewable energy sources. This particular disaster won’t happen in the next few years, but it’s important to look ahead and take care of future generations, since energy is not only about comfort, but survival. The more nonrenewable energy people use, such as gas, coal, and oil, the greater the risk that the planet will eventually run out. It’s important to conserve energy for two reasons.
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