Staying Green During Quarantine

5 easy ways to become more environmentally friendly in your home

1. Use less paper and recycle!

It's been said before, but it's true. By using less paper, you reduce your impact on forests, cut energy use, limit pollution, and produce less waste. The average American uses 700 pounds of paper, wood, and other products made from trees each year. Paper production is the third most energy-intensive industry in manufacturing and is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. About 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S., and paper waste accounts for more than 40% of waste going into landfills. By recycling items including paper, you save precious materials like trees, water, oil, and electricity, and reduce the amount of landfill space containing reusable resources. Instead of using paper, you could write on documents electronically (and you could write emails instead of letters).

2. Cut down on energy use

Start by turning off lights whenever you leave a room, and be conscious of how many lights are on at one time. During the day, let in as much natural light as possible through windows and try to avoid turning on lights in those rooms. At night, make sure you are only using the amount of light you need. Plus, unplug any appliances when you aren't using them, and wash as much laundry as you can on cold—you reduce the energy wasted by 85%. If you are comfortable, try a drying rack or clothesline instead of the dryer. Lower your thermostat in the winter and bring it up in the summer, so long as you don't freeze or melt. These little changes will go a long way. And trust us, you'll thank us when you see your electric bill.

3. Reduce water waste

Try using less water and cut back on your plastic water bottle use. Take shorter showers or use a low pressure on your shower head. Try setting a timer to see and reduce just how long you spend in the shower. Use tap water, and if necessary, purchase a water filter instead of buying bottled water (which will save money in the long run). Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, check your pipes for leaks, only run the dishwasher when it is full, don't let the faucet run when washing dishes or food, water your lawn in cool parts of the day and give it lots of water so that the water will absorb and not be wasted, use a broom to clean your driveway, and don't leave the hose running when you wash your car. Do these things and you get yet another added benefit of a cheaper water bill!

4. Eat less meat

According to a study done by the U.N., the livestock sector makes up 9% of carbon dioxide emissions from humans and 65% of human-related nitrous oxide, which has 296 times the GWP (Global Warming Potential) of carbon dioxide. Additionally, the consumption of meat contributes to land and water loss, loss of biodiversity, acid rain, coral reef degeneration, and deforestation. By cutting back on meat consumption, you make a significant change in reducing the emissions of GWP gasses. Plus, more than 30% of the Earth's surface is used to raise and support livestock, which is land that could be used for agriculture, housing, nature preservation, and much more.

5. Reuse materials

Recycling certainly is a good thing, but in the "three Rs" trifecta, it only comes after Reduce and Reuse. Recycling should be a last resort only. If you can, reduce your wastefulness when it comes to paper, plastics, boxes, cans, or any other material being used in excess in your home. Use cloth napkins and kitchen towels instead of paper options. Use a whiteboard or technology to replace some paper uses in your home. Try to cancel as much of your junk mail as possible. Even still, there will be recyclable materials being used in the house—but that doesn't mean you have to immediately recycle them. Get creative! Save and use the backs of paper, create plastic bottle supply cups or piggy banks, reuse containers and cartons for food storage, or make a plastic bottle planter and upcycle a laundry detergent container for a watering can. The possibilities are endless! Here are some examples of other reusables that promote the wellbeing of the environment:

Reusable Water Bottles

Reusable Bags

Reusable Straws

Reusable Cutlery

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