Easy Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
taking small steps at a time
It’s not always easy being environmentally conscious. I know myself have been guilty of thinking “oh, if I don’t recycle this, it’s just one it won’t hurt!” Or something along those lines.
But the truth is, going green isn’t as hard as you think it is. Like everything else in life, it can be done in moderation- you don’t have to change your lifestyle all at once! So I’ve compiled this list, of easy ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, as a good starting point.
Eliminate the Use of Plasitc Straws
This one is an easy, small step you can take towards helping the environment. You’ve probably noticed the shift in straws at your local restaurants- they’ve changed from plastic to paper. Even in stores, you now have the option of paper straws, or even metal, reusable ones. It doesn’t seem like a big step, but it’s estimated an average of 500 million straws are used in the US everyday. And that’s just the US! Want to guess where most of these end up? You guessed it, our beaches and oceans. While your one straw may not seem like a lot, if everyone changed their mindset and switched to paper straws, we’d cut back the pollution on our beaches and in our oceans significantly.
Don’t Drink Plastic Water Bottles
This one was a subject of much debate in one of my classes in university. Over 60 million plastic water bottles end up in landfills each year; that’s ridiculous! One easy fix is simple; switch to using your own water bottle. I know myself I have been guilty in the past of using plastic water bottles. And I know for some people in some places; they don’t have access to proper clean water; obtaining water from these bottles is necessary. But again, just like with the straws, if more people had the mindset of using their own water bottle, that 60 million can reduce quite significantly.
Recycle ♻️!
I think this one really and truly goes without saying. But the reality of the situation is, most people can’t be bothered. Not so fun fact: 80% of what ends up in landfills could be recycled. So, why not take the extra time?
Recycling your cans and bottles should be a no brainer; you get paid for taking them back! Instead of throwing out those pop or beer cans, stash them in a separate bag, and return them to your local redemption centre. Don’t feel like being them back? You might be lucky; bottle drives are a good fundraising source for a lot of kids; they’ll do the rest of the work for you!
When it comes to plastic, metals and cardboard, it’s easy to just throw it away. A lot of towns and cities are making this easier; on the day they collect compost they also will collect your plastics and cardboard; saves you a trip! If they don’t, check out for local blue bins or recycling centres. While it may be a little bit of extra effort, you’ll cut down on your garbage significantly, and you’ll be helping the planet at the same time; it’s a win win, really.
Turn off the Lights!
This one is definitely an easy way to help cut back on your electricity usage. Ever leave the lights on when you’re not home? Or get into the habit of forgetting to turn the lights off after you’re done in a room in the house? We’ve all done it, and probably have thought not much of it. It’s a very small step, but it does contribute to your carbon footprint.
For example, if you pay 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, then you can save 1.2 cents by turning the lights off per hour. Now, I know this doesn’t sound like much, but just think about how quickly those figures can add up! You can save money by just using the lights you need, when you need them. Not only will you be helping the planet, you’ll save some money, too!
Drive the Speed Limit, and Maintain a Consistent Speed
Though this might seem like a strange one, it has three benefits. The reality is for the most part, if you need to drive to get to work every morning and don’t live in a big city with lots of public transport, you’re going to have to drive. And of course it’s obviously a little hard to expect people to just stop driving, period (though reducing the amount of pointless drives you go on could help).
Driving the speed limit actually helps your fuel consumption. You’ll be able to drive more kilometres (or miles) per litre (or gallon). Also, a car uses most of its energy when accelerating, so maintaining a constant speed helps lower your fuel usage. In fact, tests have shown that by varying your speed between 75 and 85 kmph, every 18 seconds can cost you up to 20% more fuel!
So, not only does maintaining a constant speed and driving the speed limit save your gas mileage, it saves you money and oh- you won’t get a ticket!
Water- Use only what you need
There are a few different ways you can control your water consumption that won’t completely disrupt your life. One, only putting on the dishwasher and washing your clothes when it’s full. Using the dish washer when it’s not 100% full wastes water. The average dishwasher uses six gallons of water per cycle; see how quickly that can add up? On the flip side, a washing machine on average can use 19 gallons of water per load. Say you do a couple loads a week, you’re looking at close to 5,000 gallons of water per year!
These are just two ways you can cut back your water usage. There are of course many others, like collecting rainwater, taking shorter showers, and turning off taps when rinsing dishes and brushing your teeth. If you want over 100 ways you can cut back your water usage, check out this website. Maybe you’ll find a few you can do to save water!
Of course what I’ve listed are just minor ways you can help reduce your carbon footprint. But what some people need to realize is this: you don’t need a complete lifestyle change to help the planet. It’s the little things you do as well, that can add up over time and by adjusting these habits, you’ll be helping your footprint without even really putting on any extra effort!
So remember, if you think “oh, it’s just one straw, who cares?” Maybe you’ll consider your next step a little bit differently.
Author’s Notes
Thanks for reading! I’d like to include some resources here if you’re so inclined to check them out.
Check out how to calculate your carbon footprint here.
More ways to reduce your carbon footprint here.
More information on plastic straws, their history and impact here.
Fuel saving techniques here
About the Creator
Lindsay Dewolfe
| hockey fan | occasional writer | skyrim |
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