EcoGuide

Guide to the benefits of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle

More and more individuals have started adopting a greener lifestyle. Some people might consider all this a fad. Those are the ones who don’t know how much impact our life has on the environment. We cannot postpone caring for the environment until we start feeling its impact. In fact, in the last few decades, we are witnessing direct impact of the same. Therefore, it is high time that we think about living sustainably. Unlike what people think, an eco-friendly lifestyle does not necessarily need big, expensive changes. On the other hand, the very essence of going eco-friendly helps you in saving more money.  It is one of the many benefits of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle.

5 Benefits Of Switching To A More Sustainable Lifestyle

Living a more sustainable lifestyle has numerous advantages and benefits. And not only for the environment and planet earth, but for your personal well being and happiness too.

While it may be difficult to ditch old, unhealthy habits, the changes can help you to improve your life significantly. Even the smallest changes can make a great difference in the long run.

1. Become healthier and happier

 changing the transportOne the first steps you can take to a more sustainable lifestyle is changing the transport you use to commute to work. For example, instead of opting for the comfort of your car, why not cycle or, when possible, walk? Sure, it might take a little longer but you’ll be healthier and contribute less pollution.

The positive effects of exercise are not to be underestimated in the often manic pace of modern life. Regular cycling can help you stay in shape and even reduce your stress levels. And just adding a mere 30 minute walk to your daily life can help you burn up to 150 more calories.

Alternatively if you have to travel further it may be wise to consider buying an electric bike. E-bikes such as the Eco Expedition Electric Bikes use pedal assistance that will help you to traverse even longer distance with ease. Plus the minimal impact of the rechargeable battery on the environment means it is a much more sustainable method of transport than driving.

2. Save more money by wasting fewer resources

Senior woman loading towel in washing machine at home

Speaking of wasting less of the world’s precious resources, in addition to the health benefits of switching to “green” energy, changing to a more environmentally-friendly transport method could leave you with extra cash in your pocket at end of the month.

With the cost of travel cards on trains, tubes and even buses increasing year on year, one bulk payment, such as a bike, could save a lot of money in the long run.

Other simple money-saving sustainable actions include reducing your energy consumption and disposing of unwanted possessions in a responsible fashion.

You can try switching off the heating (apart from when you really need it) or keeping it running at a constant lower temperature and simply wearing more clothes. Washing your clothes on 30 degrees instead of 60 is also a small change that over time will result in less energy consumption and therefore, smaller bills.

As the London-based house clearance experts Clearance Solutions have mentioned in a recent blog post on saving money on a house clearance, it’s possible to make money from seemingly worthless unwanted items. Rather than contributing to landfill, your clutter could be reused by somebody who’s willing to pay for it on sites like eBay.

Keeping as much out of the waste stream as possible is an important aspect of the sustainable lifestyle.

3. Increase your real world knowledge and practical skills

Worker installs solar panels

You can also save money while helping the environment by increasing your own knowledge and practical skills. For example, you could investigate how solar panels work and cut down your electricity and gas bills.

Solar panels are a great investment.  You don’t even need to worry about the UK’s cloudy weather. It doesn’t have to be the Bahamas for you to benefit from sunlight: solar panels still produce impressive amounts of power on grey and sunless days.

Adopting a more sustainable lifestyle requires a bit of research and constant self-education. If you are already adding solar energy to your home, what about composting in your garden? Or growing your own vegetables?

You can easily educate yourself on eating seasonally to benefit from local produce which is often cheaper too.

4. Gain a renewed sense of purpose

vegan diet

Contributing to a healthier and better planet for future generations is an amazing purpose. It is a wonderful feeling knowing your lifestyle is contributing to something meaningful that will have a positive impact on the world.

5. Have a better quality of life

Have a better quality of lifeOverall, living more sustainably means improving your quality of life significantly. It will give you a greater appreciation for what you have and put everything into perspective.

Saving money frees it up for holidays or giving back to your local community and helping others. Exercise will make you healthier, release endorphins to make you happier. It all ties together as you start to feel the benefits of switching to a more sustainable lifestyle.

8 Ways you can switch to a more sustainable lifestyle

You can adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle with some very simple tips followed in and around the house.Here are tips by Dr Prem Jagyasi and his team members you can follow to enjoy a greener lifestyle.

1. Follow the 3 Rs

Recycling

It is considered essential to follow the 3 Rs when it comes to managing waste in your home. The first R relates to reducing the amount of waste generated by reducing the amount of production and consumption. The second R relates to reusing items around the home instead of throwing them away. And the third R relates to recycling items like glass, plastic, paper and metal, etc. which can then be reused in other items. These three R’s will ensure that your carbon footprint is reduced drastically in the easiest and most convenient manner.

2. Save Electricity

Save Electricity

A green life would require you to save as much electricity in your home as possible in order to reduce energy consumption. This can be achieved by very simple tips like switching off the lights, fans and other electronic appliances when you leave a room, installing energy efficient light fixtures, fixing leaks and drafts and insulating the home properly, etc.

3. Landscape Properly

outdoor landscape (2)

Proper landscaping can help your home become more eco-friendly easily. In addition to reducing air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, trees can help provide shade on really hot days, thus reducing the need to switch on the air conditioner. Trees also facilitate the movement of air indoors, thus keeping indoor air cool even on sultry days.

4. Save Water

Save Water

Saving water is an essential part of an eco-friendly lifestyle. Pumping water from groundwater resources consumes a lot of energy that can be saved simply by following a few measures in your home. Closing off taps while brushing your teeth, fixing leaky pipes, taking short showers, harvesting rainwater and recycling household water, etc. are some of the rather easy ways in which you can save water in your home and adopt a green lifestyle.

5. Dispose Waste Properly

Sacking of organic waste into a green bins

Waste materials like oil and paints contain hazardous chemicals which can seep into the ground that pollute the groundwater. Avoid throwing waste on the ground, disposing of it properly in appropriately labeled bins to facilitate recycling. In addition, if you have other types of waste like furniture, you can choose a firm like Kwiksweep for its removal.

6. Walk, cycle or carpool instead of driving

green driving practices

Driving can increase your fuel consumption and carbon emissions significantly. A greener lifestyle would entail you to reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of fuel you (or your vehicle) would consume. Walking or cycling distances while carpooling for longer distances can help you reduce carbon emissions and in the process, your carbon footprint as well.

7. Choose natural, organic products

Pretty girl with green bamboo behind

A green lifestyle would entail less use of fossil fuel or chemical based products in your home. Throw away all products that contain harmful ingredients that can pollute the environment. Choose natural or organic alternatives that do not contain these chemicals and so, are safe for the environment as well as your health. Also choose biodegradable products that don’t accumulate in landfills for years on end, polluting the environment as they do so.

8. Choose locally grown produce

Female in the garden

A green lifestyle would also require you to change your eating habits and preferences to an extent. Switching to locally grown produce can help reduce the carbon footprint related to the package and transportation of these foods from other destination. Growing your own food is another option that can help you enjoy the bounties of an eco-friendly lifestyle as well.

Six ways to green your lifestyle

As the effects of environmental degradation are being all around, the entire world needs to come up in arms for protection and conservation of the environment. Through the course of this article, we shall have a look at five methods we can adopt in making our environment cleaner.

1. Use common sense, take simple steps

Using only the required water,For many people, environmental conservation seems a complex issue and is about taking big steps. Simple things like conserving and using optimum water, is one of the things. Using only the required water, be it to take bath, wash your clothes or while brushing your teeth; can save gallons of water daily.

2. Using efficient lighting and cooling solutions

Lighting solutions in your house must be environmentally friendly. Replace the traditional light bulbs, which consume a lot of energy and dissipate more heat with CFL light bulbs. CFLs consume lesser energy and also emit lesser heat, causing lesser harm to the environment. Using cooling solutions such as certain air-conditioners can cause considerable harm to the environment. See to it that the cooling solution being used not damaging to the environment. Lastly, use these resources only when required. Turn these appliances and apparatus off when not in use. This step alone can save high amount of energy.

3. Save fuel and protect environmental pollution

Save fuel and protect environmental pollutionFuel conservation is one of the most important steps in protecting the environment. If possible, go walking or use public modes of transport. Alternative to public transport is also that of using bicycles and motorbikes.

4. Keep a track of the items that can be recycled

Most of the items that we use daily can be recycled. Be it the plastic bags, tins, cardboard boxes; almost everything can be reused and recycled. Never throw away anything made out of recyclable materials.

5. Buy from local stores

buy locally produced itemsTransportation makes a significant impact on the environment. If you buy locally produced items, you are assisting the environmental conservation process. Big brands which ship products to far off distances, often indulge in environment threatening practices for preserving and packaging their products.

6. Reducing waste production

The first step to reduce your waste is to weigh it. After weighing, see if you can reduce the amount of waste for the subsequent days or weeks by eliminating some of the items that can be recycled. That way, you can significantly diminish the dumping of wastage.

Utilize these tips to adopt an eco-friendly way of living

There are a lot of ways to experience ecologically friendly living in a manner that comfortably complements your lifestyle. If you’re young and looking for non-permanent housing, you may look for complexes designed specifically to be ecologically friendly. These tend to be more modern, but they often come with amenities.

1. Reduce carbon while traveling

Reduce carbon while travelingWhen you’ve got everything you need in one place, you’re less likely to expend excess carbon traveling to and from where you need to be. Luxurious living at Eastown LA might help you to cut down on your footprint while providing you support in terms of health and the availability of things you need.

2. Opt for eco-friendly upgrades

If you’re already in a home, something worth considering may be environmentally-friendly upgrades. Did you know there are options which have been designed to become more valuable with time? Contemporary gas lanterns make a statement, and that continues to compound: “Over time, these copper light fixtures and copper lanterns will patina to a deep bronze color.”

3. Solar panel

Buying Solar PanelsSomething else worth considering are green energy options. These can make your house more valuable and save you money simultaneously. Solar panels are an excellent example. A 3.1 kWh solar energy system can be sought and installed for around $5k if you do the installation yourself.

Such a system will bring your property an additional $20k in value through most of California—depending on the state of the rest of the home, of course. Additionally, you get a tax break. As a third bonus, you can save money on your utility bill. As a fourth, you are able to be grid-independent in terms of energy.

4. Install wind or water turbines

Over time, your home impacts the environment less while putting more money in your pocket. This can be a very ecologically conscious way of living that has convenience as well. If you really want to double-down, you can install a wind turbine and a water turbine. The water turbine needs a quick enough body of water nearby, and the wind turbine needs…wind.

Still, if you have either available, it may be worthwhile to look into these additional green energy options. Then you’ve got a redundant power-grid of your own entirely free of the grid, and sourcing natural environmental solutions in a way that doesn’t negatively impact your surroundings.

5. Trans-Locational Living And Dual Benefit

Working From HomeAnother alternative to residential and apartment living is trans-locational living. Digital nomads make their money online, and live where they please. Some do so through cars and hotels, some do so through RVs. If you buy an older RV and fix it up as you need to, installing solar energy using the water tanks on the inside for cooking as well as cleaning, you’ll cut down your water usage and likely won’t impact the environment more than driving in your old car.

But you’re cutting down your residential waste through consolidation. This is additionally often more cost-effective than some apartment solutions, though it isn’t nearly so comfortable, and can be stressful when things don’t go as you had planned.

Turn your commute into a greener activity

One of the major contributors of pollution is transportation. It is responsible to a large extent for emission of greenhouse gases and tends to be particularly slow to change. It is high time that we give green transportation a serious thought. Let us have a look at some options available for a greener commute and/or transportation:

What is green transportation?

carpoolingThis is a sustainable form of transport. It is one of the best ways to go green. The main focus of green transportation is to reduce the emission of harmful gases and to avoid the pollution of the environment. For this purpose, one can either using non-motorized transport or can use sharing of vehicles etc. It mainly involves ways and means which will put less pressure on the eco-system.

What problems can be avoided by green transportation?

Some of the problems that can be avoided with green transportation are

  • You can avoid global warming
  • Noise and air pollution can be avoided
  • Fewer amounts of toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases are released
  • Green transportation helps in saving fuel

What are the different modes of green transportation?

1. Walking all the way

walkingPeople spend loads of money in the gym to burn those extra calories. Well save money and get good health and at the same time also protect the environment from the harmful effects of pollution. Drop your child to school or do your groceries by walking instead of taking your scooter or bike. There is no question of emission of gases and at the same time, there will be no traffic jams as well.

2. Use bicycles

Our grandparents used bicycles a big way then why can’t we? If you have to travel long distances and walking might not be feasible then just opt for a bicycle. This too like walking is a good way of exercising and cycling will also not pollute the environment. Many countries are even making separate cycling lanes for the convenience of those who are giving the bicycle a preference.

3. Use of public transport

public transportIt is high time that people in the cities understand the importance of using public transportation. Leave your car in the garage and travel by public transport which will help in saving fuel and will also help in tackling the problem of noise pollution and traffic congestion.

4. Vehicle sharing

Go in groups and learn to share vehicles. Carpooling is one of the best ways to tackle problems like air and noise pollution and traffic jams.

5. Electric vehicles

Smart electric car charging in the London Street st night.Lots of research is being done of e –vehicles. Electric vehicles help in saving fuel and they do not emit any harmful chemicals in the environment. Therefore, e-bikes,e-scooters,e-cars are gaining in popularity.

What are the benefits of green transportation?

  • With reduction in the emission of harmful gases in the environment naturally, we are avoiding the pollution of the environment
  • People will have better health. With reduction, in air pollution naturally there will fewer incidences of respiratory diseases etc. With less traffic on the road, the safety of pedestrians on the road will increase. Walking and use of bicycle will enable people to adopt a healthy lifestyle which will affect health in a positive manner.
  • Green transportation is cost effective method will help in saving money
  • There will be an improvement in the public transport system, there will be more job opportunities and thus it will help in the economic development of the country.

6 Cool eco-friendly gadgets that your home would love

The demand for a greener home has led to many homeowners choosing greener gadgets for their homes. In addition to having minimal impact on the environment, these gadgets would also be energy efficient and help reduce household electricity bills significantly. Take a look at 6 such eco-friendly electronic gadgets below that would be of great use in transforming your home into an eco-friendly abode.

Ecoisme Home Energy Monitoring System

Ecoisme Home Energy Monitoring System

This smart home solution is as eco-friendly as it is efficient. Considered to be the most intelligent energy monitoring system in the world, Ecosime can effectively monitor your household energy bills and costs. It would then offer simplified solutions to cut down energy consumption and other related household costs.

Drumi Foot Powered Washing Machines

Drumi Foot Powered Washing Machines

The Drumi Foot Powered Washing Machine is the perfect household solution for those who don’t want to visit the laundromat every time they want to wash clothes, or don’t want to keep waiting until they have a whole pile of laundry to wash. The washing machine is foot powered and can use less amounts of water and detergent to wash small loads (6-8 clothes) in just five minutes. Its compactness allows you to keep it anywhere you want, from the bedroom and bathroom to even the shower, closet and kitchen counter.

Dandelight Lamp

Dandelight Lamp

The amazing Dandelight will serve to bring back all those beautiful memories of childhood. Fashioned after a dandelion, the structure is made of phosphor bronze and holds several LED lights surrounded by dandelion seeds, real ones at that. Plucked from a real dandelion plant, the seeds are attached to the light one by one. The light will provide enough light for a room while bringing in the aesthetic sense of nature. The seeds will also detach from the model and fly away as in the case of real dandelion seeds.

Blue Freedom Portable Hydropower Plant

Blue Freedom Portable Hydropower Plant

Afraid of your mobile or laptop running out of charge when traveling? The Blue Freedom ensures this doesn’t happen by allowing you to harness the energy of a flowing stream of water to charge your devices. Featuring a miniature hydropower plant, the device comes with a turbine that can be hooked onto any stick and then placed inside the stream.

The energy thus harnessed can be transformed into electricity use to power your smartphone, laptop, USB and LED light, etc. One hour of charging will allow Blue Freedom to provide more than 10 hours of charge for your smartphone. Although questions about the device’s feasibility in areas where there is a strong wind or river current have been raised, there is no denying the fact that Blue Freedom can be a great asset for your energy needs while on the go.

Portable Solar Phone Charger

Portable Solar Phone Charger

If hydro power is not your thing, you can opt for a portable solar charger that can harness the sun’s abundant energy to power your phone and laptop in addition to several other devices. Some solar chargers can come as small as your smartphone itself and be very easy to carry around. They will also limit the use of batteries needed to charge the devices, thus saving plenty in terms of energy related costs as well as waste.

Laptop Screen as Standalone monitor

Laptop Screen as Standalone monitor

Multitasking makes it easier to complete jobs before their deadline. Using a second monitor for your computer related tasks can also help you multitask efficiently. If you have an old laptop lying around your home, refrain from throwing it out and consider repurposing it as an additional laptop screen for your computer. All it takes is a little bit of knowhow and a few connections to make your old laptop repurpose as a standalone monitor for efficient multitasking.

A final thought on benefits of switching to a sustainable lifestyle

An eco-friendly lifestyle is beneficial for the environment as well as your health. You can choose to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle with some rather simple tips and measures taken in and around your home.Remember to help the environment with each step you take. It doesn’t matter whether the action is as small as turning off a running tap, in the end what matters is that you have saved tons of water. It’s good to help the environment; and, it’s better to experience benefit yourself. There are many different ways to live, and many different ways to save, in today’s world.

As ecologically friendly technology becomes affordable, and even convenient, those ways have the potential to liberate you from traditional energy needs. Green transportation can be helpful in tackling problems of pollution and may even contribute to a better economy. It will also help people lead healthy and better lifestyle. A green and sustainable lifestyle would mean using more eco-friendly gadgets in the house. In addition to repurposing old items, you can make use of these gadgets to make your home greener and healthier for your loved ones.

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