Our 25 Favorite Eco-Tips That You Need To Do Right Now!

Combating climate change can sometimes feel like fighting a losing battle. Even I, a wholehearted climate activist, feel hopeless sometimes about my impact on the world. So I thought, how can I channel all that negative energy into ACTION?

Obviously, we all want to see what specific differences we'll be making in our planet when we choose to add eco-friendly habits into our lifestyle. In other words, we want to know exactly the number of plastic bags we're saving in a week, and how many tons of carbon emissions we'll be saving in a month by going meatless. Seeing visible impacts that we're making on our planet's environment encourages us to continue living a sustainable lifestyle.

Let me stress again: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE HUGE CHANGES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! Most of us are full-time students, athletes, workers, parents, or all of the above, and we have neither the time nor will to go 100% vegan and install energy-efficient bulbs in every single area of our homes. So, what can we do instead? We can implement small changes--changes that take almost no effort to do, and yet, are extremely effective in the long run.

So, enough of me preaching on and on about the differences we can make when we add simple changes to our lifestyle. Let's get right into what we can do! I've sorted the eco-friendly tips below into 4 categories for easier viewing: Energy & Electricity, Paper, Plastic, and Water. So dive right in and pick 3-7 tips that you want to stick to!

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Energy & Electricity

• Turn off all lights when leaving a room.

• Take showers in cold/lukewarm water (especially in summer!)

• Always wash your clothes with cold water.

• Air-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer.

• Use portable fans instead of turning on the AC.

• Open your windows to let in more natural light.

• Unplug electronics when they finish charging (don't leave them charging overnight).

Paper

• Use cloth hand towels instead of paper towels.

• Use digital platforms (like Google Keep, Evernote, etc.) for household lists or notes.

• Take 15 minutes to unsubscribe from all junk mail once and for all!

• If possible, always try to print on both sides.

• Reuse paper that has only been used on one side.

• Buy recycled paper (look for paper with a high "post-consumer content" percentage).

Plastic

• Use reusable shopping bags instead of disposable ones.

• Buy reusable bamboo straws.

• Bring a reusable bottle instead of drinking from disposable plastic ones.

• Avoid buying fruits and vegetables shrink-wrapped in plastic.

• Skip the lid when buying coffee/drinks!

• Replace plastic food wraps with biodegradable ones.

• Use bar soaps instead of liquid soaps.

Water

• Take shorter showers (aim for 5 minutes!)

• Turn off the tap when you're not actively using water.

• Don't flush anything down the toilet except toilet paper.

• Put a weighted plastic bottle in your toilet tank.

• Check for leaks in your household and fix any that you see.

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So, you've finally finished reading through all the tips! What are your favorites? Comment down below, and be sure to like and share this blog post as well! Combating climate change is an ongoing battle that needs as much support it can get, so choose to show your support today by spreading the word and raising awareness about the global climate crisis! Thank you for choosing to make a difference.