7 Ways You Can Live a Little Greener in 2022

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Making green changes in your lifestyle really doesn’t have to be tricky, overwhelming or huge, I promise you can live a little greener in 2022 in simple, enjoyable, rewarding and money-saving ways…

Reduce Your Waste

One of the best first areas to start is by looking carefully at how you could reduce your household waste. Now, this is a very individual task so there is no right or wrong way to begin here. What I can suggest is monitoring how many bin bags are going out each week whilst making a note of what items seem to be causing the biggest waste problem. Once you highlight the waste issues you have you can set your sights on how to reduce them. For example, is there more that can be recycled either kerbside or at your local recycling points? Is there a reusable alternative? (Reusable nappies, reusable wipes, cloth sanitary pads, menstrual cup, cleaning cloths etc). Can you switch those takeaways for more meals cooked from scratch? Do you have a refill shop nearby to get all of your food packaging free? There is usually another option, it is just the case of looking past those “convenience products” and looking for more sustainable ones. And these may well surprise you in terms of price, savings over time as well as making life easier.

This is a really big topic and I could talk about reducing waste and reusables all day long so to help those who want to really identify how and where they can make changes I created a downloadable eco home audit checklist pack which is jam-packed with checklists, tips, ideas, blog extracts and my eco cleaning recipes. You can purchase this for £6 over on Etsy here.

You May Also Like:

• Zero Waste Week: Where Do I Start with Reducing Waste?
• 14 Easy Ways To Reduce Your Plastic Waste
• 23 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Household Waste
• 6 Ways You Can Reduce Your Food Waste
• Where To Recycle Items in The UK

Choose To Reuse

Not only do reusables help to reduce your waste but they can also save you time and money. When we switched to reusable nappies, wipes and sanitary products we instantly noticed how little we were going outside to our bin. We then also noticed how we didn’t need to spend any more money on these during the supermarket shop, how we never ran out so didn’t have to make a special trip to fetch any and that reusables were in fact far more convenient than disposables. Again, everyone is different and this is certainly an individual choice, what works for me may not work for you but I think everybody can find at least one reusable they will love – food bags, beeswax wraps, reusable wipes, razors, water balloons, water bottles, coffee cups, tea bags/strainers, sandwich bags, flannels, hankies, reusable make-up remover pads, my list could go on and on but luckily for you, I have already written a previous blog with 55 of them here for you to refer to.

You May Also Like:

• Where Do I Start With Cloth Nappies?
• How Many Cloth Nappies Do I Need?
• Everything You Need To Know About Using Reusable Wipes
• 3 Ways To Have A Plastic-Free Period

Choose Greener Energy Suppliers

The New Year is a great time to take a look at and compare what energy suppliers can do for you both financially and environmentally. Have you been stuck with the same supplier for years just because it was easier to stay rather than switch? Do you know whether they source renewable energy? Do you know if they have sustainability policies in place? If not, take a little bit of time to do some research. It shouldn’t take long to sort the good from the bad, there are plenty of articles, comparison websites and reviews to make it easier for you to navigate it all.

Could your home also take solar panels? Why not look into this option too and see how installing panels could benefit you in the long term.

Switch Off

One of the simplest steps you could make on a daily basis is to switch everything off as it isn’t needed. Lights, taps, electrical sockets, it may seem obvious but we are all guilty (myself included) of forgetting to turn everything off at every opportunity. Did you know that even if your device is off, has finished charging or is on standby that electricity can still be used if the plug is in situ?! This is called vampire energy as your plug still sucks the electricity from your home leading to waste and extra costs. Make it your new habit to switch things off at the plug and unplug them when not in use too. See how much you could save!

Shop Secondhand a Little More Often

Consumerism is a huge problem for our planet. It drives pollution into our waterways, carbon emissions into the atmosphere, waste into our landfills and often poor working conditions and pay for those who make the items. It seems like our need to have more, to have the best, the latest, the most fashionable has become an addiction that is seriously damaging our environment, your bank balances and possibly even your mental health. By shopping pre-loved, you will be helping to give what already exists, a new lease of life, you will be creating a circular economy which is precisely what we need to live a little greener. I personally love shopping secondhand simply because it saves me money, I can find unique items and lots of hidden gems! For tips on secondhand shopping check out this blog here.

Add Greener Touches to Your Garden

If you are fortunate enough to have a garden, shared green space or even a balcony you can add some eco touches here too. Some options to help wildlife include:

• Making homemade birdfeeders
• Creating a pond/water feature
• Building a bug hotel
• Planting bee-loving flowers
• Adding a hedgehog house
• Installing or building bird boxes
• Providing shade and water

Ways to be greener include:

• Collecting rain water
• Composting
• Using a variety of plants and flowers to boost biodiversity
• Having a real lawn
• Growing your own fruit and veg
• Home grow your own Micro Greens
• Upcycling to create furniture or planters

Go Litter Picking

Litter picking gets you out and about, it gives you something to do on a dog walk, the kids find it really fun, it is very rewarding and satisfying plus it obviously helps your local environment. We go out quite often and have already seen that areas that were once litter hot spots are no longer that simply because people have seen us there or they have seen the area has been tidied. It really has had a positive effect and we are really proud of that. You can purchase litter pickers online and you can even get kids ones. Why not give it a go in 2022?

Hopefully, these tips on how to be a little greener in 2022 have given you a few ideas and a little ins[operation to get you started. Don’t forget to come back here or follow me on social media (see links below) to let me know how you get on!

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