philadelphia-257089_1280Not only are green habits environmentally friendly but they are also economically beneficial. Being “green” means being thrifty and saving money. It also means to make the most out of the resources available, to reuse, rebuild, and recycle everything we can. In our simple everyday life, we can adopt some simple green habits that could easily save us some money and save the environment at the same time. It does not take much effort for one to shift to greener habits. We can all adopt some of these green habits and help save the planet. For example, instead of buying regular food, we could shift towards buying organic food. There are plenty of sustainable alternatives in the market for making a shift towards green products doable.

Here are 10 green habits that everyone can adopt

1. Walk

In the older days, people used to walk to school. I have heard several stories about how rough the journey to school used to be. People used to walk five miles in the snow and rain on a road that had an upward slope in both directions. The journey to school may not have been as rough as they described it, but it sure didn’t burn any fossils; instead, it burned calories.

2. Ride your bike

cyclists-55364_1280Today, people need more opportunities to exercise. Get into the habit of riding your bike for short distances. Riding your bike to school or work can make you healthier and save you gas money as well as reduce carbon emission. You should also encourage your kids to ride their bikes more often or go on walks. If you don’t feel safe enough to let them walk or bike alone, organize a bike team or train. It’s good for their health and the environment as well.

2. Use public transportation

Start taking the bus, train, or subway instead of driving your car. This will reduce the number of vehicles on the street, cause less carbon emission, and lessen the chances of accidents and/or traffic jams. It also reduces the fuel and maintenance costs of your car. 16% of carbon emission made by man comes from transportation. Trains and buses don’t cause as much pollution as cars do. If only 10 of us adapted to this habit, together we could save over 9,000 kilograms of carbon per year.

3. Buy local

fresh tomatoesBuying locally grown products can have a huge impact on the environment. It is also something you can adapt to very easily. Try to buy fruits and vegetables (especially the fresh ones) from your local farmers’ market. Even if you buy fruits and vegetables from a grocery store, you should still check the labels to see the state of origin; the closer the state of origin is to your home, the better. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are full of nutrition value and flavor. Moreover, a lot of carbon emission can be saved if we all bought our fruits and veggies from locally grown markets. On an average, our food travels about 1500 miles before it reaches us. It would also help the local farmers. Buying locally can make you be sure that you are buying food produced in sustainable methods. It also allows you to see the country side and meadows away from the city.

4. Buy seasonal

Buying seasonal fruits and vegetables ensures the freshness and nutrition value of the food. Buying oranges from another country uses up a lot of fuel and freight costs from the shipping and packaging processes. Fruits and vegetables that are sold out of season are often frozen or preserved using preservatives. Buying seasonal food will ensure that you buy fresh food without excessive packaging, preservatives, or fuel costs.

5. Carry your own water bottle

Many of us got into the habit of buying plastic water bottles or fruit juice to quench our thirst on the go. However, you need to realize that buying water bottles can increase the amount of garbage and plastic bottles that just end up in dumpsters and landfills. Packing your own water bottle will ensure that you save money and the environment by not buying a coffee latte when you are on the road, for example.

6. Buy a fuel efficient hybrid car

tokyo-tokio-japan-2859975-hNext time you buy a car, make sure it’s one of those fuel efficient hybrid cars or an electric car that has no emission. Buying an electric vehicle has many benefits, and you can find all the benefits of buying an electric vehicle in one of our previous blogs.

Considering today’s gas prices and environmental concerns, having an electric car may a great idea, if you consider buying a second vehicle.

7. Stay within the speed limit

Did you know that if you stay close to the posted speed limits on the highway you could save gas? It’s actually true for all automobiles made in the United States or made for the United States. Our automobiles are designed to give us maximum mileage when we drive close to 55 miles per hour while using the overdrive feature. Fuel efficiency decreases if we drive at a higher speed. If you get 25 miles per gallon at 55 miles per hour with your car, then you would get 21 miles per gallon if you drove over 65 miles an hour. You could do the math for a 400 mile trip if you drove close to 55 miles per hour and calculate how much you would save by getting the best fuel efficiency out of your car. Burning less fuel not only saves you money, it also saves the air that you breathe. On top of that, you will never get a speeding ticket.

8. Keep your vehicle well-tuned and maintained

You can achieve even better fuel efficiency if you keep your car in tip top shape. A well-tuned and well maintained vehicle can significantly reduce fuel consumption. Change your oil at the recommended intervals with the recommended grade of oil. If you keep your tires properly inflated and balanced, then you can get a much better fuel economy from your vehicle according to the U.S Department of Energy.

9. Turn off your tap when brushing teeth

faucet-114442_1280Turning off your faucet during the time that you brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day would save you 10 gallons of water per day. If one hundred people did that every day we would save hundreds of gallons of clean water. You could also save more water by turning off the water when we soap ourselves in the shower. Adding a ladybug adapter will preheat your shower quickly. This will save all that water that is wasted when you wait for the water to get warm.

10. Turn off and unplug unnecessary lights

You could easily get into the habit of turning your lights and other electrical appliances off such as your computer when you go to sleep. Your computer or other appliances still draw power when they are plugged in, so you can save more energy by switching off the power source.

Getting into a green habit is not difficult and can have a big impact on the environment. The advices given above are very simple to follow and anyone can try them. I am sure if you tried them today, you would surely make a difference. Please share and let others know about these tips, and also encourage others to follow these green practices.

If you have a green idea of your own, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you, so please put down a comment below in the comment box.

Source: Environmental Professionals Network

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