A few weeks ago, I shared a small list of habits we can all adapt to make somebody’s day and just make our world a nicer place to live in. If you think about it, it’s really easy (and fun) to live a little more consciously. This week I’ve put together ten more small habits, this time for a more eco-friendly life (and you won’t even have to think about it after a few weeks):
1 | If you’re making tea or coffee, fill the kettle with as much water as you will actually need and not to the brim. It’s faster and uses less energy. Double-win!
2 | Re-use your plastic bags as trashbags.
3 | Write on both sides of the paper (I told you it’s really small things ;).
4 | Put down the heater a degree or two and just put on a cosy sweater.
5 | Start drinking tab water (if it’s drinkable where you’re from). This is a win on more than one level as well: You save money, you don’t have to carry your drinks home anymore, water is healthier than fizzy drinks and there’s less plastic waste.
6 | Learn to mend your clothes. You don’t need to throw them away once there’s a little tear, just get a grip of repairing it (or ask your grandma). Also, if something is a bit out of style or doesn’t fit anymore, go to the tailor and instead of throwing it away.
7 | If you can choose between different kinds of the same food at the supermarket, choose the one with the least packaging. Go for the chocolate bar instead of the individually wrapped little chocolates. And the loose vegetables instead of those in plastic foil.
8 | If you love Starbucks and coffee to go: Bring your own coffee cup!
9 | Use a lunchbox instead of plastic foil or paper bags.
10 | Switch of all electric appliances once you leave the room/house. Take the bus. Go for a walk. Think before you print. Buy locally. Do all the things you’ve been told ever since you were a child!
Don’t think living green has to be complicated or time-consuming. If everybody starts with small changes, soon ‘green’ won’t even be a question anymore. What are your favourite green habits?
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Picture via Instagram.
Hey Hanna,
we met on Lisa’s birthday party nearly a month ago.
Thanks for your sweet comment under my blog! :)
Your blog is really beautiful! I love this design :) And the articles- especially this one. It’s so easy to keep attention at the small habits but there are still many people who doesn’t care.
Fact 11 | Turn of the water while brush your teeth…
You always see twice,
Jana :)
I would suggest that saying no to plastic bags as much as possible is even better than reusing your plastic bags
Hanna’s Places is a green lifestyle magazine written by Hanna Ulatowski. It’s all about slowing down in a fast-paced society and finding ways to live a more sustainable, simple lifestyle.
September 25, 2014
I do all the things you’ve mentionned here, excepted for the kettle thing. I had never thought of it, thank you! Also, I sort my waste (and I wish I’d had a garden to make compost with veggies scraps), close my taps tight (and of course do not let water run when I brush my teeth! I never thought people would do that, but I’ve seen a girl doing this in a festival and I wanted to yell at her for wasting water so stupidly), do not buy a new phone/compute/TV screen every year but wait that the one I own breaks, use a tote bag for shopping (either grocery shopping or clothes shopping) and refuse plastic bags, wash my clothes at low temperature, and try to save veggies scraps that can be reused (to make broth for example). Oh and I try to buy in bulk when possible!
There are things I still don’t do but I should : unplug my phone/computer cable when not using them, cook with a pressure cooker or save pasta/rice/any cooking water to water my plants. Oh and I still do the dishes by hand, since I don’t have a dishwasher…