“Going green” or living an “environmentally friendly” lifestyle can sometimes seem overwhelming. At first thought, like me, you probably wouldn’t know where to begin and what difference it would even make!

But let’s think about it this way – being environmentally friendly simply just means having a lifestyle that is better for the environment. It’s basically all about taking small steps towards making this planet a better place for our communities and generations to come!

We already know the benefits of recycling, but what else can you do to make your household a little greener?

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought over the last year or so and have made some easy and small changes in my everyday life to help live a more eco-friendly lifestyle which I thought I’d share over here:

Water Conservation

Living in Cape Town, we were basically forced to become more aware of the resources in our daily lives. When restrictions were really extreme, minimising usage to 50 litres per day has really opened our eyes and made us more conscious about how much water we use even though the restrictions have been somewhat relaxed.

Less Plastic

Our kids will probably be most passionate about this habit. They learn about this at school and it’s probably the easiest way that we can all make a difference. Reducing our usage of one-use plastic items can literally save our planets and prevent our oceans from becoming fully consumed with plastic.

I’ve been using canvas bags instead of plastic when shopping for a while, but gosh, i must admit that it’s taking a while for it to become a habit. I keep forgetting the canvas bags in my boot of my car and only realise when I’m about to pay! So I end up buying more and more canvas bags!

I found this infographic that shows us more ways of reducing our disposable plastic usage.

View this post on Instagram

Do you know, by 2050 our oceans will have more plastics than fishes? Yes. It will affect our ecosystem; the aquatic animals that we consume and the ripple effects of which are catastrophic. What are we doing to stop that from happening? We can follow some simple steps (picture) to reduce the effects… have a look and take action from now! #plastic #ocean #sustainableliving #sustainability

A post shared by ZEARTH (@planetzearth) on Feb 26, 2018 at 7:38am PST

Herb Garden

Growing your own herb garden is a great way to reduce packaging waste which grocery stores use. Herbs are a really great way to start! You don’t even need a garden, your windowsill and a few pots will do just fine. Alyssa and I recently revived our own herb garden and we are starting to enjoy the produce. I’ll share some more about this soon.

Reducing use of harmful chemicals in home products

Using non-toxic cleaning products in your home directly improves the quality of air in your home. When we use and dispose of chemical products with hazardous contents like oil or ammonia, these chemicals can seep into our ground water which can have harmful effects on human health!

I’ve been using the Earthsapp product range in our kitchen and bathroom, for a while which leaves no harmful residues on surfaces.

Using natural, organic skin care products

Using natural and organic skin care products means that there are no synthetic ingredients in the product which could be harmful to the planet or humans.

Read my post about the Pradiance Skin Care range that I’m currently using – and also take advantage of my discount code if you’d like to try any of the products.

Paperless

Paying bills electronically and opting for e-mail statements is a great way to avoid unnecessary printing – and it’s way more efficient than snail mail and standing in long queue!

Get energy-efficient appliances and electronics

 When purchasing new  appliances and electronics, look for energy-efficient designs that will also lower your electricity bill in the long run!

These are just a few ways and little changes we’ve incorporated in our lifestyle to make our home a little greener. Do you have anything to add to this list? I’d love to hear.

xxx

Hayley

Featured Image: Photo by Alena Koval from Pexels