Reduce, reuse, recycle
Begin by doing small everyday recycling like reusing shopping bags instead of buying more plastic ones or buy soap and detergent refill packs and reuse old bottles rather than purchase new bottles every time. Be aware of the household products you buy and opt for locally produced goods, reducing transporting pollution from faraway places.
Reduce your carbon footprint at work
Make yourself aware of basic actions around the office and soon you will be making big contributions through small changes. Like only printing what’s absolutely necessary and recycling paper by using both sides. Or try to encourage your company to go a little greener by reducing heating and air-conditioning costs. Another simple trick is to encourage people to use their own mugs and glasses instead of using and throwing away paper cups every time.
Save energy and money at home
Becoming conscious of the little differences you can make, will very quickly earn you a greener and better lifestyle. When leaving unused chargers in plug sockets, turn the electricity off at the wall, as power will still be used even when your cellphone isn’t charging. Be mindful to switch off lights and unnecessary appliances that use energy like DVD players and TV’s. Turning your geyser off during the day or weekends that you’re away will also save more money than you expected. Try to use as much natural light as possible before turning on the electricity, open your curtains and enjoy natural light. Start to gradually convert all the globes in your home to energy efficient globes, not only will you reduce your electricity usage – you’ll save money daily without even noticing.
All it takes are a few simple water saving actions to make a big difference.
Do your part by saving a little water every day. Start by turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, this can save as many as 10 000 litres per year. And, instead of taking a bath opt for a shower, it’s better for your body as it helps blood circulation and usually uses a lot less water.
Get rid of ice and help prevent global warming
This is something that is easy to overlook and forget about, but simply by defrosting your freezer you can save vast amounts of energy every year. It’s been proven that just a 4mm coat of ice can double your freezer’s consumption of energy. Make it a monthly routine to defrost your freezer and begin to save money while lowering your energy usage – every little bit helps.