So, you’ve heard of “green living” and “going green,” but what exactly does it mean? Do you have to give up everything you love?
Well, hopefully not because hopefully you don’t love polluting the environment.
Put simply; green living means living a lifestyle that consciously works with nature and does as little harm as possible to the environment. People who practice green living make conscious choices to only use products that are unharmful to the environment.
Chances are, you’re already doing things in your life that are green. And for the things you’re doing that aren’t green, well, we’re here to help you fix that.
Why should you go green?
In short, you should go green to protect the environment. Climate change is real, and it’s already hurting our planet. If everyone took simple steps to live a greener lifestyle, our planet would be in better shape.
You can find lots of green living blogs and green living articles to learn more about how you can take small steps to go green. But before you go searching for how to live a green lifestyle, consider these reasons for going green:
1. You’ll waste less
As a species, humans are wasteful. Honestly, the most simple way to live a greener life is to use less stuff. I know that’s generic, but hear me out.
Spend the rest of the day observing and considering how much stuff you use. Do you use one paper towel after you wash your hands, or do you rip five out of the dispenser? When you’re brushing your teeth, do you keep the water running? How many plastic bags do you use in your lunch or at the grocery store? Do you actually need that shirt sitting in your Amazon shopping cart, or is it just going to end up in the trash three months from now?
These are a few examples of places I know I can cut back on using and buying stuff. I challenge you to spend a full day paying attention to how much stuff you use. I’m sure you’ll notice obvious ways you can cut down on waste.
When you find things in your home or office that you don’t need, don’t immediately throw them out. Recycle or donate them. Buy canvas bags that you can reuse at the grocery store to replace the plastic bags you usually get. There are all sorts of ways to cut down on waste that will help the environment and also help you live a less cluttered life.
2. You’ll feel better
Using eco-friendly products in your home and office will improve your quality of life. Indoor air quality can be hazardous to your health. Swap out your cleaning supplies with green living products that are not harmful to the environment, and that won’t make you sick when the particles circulate through your home’s filtration system. Invest in high-quality natural makeup that won’t irritate your skin. These are small changes that can add up to helping you feel better while also helping the environment.
3. You’ll save money
A lot of people think that going green is expensive when, in reality, living a green lifestyle can actually save you money. For instance, if you buy bottled water because you hate the taste of tap water, invest in a water filter instead. This will cut down on waste and will pay for itself in the long run.
You can also save money by cutting down on how much meat you eat. Roughly 1,800 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef compared to just 39 gallons of water to produce one pound of vegetables. This is just one reason meat is so much more expensive than produce. Swap out meat for a plant-based meal once a day to shrink your grocery bill.
On top of saving you money, cutting meat and cheese out of your diet just one day a week is the same as taking your car off the road for five weeks. If everyone in the U.S. got on board, it’d be the same as taking 7.6 million cars off the road. That’s a huge impact for just a little effort.
Living green doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. In fact, over the long term, a green lifestyle can save you money and help you live a healthier, happier life.
Kate Williams has a Ph.D. in English and freelance writer. She is also the CEO of People First Content, a…
