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4 Ways That Your Family Can Be More Eco-Friendly

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These days, becoming an eco-friendly family is a topic that many people have begun to focus on. Whether it’s children learning about the topic of conservation in their classes or parents wanting to actively preserve the environment for their children, there are many things that can inspire us to take action and start protecting the planet.

These days, becoming an eco-friendly family is a topic that many people have begun to focus on. Whether it’s children learning about the topic of conservation in their classes or parents wanting to actively preserve the environment for their children, there are many things that can inspire us to take action and start protecting the planet.

But how exactly do you go about doing this?

Saving the planet is obviously something that you can’t do alone, so how do you motivate yourself to make changes to your family’s lifestyle? What can you do that has a practical impact on the environment around you?

In this article, we’ll be talking about how you can become a more eco-friendly family.

  1. Educate yourself on how to become more eco-friendly

A lot of people will feel inspired to save the planet after reading some articles on the subject or watching a documentary. This is a great place to start your journey of becoming more environmentally-friendly, but you have to realize that this motivation is only temporary and you usually don’t get all of the facts.

In reality, what you need to do is truly educate yourself with facts and statistics on what the planet is currently going through and how you can contribute to preserving the planet.

What you need to do is consistently try to educate yourself and learn more about the planet.

While it can start with a couple of articles on how to be less wasteful, you should also start educating your children on the topic as well as getting involved in communities and groups that share tips and tricks on how to become a more eco-friendly family. By surrounding yourself with positivity and eco-friendly behaviors, you can continue motivating yourself and your family.

  1. Look for ways to be less wasteful

The second thing to focus on is being less wasteful. A lot of families won’t think twice about the things they throw out since it’s cheap to replace them.

If there’s out-of-date stuff in our fridge, we won’t hesitate to throw it out and just buy it again. When we go to the store, we like buying in bulk to save money but we often forget that some of it can go to waste if we don’t use or eat it all. These are some of the most common examples of wasteful behavior, and it’s important to find ways to fix that.

For starters, consider looking at the things you purchase and try to be more mindful about how often you need it.

For example, tissues and toilet paper are a great example of an item that is bought only to be thrown away after being used. You can save a lot by investing in something like a bidet that creates less waste or using reusable and washable kitchen towels instead of disposables.

You can also start switching to plastic-free and sustainable alternatives such as bamboo toothbrushes, soap bars, refillable shampoo bottles and safety razors.

This will generally depend on the family, but the goal here is to look at the things you’re throwing out and think about how you can limit the amount of waste you generate.

  1. Look for ways to harvest natural resources

Another important concept is to harvest natural resources when possible.

There are two great examples of this; rainwater tanks and growing your own food. Rainwater tanks are great for reusing water that would otherwise be wasted. This water can be used for lots of things such as flushing your toilet, watering the lawn and houseplants, rinsing off root vegetables you’ve grown, or even washing equipment and vehicles.

On the other hand, growing your own vegetables is a fantastic way to save money on your groceries, become more self-sustaining, and also get some fresh produce to cook on a regular basis.

Growing your own food is surprisingly easy and is a great way to teach your kids about where food comes from. You could even raise chickens to harvest their eggs if you’re feeling adventurous and have the space to do it.

  1. Make hard decisions to cut out things you’re used to

One of the most difficult things about becoming more eco-friendly is saying goodbye to the things that you’ve grown used to over the years. A good example of this would be your car.

While many people get used to driving their car around for even the smallest of things, a great way to be more eco-friendly is to just rely less on your car and cycle or even walk.

Buying an electric bike is a big move toward a more energy-efficient and sustainable world. Cycle to commute, exercise, and explore trails with the kids. With a variety of styles, prices, and types, there’s an e-bike for you. 

In some cases, you could even get rid of your car completely and rely on public transportation, though this is generally only something that city dwellers can do.

However, if you have to use your car then there are a number of ways that you can reduce your carbon emissions and be more eco-friendly.

For instance, you could consider getting an electric car if you’re willing to replace your vehicle. In addition, you could perform some simple maintenance on your vehicle to ensure you get the most out of the carbon emissions that you do produce. This could involve carpooling more often, keeping your tires fully inflated for better fuel economy, and making sure your engine is off when you’re idling.

These are just a couple of examples of being more environmentally-conscious when you’re forced to use something that is inherently not eco-friendly.

At the end of the day, being an eco-friendly family is going to involve a lot of work on your behalf as well. Leading by example is good parenting and helps your children understand what it means to be more eco-friendly. If you tell them to do things that you personally don’t do, then it’s going to be hard for them to justify following in your footsteps when caring for the planet.

These tips should help you become a more eco-friendly family and could even save you some money in many cases. Caring for the planet doesn’t need to be expensive as long as you’re more thoughtful about your decisions.

Jeff Campbell