Reducing your carbon footprint is one the most proactive ways to help the environment and slow the effects of climate change.
Thankfully there are plenty of opportunities to reduce your carbon footprint, here’s 10 easy ways to get started today.
- Compost
Food waste is a big contributor to landfill and the subsequent carbon emissions that damage our climate.
But food waste doesn’t have to be on your list of carbon contributions though, all you need to do is start
composting. Composting helps break down food and organic waste into soil that you can use in your gardens.
- Less red meat
The meat industry may seem a strange way to lower your carbon footprint, but if most people ate less red meat, the demand would slow.
Once demand slows, there is less need for animals and a lower emission output from that cattle. Cutting back to once a week can help in a big way.
- Have less dairy
Dairy cattle are a big contributor to carbon emissions thanks to their gas output.
A simple switch to a dairy alternative or giving up dairy all together can make a big difference to your carbon footprint.
It might be tough, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you can adapt, and the good you’ll be doing.
Opt for dairy alternatives that don’t use lots of natural resources like water, otherwise you’ll be impacting the planet in other ways.
- Solar panels
If you own your own home, one of the best things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is installing solar panels.
It may seem extreme but solar panels not only help reduce your electricity bill and consumption, they also help sell energy back to the grid.
This sale back allows others to benefit from the energy your panels collect, all the while lessening the use of fossil fuels.
- Soft plastics
Soft plastics can cause havoc in landfill or even worse our oceans. To lower your carbon footprint, don’t just throw soft plastic in the recycling, take them to a dedicated recycling spot.
Soft plastic can easily be converted again into packaging and other uses, meaning it doesn’t have to end up in landfill.
Check your local supermarket, they often collect soft plastics and reuse them.
- Turn off the lights
One of the easiest ways to help reduce your carbon footprint is to switch off the lights and power points when you aren’t using them.
Standby mode for appliances is a huge drain on electricity. A good rule of thumb is if it’s not critical, turn it off.
Limit the use of lights around the house, and make sure you remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room.
A lot of people think they do this well already and are then shocked to learn the truth when they actively focus on it.
- Insulate and open the windows
When it gets super hot or bitterly cold so many of us reach for the air conditioning remote. These machines have to work overtime to cool down or heat up a space.
This takes energy and a lot of electricity to achieve. Instead of always looking toward the air con, try opening the windows instead, or layering up in winter.
When you have a little more time on your hands, check on your insulation. Insulation is what keeps hot air out and keeps cool air in, like a natural air con so you’ll want yours in tip top shape.
- Ride don’t drive
A great way to not only get exercise, but also reduce your carbon footprint is to ride a bike or scooter to work and other places.
Motor vehicle use is a major contributor to carbon emissions, and if a few more people opted for riding stunt scooters, it could make a big difference.
If wheels aren’t your vibe, try running or walking to work instead. If that is out of the question, then make sure to do simple things at work, like take the stairs not the elevator to help cut down on electricity usage.
- Shorter showers
An easy step you can take today to help reduce your carbon footprint is to have a shorter shower.
Water usage, hot water systems and all the work that goes into replenishing water have a big impact on our emissions.
By having a shorter shower each day, or showering just once a day, you can really reduce your impact. If you’re not sure how long a shower should be, try to aim for 4-5 minutes each shower.
If you have one a week that is slightly longer that is still a good reduction.
- Turn off your computer
A simple, yet very effective way to immediately reduce your carbon footprint is to shutdown your computer each night.
Working from home, we are all using our computers a lot more at home. A computer that is shutdown uses 65% less power than one on standby or idle.
To lower your carbon footprint in an instant, shutdown that computer every night.
Reducing your carbon footprint is something we all need to be committed to. Whether you choose to adopt all 10 or just a few, it’s crucial you take on at least one.