At our cores, most of us want to make the world a better place. Very few people would ever wake up thinking, “I’d like to use up the planet’s resources today.” But we are also used to certain comforts. It takes active consideration in order to live more sustainably…and not everyone knows what they can do to reduce their environmental impact. Sure there’s recycling and riding a bike or carpooling when you can. If you’re trying to find something more you can do, here are a few less commonly offered goals.
Compost and Grow
You can keep food scraps in a biodegradable compost bag and compost them once it’s full, giving those scraps back to the earth to help new things grow. We’ve written about composting in several past blogs, and highly recommend it as a way to live sustainably. You can also start your own vegetable and herb garden and use the fruits of your labor in your cooking rather than buying them in stores. This will save you money, cut down on packaging waste and chemical alterations to produce, and overall makes for more sustainable living.
Hang Dry Your Clothes
Texas is known for its warm, dry days. Why not take advantage of that and hang dry your clothes? After your refrigerator and washer, your dryer uses the most energy in your home, raising your energy bills and your carbon footprint. But if you have the space to hang dry your clothes, you needn’t worry about using a dryer to begin with. You’ll also have fewer wrinkles in the fabric if they have the opportunity to hang freely as they dry before they’re folded up and put away.
Take a Day Off Meat
Not everyone is cut out to be a vegetarian or vegan. However, you can still increase your health and the planet’s health by taking a day each week off of eating meat. The international campaign Meatless Monday does just that. By taking a day off from eating meat, you can protect animals from becoming endangered, can cut down on the production of meat, and you’ll even see improvements to your own health.
Bundle Up in Winter
Another perk of living in Texas is that winters don’t tend to become very cold. But on cold nights, consider throwing on another sweater before you turn on the heat. You can always add more layers and a light chill might just make for perfect soup or cocoa weather. The more you’re able to warm yourself by adding another layer or two in winter, the less you’ll need to use a gas furnace or heat pump to heat your home, thus saving more when it comes to energy costs.
Looking for more ways to live sustainably? What about single stream recycling? At Brazos Valley Trash Valet & Recycling, we offer a complimentary recycling bin along with our weekly trash pickup. Contact us today to learn more or to sign up for your own trash pickup.
