How to be more eco-friendly

First up, transportation. Try carpooling. Use a rideshare app like Uber or carpool with friends/coworkers to get to work. You can also ride your bike or take the city bus. The city bus sounds gross, I know, but it’s a form of carpooling, almost, except with a bunch of people you don’t know. Doesn’t make it any less scary, does it? Another thing you could do is if it’s a 30 minute walk or less, just walk or ride your bike.

Second, household hacks. Remember to always clean your lint trap. It reduces drying time on your clothes which saves energy. Something else you can do while doing laundry is wash your clothes in cold water. It saves energy with the water heater. Turn all lights off as soon as you leave the room. If you can, use LED lights, since they use the least amount of electricity. Keep all windows and curtains open. It helps reduce electricity usage and it even airs out your house after a long cold winter or a few stuffy summer days where it’s too humid to open the windows. Unplug your electronic/electric devices when they’re not in use to avoid any extra electric bills.

Third, water waste hacks and how to prevent it. The only exception is when washing bed sheets. To get bedsheets fully clean, wash them in warm water, not hot. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to turn your water heater down 10 degrees. Keep it at about 120 to 130 degrees instead of maybe 140 or 150. Repair water leaks when you find out about them.

Four, food hacks. Something you could do is cook in residual heat by (unless baking) putting dinner in a preheating oven. Turn the oven off early when you’re done baking. leave the dish in the oven to finish cooking. Try to eat vegan once a week. Stop eating microwaved popcorn, too. I know that it’s good, but it’s filled with chemicals. It doesn’t help that the boxes, bags and liners on the outside of the popcorn bags are all useless.

Five, other hacks that are just useful to know altogether. Keep your tires inflated as full as they can be. It helps reduce gas mileage, and you should also keep your PSI between 32 and 35 when it’s cold outside. Reuse your old phone as long as you can. Even if you exchange it for a new model, you can reuse it as a flashlight or a calculator, even a notepad. Don’t use more napkins or paper towels more than you need to, and you can also use cloth napkins instead of paper ones. Buy less than you need when you’re going grocery shopping. Most people buy more than they need and end up with leftovers that they might never eat. If you use makeup, then identify what you use regularly and buy it as you need it, and nothing extra. I know that this one’s hard, but don’t take free stuff that you don’t need. Ignore the best-by and sell-by dates. They don’t count for when they expire, but trust your instincts when it comes to throwing food away. Try using a regular razor instead of an electric razor, it reduces electric usage.

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