Being more eco-friendly is on everyone’s minds, with climate change a real threat and the cost of living spiraling. Generation Z is increasingly clued-up in comparison to their parents and grandparents, and much can be learned from their approach to wanting to help save the planet.
Educating children from an early age on the benefits of recycling and being more energy efficient means it becomes part of their usual daily life and the effects will be long-lasting.
Education in Schools
These eco-friendly benefits are now being taught in schools across the world, with recycling initiatives being set up in schools and practical classroom sessions to make the process fun but informative. Learning what can be recycled is half the battle, as many people are surprised by how much does not need to be thrown away and sent to landfill.
Once the primary school children have had these sessions, they then take away what they have learnt and tell their families, who then all put it into action and the number of items that are recycled increases.
Reuse and Recycle Household Items
Many household items can be reused for things such as craft projects – ideal for getting children involved and without needing to buy extra items for them to use in their artistic creations. Toilet roll innards and empty washing-up liquid bottles have long been used, but there are so many other items you can find around the house that can be utilized or upcycled.
Upcycling items of furniture and giving them a new lease of life has grown in popularity as a design decision, with pretty much anything being able to be sanded, painted, reupholstered or chopped up and repurposed.
The FoodCycler for Food Waste
Food waste can be turned into fertilizer, rather than just thrown into a general waste bin. Using a food waste recycler like the FoodCycler is the ideal way to turn your waste into nutrient-rich soil amendment. It is clean, reduces odors, as well as being quick and easy to operate. The results speak for themselves.
You can recycle up to 90% of your food waste in one of our countertop food waste recyclers, eliminating methane gas at the source. It is safe to use, so anyone can fill the Bucket and let it do its job quietly and efficiently while you get on with cooking meals for your family.
Cleaning Chemicals
Harsh chemicals used in many household cleaning products are contributing to negative effects on the environment. Swapping these for more eco-friendly versions which are less toxic and not as harmful to the air surrounding you, or polluting waterways, is a simple way to be more aware of the damage you are causing and actually doing something to counteract it.
Even using regular items you can find in your kitchen cupboards such as baking soda, white vinegar and lemon juice can be handy replacements for chemical-based cleaning products. They will often do a better job, and be cheaper too. So, it is win-win all round.
Reduced Energy Consumption
Turning off lights in rooms you aren’t using and making sure appliances aren’t left on standby massively reduces your energy consumption, without you even realizing it. Not only will this cut down on your bills, but it will also cut down your carbon footprint.
Opting for more energy efficient appliances such as washing machines or fridge-freezers is another easy way to be naturally more eco-friendly without disrupting your daily lives with anything arduous or time-consuming.
Life Cycle of clothing
What you wear may not be something that you automatically think about when you are trying to be eco-friendly, but the trend for throwaway fashion has meant that a lot of clothing has been sent to landfill, and the manufacturing process used in making a pair of jeans, for example, sees several gallons of water wasted, as well as the use of chemicals and, perhaps surprisingly, microplastics.
By sending your unwanted clothes to a charity shop or reselling them on a site such as eBay or Vinted, you are ensuring that fewer items need to be made, as your clothing has gone back into the cycle. Vintage clothes shops are springing up all over the place, and are particularly frequented by teenagers looking for something stylish and unique.
Final Thoughts
Getting the whole family to buy-in to a more eco-friendly lifestyle is key in achieving its aim. If everyone approaches their day with a view to recycling and reusing items where possible, being aware of waste produce, and switching off electrical equipment that isn’t in use, then being environmentally friendly should come naturally and easily, with a minimum of disruption.