10 Ways to Start Being Eco-Conscious Right Away

We’ve all heard the term, eco-conscious however, do we really know what that means and how it can apply to our own lives? We can’t all go off and save the whales or stop the killing of wolves.

Merriam-Webster defines eco-consciousness as, “marked by or showing concern for the environment”. It is an adjective. What if we became more proactive and used it as an adverb? To do that we need to act, to be aware and informed as best as we can be on what and how we are doing that impacts the planet. What we do does not have to be expensive; keeping things simple is key to helping lessen our footprint on the Earth.

Here are 10 ways you can begin to help:

1. Keep things unplugged until you need to use them. Even something simple like unplugging the cord for your phone charger until you need to charge it saves energy and money. Bigger items like televisions, use more energy, even when not turned on. Set it up so it’s easy to plug in when you want to use it. Who knows, you may watch less if you it takes you a couple of extra seconds to plug it in. That is healthier for you and the environment. 
2. Pay attention to how much you flush. I’ve witnessed people using a facial tissue and then flushing it. The less we flush, the less water and energy we waste.
3. Use old clothing as rags and hankies. Tearing apart worn and unwearable clothing is a great way to save trees by eliminating the need for paper towels, facial tissues, and paper napkins.
4. Park it. Yes, parking it and walking or driving is great for your health and the environment however, I also mean park it quicker when you do need to drive. How many times have you circled the parking lot to get a closer place when you could have parked, walked and been where you wanted to be sooner than driving around and around?
5. I know most people have reusable water bottles, but what about parties? We are eco-conscious daily but when it comes to groups, we think we need to go back to individual plastic water bottles, flatware, and plates. Not so. I bet someone has a large cooler you can borrow and fill with water. Tell your friends to bring their reusable bottles and fill from the reusable cooler. Make it a “potluck” of sorts and even if you provide the food, ask your partygoers to bring their own plate and silverware to take home and wash instead of filling up the landfill or creating the need for more trees to be harvested.
6. Plant more trees. I ask people who have woods if they’d mind if I dug up a sapling that is too close to other trees and transplant it in my yard. It helps the trees have space to grow, keeps young saplings from being crowded out, and saves me money while I bring more beauty and oxygen to the world. 
7. Eat less (or no) meat. I’m not just saying this because I am vegan but, cattle use a lot of water and cause methane gases that warm the planet further. (This does not even address the treatment of animals we eat but, don’t get me started on that!)
8. And speaking of eating, make sure you are not wasting food. Store leftovers in your bowls and on your plates covering with the lining of cereal boxes so you are not buying plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Some things can be covered in a dishtowel as well. 
9. Compost and grow your own food. Even if it is just a few veggies in containers. It’s healthier and then you have the food at your fingertips, plus, you don’t have to drive to a store and buy it (which is  how old???)
10. Make sure when you recycle those plastic bottles, whether from vitamins, juice, or anything else that has a cap, you remove the cap before placing in the recycle bin. Many of the caps on recyclable bottles are not recyclable and if you leave them on, the entire item will get thrown away at the recycling center (they do not have the time to remove all caps, so they toss the whole thing). 

Theses ideas are just a start, and you may not do all 10 ideas, yet doing any of these can help. The sooner we all start doing something, the better things will be.

Let me know in the comments below what your ideas for being eco-conscious are. I’d love to hear from you and begin a community of like-minded people that share! 

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