43 Easy things you can do for a greener life.
Lake Brienz, Switzerland- Image by Andreas Gucklhorn
Leading a green life can seem like a big undergoing at times and that is why two years ago we launched #TFCgreentips on our instagram account. The idea behind it was to give a tip a week that was digestible and more importantly actionable. And so this year we decided to transform those individual post into an actionable list of things you can do to lead a more sustainable life.
In order to make it even easier we divided the tips between SUPER EASY = CAN BE DONE RIGHT AWAY,
EASY = NEEDS TINY LITTLE BIT OF PLANNING,
INTERMEDIATE = NEEDS SOME TIME AND PLANNING
DIFFICULT = NEEDS SOME RESEARCH TIME AND PLANNING
“All things are difficult before they are easy”
SUPER EASY
When brushing your teeth stop the water when you don’t need it.
Switch your regular toothbrush to a bamboo one. Knowing that most of the plastic you have used in the past still exist somewhere on the planet should be the incentive
Say no to plastic bag. This one is so easy that I still wonder why it is not widely done. Easiest way to do so is to always have a few tucked in your handbags, car etc… you will see your progress on that one in no time. What I love about this is that my shopping sessions are so much easier - one big reusable bag for all the tiny errands I have to run for the family.
Keep your self hydrated with a reusable bottle, you don’t need a plastic bottle every time you are thirsty. Make it a habit to have yours at all times. So, go ahead and purchase a few and rotate them depending on your day's routine - whether it's heading to work, traveling, traveling with a little one. Each of those days means you are going to need either a heavy duty bottle or a light one
Stop Sucking! In other words ban all plastic straws from your life. If you must use straws, then please purchase a reusable one such as those made from bamboo or metal. The team is divided between bamboo straws that feel smoother for some reason as compared to metal straws. Cleaning metal straws is much easier, though! And, yes, we understand that when you are out and about packing the straws and bringing it around can be a hassle so why not just say NO to plastic straws and drink directly from the cup?
Purify your water with a stick of binchotan charcoal, you can even have a smaller one for your reusable water bottle.
Instead of ordering a drink for take away, take a seat and enjoy it. For the rest, use your reusable bottle. You take a moment and planet earth is happier
Refuse giveaways or top up - get only what you need. Why? Because these are unnecessary use of plastics and natural resources in terms of packaging and they will end up cluttering your life.
Ban the use of staples and replace it by paper clip Go Electronic to save paper.⠀
Turn off the lights when you move out of a room. This one may seem a given but many ignore this. Observe your home tonight and you will see many lights turned on or the A/C switched on with no one in there - wallet says thank you.
This one sounds difficult for those of us who are based in hot and humid countries but we can always try: Set your A/C few degrees higher and make sure windows are always closed when the AC is on.
Delete any accounts (yes, that includes phone apps for #selfies) that you don't use anymore. All these apps and accounts are stored in a server, which uses alot of energy to run.
EASY
Switch to bar soap:Trust us when we say we love our beauty products. However, we also dread the extra packaging that comes with it and, quite often, we can't reuse. So why don't you switch your shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, which often come in bottles, to bar ones?
Change your plastic razor for stainless steel one Did you know that the average disposable razor cartridge, which is made of plastic, should only be used about 6-9 times before being thrown away? That means each plastic disposable razors only lasts a maximum of three weeks, and that these go straight to landfill.
Invest in nice sets of napkins and say goodbye to paper towels. Not only you will be saving some $ but you will instantly upgrade your table setup.
Turn old t-shirts to cleaning rags instead of buying brand new rags It's actually crazy to think that nowadays we purchase brand new rags for cleaning instead of making rags from old material.
Replace cling wrap in your kitchen by beeswax. Your wallet will thank you as well.
Make your own home cleaner product with ingredients you already have at home. Some examples include baking soda, vinegar and lemon, and, yes, a little bit of help from Google.
Purchase some plants that can help you clean the air.
Opt for paperless bills. At THE FIFTH COLLECTION, we decided a while ago to stop printing any invoice unless it was absolutely necessary. Why have something printed (with a chance of misplacing it), when you can just get it via email?⠀
Change your lightbulbs to eco-friendly one. They might be pricier at first but not only do they last much much longer, they will be nice to your utility bill - and the planet, of course.
Splurge on a new shower head that can help you control the water flow -wallet says thank you.
Switch to reusable batteries, because despite your effort not to get anything that relies on battery it is absolutely inevitable think kids toys.
Empty out the junk in your trunk- extra weight means extra fuel consumption.
Learn the art of wrapping gift with cloth aka Furoshiki- this will take 5 minutes and will wow all of your recipients.
Eat less meat - we are not saying no to meat we are just saying to make a conscious effort to eat less of it.
INTERMEDIATE
If you are not using a reading tablet then time to head to your library or borrow from friends especially for the books you will be reading only once.
Pack your lunch- you will be doing a favour to your diet - to your wallet and to the planet. For opinion on container head here.
Empty your inbox, spam folder and newsletter folder and make sure you trash what you don't need? Why is that a green tip because storing your emails requires servers and servers require natural resources to be maintained. So, by trashing regularly your unwanted emails, it means that not only will you lead a more organised life, you will also contribute at your level at saving some precious energy. And let’s face it, if you haven’t responded to an email in a year or taken any action about them... you don’t really need to keep it.
Reduce your dry cleaning! You don't have to dry clean your clothes after each wear, steaming or airing them is sufficient. And when you really must, please find a "green cleaner" in your area.
REPAIR.When something is broken, ask yourself if it can be repaired. There might be a bit of sweat and some outside of the box thinking but a lot of the items we surround ourselves with can be repaired. We personally love sugru especially with kids at home you can repair their toys with it. Also when you see that something is hard to repair because of poor manufacturing, make a mental note to not purchase those types again. It is our duty to ask manufacturer to build goods to last... And also, when the need comes, to be repaired
When planning on buying something new- check first on pre-loved platform you never know what you are going to find as they are amazing deals to be made, trust us on this.
RESELL. Anything that you don't use anymore and that is still in good condition. You'll be making some money, making save and doing your part for the environment! ⠀
RENT/BORROW Before making a purchase of something that you are not sure how long you are going to use it for why not rented or borrow it. Ask your entourage before making a short term purchase. We're talking about baby gears, handyman tools and the likes!. Save money, save space.
SWAP the clothes that you can't sell, and no longer use. Get a few friends, do a get together, swap your clothes. Or search for dedicated clothes swap events happening near you. Trust us, you'll never know what exciting things you can find.
Try buying in bulk where you can and bring your jars and bags when you do. We love the fact that your purchase only what you actually are going to consume .
Donate your extra beauty products including samples to non profit organisations. Not only are you de-cluttering your personal space, you're also be doing good
Keep and make wish list of what you really, really, really need for you and your loved ones. Great way of keeping your sanity during the festive season. P.S: Your wish list on THE FIFTH COLLECTION site is sharable via email ;-)⠀
DIFFICULT
Start a mini herb garden such as basil, mint, rosemary if you use lots of herbs instead of buying each time. The best care tip is to keep harvesting the herbs! More you do more you they grow.
Stop junk mail by invading your mailbox and inbox. Are you ready to say bye bye to those envelopes that make it straight to the trash? Each country has its own set of rules to be permanently removed from receiving junk mail in your mailbox. Few minutes on google will help you find the right steps.
RECYCLE. Teach yourself the art of recycling for instance did you know that plastic containers contaminated by food will not be accepted for recycling even if you throw them into the correct bin? Instead, they'll disposed of as general waste. ⠀
Here's how to prepare plastic products for recycling:A) Remove the lids and tops from the plastic food containers. The plastic rings and labels don’t have to be removed.
B) Empty their contents and rinse them with water.
C). Place the plastic containers, tubs, bottles, and lids in the recycling bin.
Do a beach cleanup: Best way of seeing firsthand what everyday consumption does to planet earth!
Start Composting, especially if you are a garden/plan owner.