Living a greener existence doesn’t have to be hard. There are SO many little tips and tricks to work into your everyday life that will help to reduce your impact on our planet. In fact, most of them are so easy, you probably won’t even notice the difference once you’ve switched to the greener alternative!
Here are our favorite green living life hacks. Go on… give them a go!
12 easy green living life hacks
1. Recycle
Recycling is a great green living habit to get in to. Cans, paper, cardboard, glass jars, magazines, clothing, shoes – the list is endless. Recycling helps limit the amount of landfill that you contribute too and it’s so easy to do.
Check out the video below for a quick guide on what you can and cannot recycle.
2. Reuse old water
How many times in a week do you walk around the house collecting half-empty glasses of water? We tend to leave partially drunk glasses everywhere – on the dinner table, by our beds, by the couch, in the bathroom – and probably more places too. What do you do with that leftover water? Throw it away?
Not anymore! You can help to reduce your water usage by putting all that excess water to use. Use it to water plants, fill up your pet’s water bowl, or even put it in the garden if you don’t have any use for it inside. Anything is better than putting it down the drain.
3. Shower instead of having a bath
A typical bath uses around 80 liters of water, whereas an eight-minute shower uses 62 liters. Fitting an eco-friendly limiter device to your shower can reduce this even further – you may end up using only 32 liters for the same shower time. Over a year (or even a month!) this could save you an awful lot of water.
4. Take reusable carrier bags to the store
Cut down on your plastic bag consumption by taking reusable carrier bags to the store. You can buy some beautifully designed cloth/material bags that are hard-wearing and made from either recycled or sustainable materials.
A neat trick to help you remember is to always keep a supply of reusable bags in your car. They can fold up really small so they won’t take up much room, but it means you’ll always have the bags on-hand for those last-minute grocery runs.
5. Go paperless
In today’s digital world, going paperless in your home is easy. Instead of writing paper shopping lists or to-do lists, use an app on your phone. Trello, Evernote, ToDoist, or even your phone’s native notetaking app make this super-simple.
Always think twice before printing out a document from your computer. Can you read on on-screen instead, or send it to your phone if you need to read it on-the-go?
6. Sharpen old razor blades on denim
Razor blades can be expensive, and they tend to wear out quickly. If you’ve got an old pair of denim jeans hanging in your wardrobe, you can use them to sharpen your razor blades and make them good as new. We don’t really understand WHY it works, all we know is that it DOES!
7. Be creative with your dishware
If you’re throwing a BBQ, be creative with your existing dishes and utensils rather than purchasing additional products just for that one party.
For example, muffin tins can be used to display condiments – use a different hole in the tin for each one. Ketchup, mustard, guacamole, sour cream, salsa – they can all fit into a standard tin and that’s MUCH better for our planet than buying plastic throw-away pots.
8. Remove furniture scratches using a walnut
If your furniture is looking a little tired, with scratches all over it – don’t throw it out and purchase something new. Instead, rub a walnut on the scratches and watch them disappear under your eyes! Neat trick, huh?
9. Use vinegar to clean your shower head
It’s fairly common for households to change their showerhead every few years because the little holes have been filled with limescale that seems impossible to shift. Don’t fall into this trap! Cleaning limescale off of a shower IS possible – and it’s probably much easier than you’d imagine.
Just tie a bag filled with vinegar around the showerhead, leave it overnight, do a little bit of scrubbing with an old toothbrush, and voila – a perfectly shiny, unclogged showerhead. One less “thing” to purchase, and all done naturally rather than by using harsh chemicals.
10. A greener way to drink your Starbucks
Do you rely on your morning coffee to get you through the day? We know how that feels! However, one coffee per day in those little cardboard cups adds up to LOTS of trash. Instead of using and throwing away those cups, purchase your own reusable thermal cup instead.
Most coffee shops will be happy to fill your mug rather than using one of their own branded cups. You’ll help to save the planet AND look stylish whilst doing it. Bonus!
11. Use glass jars around your home
When you’ve finished your favorite peanut butter or jelly, don’t throw out the jar. Don’t even put it in with your recycling. There are SO many uses for glass jars around the home. Clean it, dry it, and find a way to use it in your home.
Here are just a few ideas: go rustic and use them for drinking glasses, place them in your study to hold pens, use them in the kitchen for your herbs and spices, decorate them and fill with sweets to give as gifts.
12. Make your own cleaning supplies
Skip the harsh, unnatural chemicals that can damage our waterways by creating your own cleaning supplies using natural materials. Not only are they kinder to the planet, but they smell great too. Here’s a handy video to get you started:
More green living life hacks:
Here are some more handy green living life hacks to get your inspiration flowing:
If you’re still hungry for more, this playlist contains lots of green living life hack videos. Each video is only 26 seconds long – perfect for some quick-paced learning!
What are your favorite green living life hacks? Let us know in the comments below.
If you want to learn more about living a greener life, check out our blog post to help boost your eco-lifestyle.
About the Author
James is your friendly neighborhood content writer here at the Green Living Blog. With a passion for all things sustainable, he’s your go-to guru for everything eco-friendly. Armed with a treasure trove of wisdom about sustainable living, recycling, and environmentally conscious practices, James is on a mission. He’s here to make sure you not only protect your family but also keep Mother Earth smiling. 😊🌎 When he’s not busy sharing eco-friendly insights, James can often be found teaching his cat that compost bins make the purr-fect hideaway. 🐱♻️ Join James on his quest to uncover the secrets of defeating wasteful habits while leaving the lightest footprint on our precious planet’s ecosystem.