What is your carbon footprint? It’s the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by your actions. If everyone reduced their carbon footprint, we would see slowed climate change and improved air quality. Are you doing everything you can around your house to minimize your carbon footprint? Here are a few things you can do reduce yours:
Drop The Dryer
One dryer load uses about five times as much electricity as one washer load! An easy way to counteract this is to line dry your clothes. Now that the weather is warming up a bit this is a great way to reduce your energy consumption. And let’s not forget about the nostalgia. Hang a couple of lines and let the sun do the work for you. This one change can reduce your footprint by about 2,400 pounds in one year!
Garden
Plant a garden! A garden will instantly reduce your carbon footprint by absorbing carbon dioxide. Plant whatever you like, flowers, fruits and vegetables, you name it. There are even plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies if that’s your thing. If you’re limited on space, patio and balcony gardens are a great option. Plus, gardening is a great hobby that will make you feel more connected with the planet.
Unplug It
Did you know that all of your plugged in electronics are still sucking up electricity, even when they’re turned off? It’s true! Another great way to reduce your carbon footprint at home is remember to unplug electronics when they aren’t in use. Your microwave, TV, and any entertainment electronics you have like DVD players are a few examples of what to unplug. Remember, every little bit counts in the long run!
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce
This one is a bit obvious but it’s still worth mentioning. Educate yourself on the proper way to recycle and what can be recycled. Everything that gets correctly recycled stays out of our landfills and oceans. Also, think twice about throwing things away. Can you repair it or come up with an alternative use for it instead? Use an empty egg carton to start some seedlings for your new garden, for example. Lastly, do your best to avoid single-use plastics like plastic utensils, plastic bags, and paper plates. Chances are you already have reusable alternatives in your home.
Combining all of these new habits will result in a major reduction of your carbon footprint. Use them all if you can, or just incorporate one or two. Every little bit counts and we can all do a little more to help protect our planet.
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