5 Habits of Green Thinkers
Chinese Philosopher Lau Tzu once said, "Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." With this in mind, thinking 'green' can be an honourable trait in a world where ethical choices are more important than any other time in history and turning your ideals into your lifestyle can be both challenging and rewarding.
1. Water & Energy Use
Cutting your water & energy usage is not only a great way to give Mother Earth some respite but you can also make huge savings to your everyday expenses. The first step is always managing your consumption and thinking about how you use water & energy at home. This can be difficult when everyone in the household may not be on the same page. For this reason, the next step is recruiting your family members to the cause and inspiring your loved ones to join your crusade. Finally and perhaps the most important step is making wholesale changes to your water & energy systems. In Australia, solar is still booming with more than 269,000 rooftop installations added to the grid in 2019 and by the end of 2019, over 2.3 million Australian homes and businesses had a rooftop PV system.
2. Consider your Commute
There's no doubt that the Covid-19 Pandemic has changed the world forever and with many people continuing to work from home despite an end to much of the social distancing restrictions across Australia. The questions now becomes; do we really need to travel so much, in a world where we are so easily connected in a digital way? It's clear that we have reached a turning point in society where being present in the office or flying across the country for meetings is not as important as it once seemed. On a recent trip to Amsterdam, I was pleased to see how the Dutch have ingrained cycling into their way of life and how electric vehicles in Europe are really taking off. The same goes here at home, with electric vehicles become more viable, accessible & affordable.
3. Waste Reduction
Reducing waste is no doubt a great way to contribute to mitigating climate change and composting at home can be a key element to this pursuit and as long as you have a space in the backyard to place a bin for scraps, you can do it. Even without any experience, your local garden shop can point you in the right direction. Saying no to plastic is a no-brainer but we are often limited for choice. American brand Boxed Water is Better are leading the way with non-plastic awareness and are breaking the mould of typical grocery shelf choices.
4. Recycle
Putting out the bins of a Wednesday night was always one of those chores that you saw coming as a teenager and in an age where waste reduction is critical to our crusade to reduce carbon, its never been more important to split your trash. Bin night however is not the only time you can make an effort to recycle. Cleaning out the wardrobe and donating your old threads is another fantastic way to live responsibly.
5. Ethical Shopping
Finding ethical clothing that is fashionable and affordable can be a challenge and paper thin biodegradable bin liners are an example of where your good intention can be not so practical. Let Eco Planet Tribe be your one stop shop for Eco Friendly home products & Lifestyle Gear and sustainable clothing.