Earth Day annually reminds us to be aware of the environmental consequences of our daily habits. While some may be hesitant to adopt eco-friendly practices due to perceived costs, others understand that eco-consciousness can also result in significant financial savings. As we approach Earth Day on April 22, take into account these 10 unique suggestions to conserve both the environment and your cash.
1. Prepare Your Home Made Cooking Spray
Store-bought cooking sprays are not only detrimental to your health due to additives and GMOs but also harm the environment. Many contain nitrous oxide, a major ozone-depleting substance produced by human activities, according to ScienceDaily.com. Instead, make your own cooking spray with a refillable pump-spray bottle filled with your favorite cooking oil; this will benefit both your health and the planet, as well as save you money.
2. Opt For Refurbished Ink
Around 375 million ink cartridges end up in landfills each year, despite 97% of the materials inside the cartridges being recyclable or reusable. Rather than purchasing new printer ink, reduce your waste and save money by sourcing refurbished or remanufactured cartridges from sites like InkjetWilly.com.
3. Replace Plastic Bags with Reusable Ones
The U.S. contributes 20 million plastic baggies to landfills daily. Companies like SnackTaxi are combating this waste by providing reusable snack and sandwich bags. Their efforts have so far prevented seven million plastic bags from polluting water streams. These reusables are dishwasher-friendly and cut down on waste.
4. Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clean Toilets
Instead of resorting to bleach and other harsh chemicals that harm the environment, consider using ordinary household items to sanitize your toilet bowl. Pour a cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl, let it sit for an hour, then scrub it with half a cup of baking soda.
5. Discover Various Uses for Lemons
Alongside being a popular flavor enhancer in cooking, lemons also act as a natural cleaning agent, suitable for washing dirty dishes and cleaning countertops when combined with water. Lemons can also deter pests. Check out this comprehensive list of eco-friendly uses for lemons and enjoy one of nature’s most beneficial creations.
6. Repurpose Greeting Cards
Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards yearly. Instead of increasing consumption, why not reuse the greeting cards you receive? Remove the personalized message and keep the decorative part as a postcard greeting.
7. Shade Your Windows
With warmer weather coming around, it’s essential to find alternative ways to keep your home cool as heating and cooling make up a substantial part of our utility bills. Simply closing your blinds can lower the heat entering your home as windows account for 40% of unwanted heating.
8. Choose Cloth Over Paper
The production of paper towels used in just one day requires 51,000 trees. Switching to cloth in the form of napkins and sponges and other reusable cleaning methods can reduce the environmental impact, save money, and cut down on the 40% of our landfill made up of paper products.
9. Adapt Your Garden to Native Plants
Given the anticipatory water restrictions in several parts of the country, why not refresh your garden with native plants that thrive naturally in your region? Not only will your garden flourish, but your water bill will also decrease.
10. Recycle Your Cellphone
In 2012 alone, an estimated 140 million phones were discarded while currently, only 10% of all phones are recycled. Old cell phones contain harmful chemicals such as lead, lithium, and cadmium. Instead of tossing your old phone, donate it to a charity organization like Cell Phones for Soldiers.
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Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who offers advice to consumers on how to live frugally without dramatically altering their lifestyles. She provides smart spending tips and personal finance advice, turning ordinary consumers into smart shoppers. Featured in top news outlets like Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney, and much more. For daily savings advice and tips, you can follow her on Twitter.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to Andrea Woroch at 970-672-6085 or through email at andrea@andreaworoch.com.
