Go green and save the planet

As humans consume faster than the earth can replenish, there are concerning figures which need to urgently be addressed when it comes to not only the planet but also resident’s pockets.

This according to Susan Steward, marketing manager of Budget Insurance.

“With so many resources and energy saving options out there and with hundreds of ways to reduce consumption and recycle, we can all find ways to cut down on waste and cut down on costs,” Steward explained.

Steward provided the following facts:

• Around the world, one million plastic bottles are bought each minute.
• An estimated eight billion metric tons – the weight of about 25 000 Empire State Buildings or one billion elephants – of plastic ends up in the ocean every year.
• According to the World Health Organisation, poor quality air affects more than 80 per cent of the world’s population – due in large part to human’s reliance on coal. In the same vein, the cost of coal-fired electricity has risen by more than 500 percent since 2007, with another 20 per cent increase on the horizon for next year.
• According to the United Nations, it is estimated that 783 million people do not have access to clean water and more than 1.7 billion people are currently living in river basins where water use exceeds recharge.

Budget Insurance offered the following eight tips for going green on a budget:

• Keep a filled, reusable water bottle with you to avoid using a disposable one
• Change to solar energy or get a timer for your traditional geyser
• Save water, the dire situation in Western Cape points to an immediate need to save water
• Enable the auto power down feature on appliances to save electricity
• Make compost using vegetable peels and the rest of the organic waste you accumulate daily
• Google ideas of how to reuse those disposable plastic bottles, cereal boxes and old clothes
• Start recycling
• Phone batteries and electronic components that end up in landfills can be extremely toxic to the surrounding environment. Look for charity shops that buy and sell secondhand goods instead.

Share your environment saving tips on the Fourways Review Facebook page