Give the earth a chance … you can be the difference at home

Take a stroll around your house and garden and you will immediately be able to spot where you can make adjustments in your lifestyle.

• Become aware of what you do

Become more vigilant and pay attention to how you choose to use water, electricity or air conditioners.  Awareness will take you to the next step to make those important lifestyle changes.

• Say no to the plastic shopping bag

Chances are that you have a container or bag in your house with supermarket shopping bags. If you keep them in the boot of your car, they are easily available to be re-used when going grocery shopping.  Even better, purchase a funky carry bag! Not only are really durable and last for years, but they can also be a great fashion accessory. It’s all about falling into the habit and the rest is easy. Remember, plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and is one of the biggest threats to wildlife and the ocean. 

• Switch out your light bulbs

Instead of going on a festive shopping spree and spending money on disposable consumer goods, instead invest in replacing the light bulbs in your house with LED lights. They use 75% less energy to deliver the same amount of light as incandescent, and LED bulbs last 25 times longer. Festive string lights also come in LED and chances are that they will survive more than one season as they are more durable.

• Use a water service

It’s understandable that South Africans to want drink water that comes from a reliable source. But instead of buying water in plastic bottles, why not change to a bulk water supplier with a dispenser? These come cheaply at a monthly payment (from R200) and usually include four 25 litres per month. It is a great way to cut the bottled water habit. Now you only have to remember to refill your water bottle before setting out in your car, that way you will not be caught thirsty.

• Save toilet water

In South Africa, a single flush of a toilet uses about eleven litres.  A family of four will use 176 litres of water when each uses the toilet four times per day. One way to reduce water usage in toilets is to fill an air-tight bottle or container with a few small ‘clean’ stones (those you get from nurseries work well). The rest of your container can be filled with water and closed tightly. (Two 500ml bottles are advisable, that way you can take one out if you find it to be much.) Place them in the tank; this will fill up the tank’s volume using less water. Do not use a brick, it will start to disintegrate over time and will block the system. 

• Avoid shopping on cheap overseas sites for fashion items

Spending time online buying from cheap overseas sites is not a good idea. The carbon footprint of the affordable fashion item you just have to have is not worth the money you presumably save. Chances are that when it arrives, it does not live up to what you thought you bought and has to be returned, further aggravating the situation. Besides, shopping Proudly South African, means that you are supporting a local entrepreneur. 

• Locally grown produce

If you live in Limpopo, you probably are able to get the best subtropical fruit available from your local farmstall. In the Cape, the freshest and juiciest peaches will be available from traders and the grocer on the corner. Make sure you buy fresh produce from your area instead of products transported from where you live to a staging depot and then back to a local supermarket. Alternatively, invest in a few plant boxes and plant your own lettuce, herbs and tomatoes. It’s a money saver and you will experience the joy of having grown your own produce.

• Buy products with less packaging

Pay attention to the packaging of fresh produce and consumer goods. In many cases, they are wrapped double what is necessary. There will be no stronger message to manufacturers, producers and retailers to have their goods ignored because of too much packaging.

Reference: https://ideal-turf.com/eco-friendly-home-tips/