Easy eco-habits for everyday life

Despite having lots of 'eco-friendly' options available to us, it isn't easy being green. It's important to remember that it's not always about taking on a mammoth task, but rather the small habits that will make a huge difference in the long run. Here's some great ways you adapt your daily habits to help reduce waste and safeguard the planet.

1. Only fill your kettle with the amount of water you need - less energy is needed to heat a smaller volume of water.

2. Switch your phone to 'airplane mode' when you're charging it, so that it charges faster. Don't waste energy by plugging your phone in all night.

3. Emails sitting in your inbox and files in 'cloud services' have an important carbon footprint. Delete the ones you don't need!

4. Mobile and laptop chargers use up energy even when they're not charging your appliances - unplug them if you're not using them. 

5. Bring a packed lunch with you to university. This helps you avoid buying packaged foods and saves you money!

6. Avoid cosmetic and home care products that contain micro-plastics. These plastics often enter the water system and are a major source of pollution.

7. Only wash your clothes when you have a full load and decrease the temperature of the wash to reduce electricity usuage of your washing machine.

8. Use reusable alternatives to throw-away items. This includes coffee cups, cultlery, straws, water bottles, shopping bags etc.

9. Dry your clothes on a rack instead of using a dryer to save energy.

10. Use a lid when cooking helps to reduce the energy used. The lid helps to retain more heat, so food cooks faster.

By Adam Vidler, Green Champion