Eco-Friendly Habits

In this article, we’ll share some simple eco-friendly habits that we can all start practising today to help in the fight to protect our planet.

As part of our Plastic Offset Program, Starboard is starting up an Environmental awareness program for children in Myanmar. Every week, we will be sharing simple Eco-friendly information with the aim of helping children instil good habits for themselves and for the planet.

To save the Earth and save ourselves, we all need to change to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Therefore, we challenge all of you to include some of these eco habits into your everyday life.

Some simple eco-friendly habits

Work these simple habits into your home routine for a greener lifestyle:

1. Start Sorting and Recycling

Recycling is one of the best things you can do for the planet. In your house, office or school, set aside different bins designated for paper, cans, bottles, and different kinds of plastics. Work with a local recycling company to make sure these are collected.

2. Invest in Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

Energy-efficient light bulbs are one small way you can control your carbon footprint by reducing electricity consumption. You could also invest in a solar panel for your roof, supplying your energy-use with power from the sun.

3. Say No To Single Use Plastic Packaging

When you get a takeaway meal or drink make sure to take a reusable box and cup so you can say no to single-use plastic packaging – which is one of the most common items polluting the environment.

If you can, also use stainless steel or glass containers instead of plastic ones which can be harmful to both the environment and your health, especially when used to reheat food. Plastic is made of components that can leach into whatever it comes in contact with.

4. Use Canvas Bags Instead of Plastic

Whether your state has banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores or you are trying to be more plastic-conscious, reusable bags are a great way to help the environment. Invest in some inexpensive canvas bags and use them while you’re out running errands. Aside from being environmentally friendly – canvas bags are also much sturdier than both plastic and paper and will last you a lifetime if you look after them!

5. Get Some Plants

Plants are not only great for your home decoration, but they also convert carbon dioxide into oxygen which is great for air quality.

6. Use Natural Products

Instead of spending money on harsh household chemicals, consider making your own cleaning solutions from natural items such as vinegar, baking soda, and acids found in citrus fruit. View some simple recipes here.

Also, try and avoid products containing palm oil and microplastics, which are both very common in skincare and hair products, as well as toothpaste.

7. Start a Compost Pile

Start composting food scraps instead of throwing them away. It’s free fertilizer for your plants, plus you’ll have to empty your trash can a lot less. Place a container with a lid under your kitchen sink and throw in coffee grounds, eggshells, and fruit and veggie scraps. Dump into your outside compost when full.

8. Line Dry Your Clothing

Whether it’s a drying rack or a traditional clothesline, line drying is great for the environment and will help your clothes last longer.

Why live eco-friendly

Explained below are some of the reasons, why eco-friendly living is absolutely necessary today.

1. It Improves Human Lives

The primary goal of eco-warriors is to create a better world for future generations. As well destroying our planet through harmful practices, these same practices often expose us to noxious chemicals that deplete our quality of life over time. Today, cancer and other life-threatening diseases are on the rise. While these diseases date back several decades, it is undeniable that they are a lot more common than before.

Research shows that most skincare products and processed foods contain harmful chemicals that are detrimental to the environment and to human lives. Prolonged use of these products would result in degenerated health conditions and even newer diseases. Turning to healthy ‘green’ products ensures that you are not exposing yourself or your family to harmful chemicals.

2. It Reduces Waste Production

One of the top challenges facing the world today is the disposal of waste. With our ever-increasing population, we are producing more waste than can be disposed of properly. This leaves room for wrongful disposal, which comes back to bite us in the end. Today, it is a common practice to dispose of sewage and plastics into rivers, lakes or the sea. Polluting our essential waterways and making them unfit for drinking, bathing, swimming, and other human activities.

3. It Saves Energy

A major challenge we face today is consuming more energy resources than the earth can replenish. Virtually everything we use today was produced using some form of energy. However, some products consume more energy than others.
Plastics, for example, require a lot of energy for production. Sadly, trillions of plastic products are produced every year. You can only imagine the amount of energy wasted on plastic production every year. This is why as eco-warriors we speak out against the use of plastic products, preferring products made from natural materials instead.

4. It Saves You Money

As far-fetched as it may sound, maintaining eco-friendly living can save you a lot of cash.
While that is a great step towards saving yourself, your family, and the planet, by cutting down your gas and electricity use you can help the planet and bring down your bills.

5. It Preserves the Environment

All in all, the major importance of being eco-friendly is to preserve the environment. From deforestation to releasing noxious pollutants into the environment, we have been waging a self-destructive war against our planet, which may ultimately lead to the end of life on earth as we know it.