Do you want to do something for the planet and have a greener everyday life, but don’t know how to go about it? We’re here to help! It’s important to understand that it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to be patient, and start by understanding your environmental impact.
Be aware and question yourself
First and foremost, it’s important to learn about your surroundings and become aware of environmental problems. Find out about plastic pollution, deforestation, global warming… All these issues will raise your awareness, and you’ll see for yourself that it’s time to take action. It’s also important to be able to question yourself, your choices and the commitments you want to make.
Take the time to analyze your day-to-day life, and ask yourself if you can replace this or that action with a simple gesture for the planet. Ask yourself if the latter will have a positive impact, and the answer will most certainly be YES! Every gesture counts and can make a difference.
Take it one step at a time
Don’t try to change everything overnight. Start with small actions that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine. In fact, we’ve written an article about small actions that can make a difference.
You can incorporate simple actions into your daily routine, such as turning off the lights when you leave a room, using reusable bags, not letting the water run too often, not flushing the toilet too much… There’s no need to implement actions that will turn your daily life upside down overnight.
We always advise you to start with small efforts, otherwise you’ll soon get discouraged. It’s not easy to change your daily routine, so you need to be patient. Your efforts will inevitably be rewarded. It’s better for 100 people to do their best by taking small steps than for 1 person to make a bigger effort. Each of us can do our bit for a better future.
Sort and give as much as you can
To get off to a good start, we recommend that you take stock of your cupboards. It’s important to start by checking the expiry dates on your products (food and non-food). A good sort is essential!
Next, always ask yourself the question “do I really need this” to help you get rid of anything superfluous. You’ll see that there are lots of beauty products or clothes that end up in the back of your cupboards that you don’t even remember existed.
Don’t forget that most cosmetic products can be recycled, and that it’s essential to follow the sorting rules. To help you sort your beauty products, you can read our article on the subject.
Once you’ve decided what you’re going to get rid of, don’t throw the products away! Instead of throwing them away, you can donate them to make someone happy. You can also think about upcycling, which consists of transforming an object to give it a second life and a new use.
Consume better
If you want to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, it’s vital to keep an eye on your consumption in general. By consumption, we mean your eating habits, as well as the way you use energy in your home (electricity, gas, water). These are things that are inevitable in our daily lives and are omnipresent. So obviously, if we try to consume better, we’re going to change things! Who doesn’t eat or use electricity every day? No-one does! So now’s the time to take stock of your consumption habits.
In terms of food, reducing your consumption of meat, particularly red meat, can have a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to livestock farming. If you are a friend of animals, you are also doing something for them.
When it comes to energy, you can reduce your consumption considerably. There are lots of small things you can do on a daily basis. Remember to switch off your appliances, unplug them and use the “eco” programmes on your dishwasher and washing machine. It’s also important to check energy labels before buying a new appliance. Give preference to class A appliances.
Moving better
As you may have guessed, the car is not the most eco-friendly means of transport. Choose public transport, cycling, walking or car-sharing to reduce your carbon footprint.
Using public transport means less congestion on the roads and less traffic. Road transport emits the majority of greenhouse gases. Instead of having between one and four people in a single vehicle, it’s better to have many in a train, bus, metro or tram.
More and more towns and cities are going green and developing public transport networks that are accessible to all. Some are introducing low fares to encourage young people and those on the margins of society to use them. They are often affordable for everyone.
What’s even better? Walking or cycling, if the place you want to reach is not too far away. There’s also a trend towards scooters, so why not give it a try? As well as being good for the planet, you’re also good for your wallet and your health. There’s nothing like a regular walk or bike ride to keep you in shape.
It’s not that simple to adopt a greener lifestyle. Our habits are turned upside down and our whole way of life changes. So how do you go about it? The best way is to take it one step at a time and take your time. It’s not possible to change your life overnight. But it is possible to take small steps to help protect the planet. These are the kind of small actions that don’t disrupt your daily life, that just require a little effort.
