Save The Earth Together! 17 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Ecological Footprint At Home

Climate change is no longer a subject we can ignore and all of us have a role to play in addressing it. Understanding our own ecological footprints and being willing to take action are key steps to reducing our collective impact on the environment.

Our ecological footprint is a measure of our increasing demand for rapidly depleting natural resources. According to Footprint Network, it takes the equivalent of 1.75 Earths to produce the resources we consume and absorb waste. In other words, human consumption exceeds what the earth can regenerate by about 75%. For our planet to continue sustaining humans, the global goal should be 1.7 tonnes per capita of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, Canadians alone produce about 7.7 tonnes per capita, which is 4 times more than the goal.

The good news is that we can all take action right at home. Trying to lessen our environmental impact is hard, but little steps and lifestyle changes can go a long way in helping improve the health of our planet.

Calculate Your Own Ecological Footprint

To figure out your personal footprint, you can use calculations from various organizations. Examples include the Global Footprint Calculator and the EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator. Choose one that you are comfortable with. They also give you suggestions on how to reduce your footprint and how to incorporate them into your daily life.

Steps to Eco-Friendly Living

Here is a list of small lifestyle changes you can make to be more eco-friendly, divided by category.

Transportation

1. Drive less!

Cars release many harmful pollutants, mainly fossil fuel emissions, into the air and oceans. The automobile industry is the second-largest producer of these emissions, making up 24% of Canada’s total fossil fuel emissions. If you can leave your car at home, and choose to walk, bike, or take public transit when you can, go for it! Carpooling is also a wonderful option. This will not only reduce GHG emissions, but you will also help reduce traffic and save gas money.

2. Consider an electric vehicle (EV)

Switch to an electric car as your next vehicle. The Canadian government provides a purchase incentive on eligible zero-emission cars of up to $5000.

Related article: Electric Vehicles: The Cars of the Future

Food

3. Eat less meat

While cutting back on fossil fuels is crucial, reducing meat consumption is also important. People always seem to forget the connection between agribusiness and climate change. In fact, animal agriculture can create bigger problems than fossil fuels. You do not need to become a vegetarian. Simply eat less meat or have meatless days.

If you give up all meat and dairy, you reduce your carbon footprint by 8 pounds a day, which equals 2,920 pounds a year. Still, even small reductions make a big difference over time. This is a good reason to start eating more vegetables and fruit!

4. Plan meals and use leftovers

Planning meals can prevent you from making too much food for a meal. Additionally, instead of throwing away what you can’t eat, freeze them for a later time. Remember to compost your food waste whenever you can.

Clothing

5. Avoid fast fashion

Fast fashion refers to trendy, often lower-quality clothes which are not made to last long. Many people buy these clothes to look fashionable or take advantage of deals, but because these garments become out of season quickly, they all end up in landfills. Some of these clothes also use modified cotton that is sprayed with pesticides. Non-organic cotton can contaminate other crops and our water systems while leaving a heavy carbon footprint because of the transportation from factories to stores. Not to mention some of the factories may still use child labor. It is necessary to think twice before buying these products.

Related article: The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion: What Can You Change To Be More Sustainable?

6. Choose re-purposed, second-hand, handmade, or vintage clothing

These clothes leave a smaller ecological footprint. Check out this article for details on second-hand clothes.

7. Use cold water to wash your clothes

The enzymes in detergents work better with cold water and you’ll use less energy per washing cycle. If you wash two loads of laundry with cold water a week, you can reduce your carbon dioxide footprint by about 500 pounds each year. Amazing, right?

Water & Electricity

8. Turn off the tap when not in use and take shorter showers

They say water is life and so no drop should be wasted. Reduce your water consumption by not leaving the tap running, taking shorter showers, and generally being conscious about the water you use.

9. Change your light bulbs to LEDs

Light bulbs are not energy efficient because they release 90% of their energy as heat. LEDs use only 25% – 30% of that energy for the same brightness. LED lights also last about 8-25x longer than regular light bulbs.

10. Unplug all of your devices when not in use

All electronics use energy when they are plugged in, even when you’re not using them. This contributes to your carbon footprint and can account for about 10% of all energy used in Canadian homes.

11. Turn off the lights when leaving a room 

By not unnecessarily keeping the lights on, you can save a lot of energy use.

Gardening

12. Plant trees!

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. A 10-year-old tree can absorb about 48 pounds per year.

13. Create a vegetable and fruit garden

If you have the space, try growing your own produce. Homegrown veggies, herbs, and fruits are fresh and healthy. You can also cut back on carbon emissions by skipping the grocery store for these foods.

Related article: Tips for Container Gardening in the Summer

14. Try organic herbicides

If you need to use herbicides to keep weeds at bay, use organic ones. They are less harmful for the environment than conventional options.

Shopping

15. Shop local

Whether you are buying groceries, clothes, or stationery, choose local businesses. Many items from large grocery chains and big brands emit a lot of greenhouse gases from transportation and mass production. This is less commonly the case for small local stores.

Related article: The Importance of Supporting Local Farmers

16. Buy less!

Only buy items you need to reduce the chances of throwing something away.

17. Support eco-friendly businesses

By choosing to buy from brands and stores with eco-friendly practices, you can create more demand for sustainable products.

Creating a More Sustainable Planet Together

Comment below If you have more creative ideas about how to reduce your environmental footprint at home! The most important thing we can do is to pass on the message.