Are you slipping up on your family’s New Year’s resolution to go green and do your part to make the Earth a safer place?
Not only does living eco-friendly help the environment, it also leads to a healthier lifestyle for you and your family and it can help save you money too.
Living a greener lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, asthe founder of Wee Urban, let me share 10 simple and affordable ways your family can go green in 2014.
1. Use cloth diapers
Cloth diapers are kind to baby’s skin and kind to the environment. Cloth diapers never get thrown away because you wash and reuse them as opposed to disposable diapers that get tossed away after one use. Rock-a-Bums are super cute cloth diapers that are fully reusable/washable to cut down on waste and save a lot of cash.
2. Public transportation
Parents should try to take public transportation over driving whenever they can. For shorter trips, try walking or riding a bike. This encourages families to get active while saving money on gas and reducing emissions that contribute to global warming.
3. Buy local food
Buying local is a great way to save; food is fresher and tastes better. Plus, you’ll know exactly where your food is coming from. When you buy local you’re supporting sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
4. Recycle
Teach your kids to recycle by setting up different colored recycling bins in the home and show kids which types of items go in each bin and what is not allowed in the bins. Show them the labels on items that indicate the item is recyclable and make a game out of it so kids have fun learning. Recycle plastic grocery bags by taking them back to the grocery store and placing them in the appropriate bin and use recyclable shopping bags for your grocery runs.
5. Buy organic clothes
Organic kids clothes are chemical-free and safe for kids to wear and usually made of super soft fabrics. Wee Urban sells modern baby and toddler apparel made with organic cotton blends, low-impact dyes and trendsetting fabrics. They recycle their remnants and work with fair trade certified partners overseas. When your kids grow out of their clothing, donate them to second hand stores for another family to use.
6. Cleaning products
Making all-natural cleaning products at home is simple and safer for your family. You can use ingredients you already own like baking soda, lemon and vinegar for all-purpose cleaners that include no harsh chemicals. They will work just as good as the store-bought products and you’re saving much more money by making them yourself. If you opt for store bought cleaning products, Rockin’ Green eco-friendly laundry detergent and cleaning supplies are affordable and work extremely well.
7. Reuse water bottles
Reusable bottles are inexpensive and can be refilled over and over again to save you money from buying disposable water bottles. Instead of buying bulk packs of plastic water bottles that harm the environment, buy each member of the family their own individual, reusable water bottle.
8. Use less paper
You can use less paper by reusing paper for kids’ art projects, notes, making lists and more. Use old magazines to make fun collages and use old memos and note paper for kids to draw on. Keep a bin nearby for recyclable paper. Also, opt for dry-erase boards for writing down messages and notes to the family so you don’t have to use memo pads.
9. Plant a garden
Planting your own garden at home and growing fruits and vegetables can save you a lot of money and provides your family with healthy, nutritious food. You don’t need a big space to grow a garden and it has an immensely positive impact on the environment. You can use eco-friendly methods like composting and collecting water in a rain barrel to water your plants and to maintain your garden.
10. Use less water
You can use less water by cutting down on shower time. For every two minutes you cut down in the shower you conserve more than 10 gallons of water. It’s easy to cut down on time by installing a waterproof timer in your shower or you can just use a water-saving shower head. Another good idea is to shower during the warmest part of the day to reduce hot water use.
Holly MacLean is the founder of Wee Urban. To learn more about Wee Urban go to www.weeurban.com.
