How Can You Adopt A More Sustainable Lifestyle At Home And Work Today?
Sustainability is on everyone’s minds these days. Even with more of us having to work from home this year, consumers are more concerned about being green than they ever were. According to a study by Kantar, 65 percent of people thought sustainability should be a top priority. Another global study by Accenture showed that 60 percent are buying more eco-friendly products than before. With such a concerted effort to further a sustainable lifestyle going on around you, it’s easy to feel like you are not doing enough to contribute to the fight to save the planet. The good news is, your efforts to be more green do not always have to be time-consuming or expensive. In fact, there is a long list of habits you can adopt today to make a difference – both at home and work.
Swap To Eco-Friendly Home Cleaning Products On Your Next Cleaning Day
The average American spends an hour cleaning their homes every day. That’s seven hours each week ensuring your home is spick, span, and free from germs. They also spend a significant portion of their grocery budget on cleaning supplies each month. However, those cleaning agents are also filled with harmful pesticides – which aren’t good for the environment or for your health. This is even more cause to embrace sustainable disinfecting routines at home and at work. An easy change is to swap to green cleaning products on your next cleaning day. Instead of chemical-filled cleaning sprays, try buying cleaning products with the Green Seal or ECOLOGO. Alternatively, you can make cleaning solutions with natural ingredients at home, such as a degreaser made from lemons.
Go For A Packed Lunch With Reusable Containers From Your Grocery Shopping
While companies are trying to reduce plastic packaging, many of your everyday products now come in reusable containers. Since 2019, some of the largest companies, including Proctor & Gamble, Haagen Daz, and Nestle, have returned to the milkman model, where they now use reusable containers made of glass, steel or recycled plastic. For instance, in the grocery store, jarred sauces and spices are packaged in plastic or glass containers.
Instead of popping them in the recycling when you’re done, give them a good wash and use them as your work lunch container. Glass jars make great mason jars for drinks, or can be used to make layered salads in jars for work. It’s not just for food brands either. Health and beauty brands like shampoo manufacturers have also hopped on board. Considering that 80 percent of plastic waste ends up in landfills, and the significant role that grocery packaging plays in it, this is a great move.
Switch To Paperless Notes And Eco-Friendly Stationery In Your Home Office
With almost 71 percent working from home this past year, people and their employers have had to think about translating their eco-friendly work habits to their home offices. Before this, the weight was firmly on employers to implement green workplace policies. Now, it’s up to you to continue those habits in your home office, and a simple but effective way to do this is by swapping your stationery to recyclable or eco-friendly stationery. If you can, swap paper communications or notes for on-screen note programs or a whiteboard in your home office.
There’s a lot more that can be done for everyone to be more environmentally conscious. The good news is that most of these moves require little or no effort at all. And are easily adaptable to your everyday life. Whether you rethink your cleaning routine or get more use out of those glass jars after grocery shopping, the choice is yours. Take your pick, and make your effort to be more green your own.