Environmental protection has been an issue for years. Because many of our ways of life have a negative impact on our environment. To change that, we have collected simple tricks to protect the environment in the home and in everyday life. This allows you to make your life more sustainable and protect the environment every day in the future.
Many people want to do something good for the environment. But don’t know exactly what helps. It doesn’t always have to be a hybrid car or a solar system on the roof, even small changes in your everyday life can have a big impact.
What is environmental protection?
In today’s world we have to deal with a variety of environmental problems. These include climate change, water scarcity, and air pollution. And also famine, species extinction, plastic waste etc. The causes of the environmental problems are well known. These include a growing world population, increased consumption of resources and our consumer behavior. In order to eliminate or counteract these problems, we must protect our environment. This is the only way we can protect our planet for our children. In the following video you can see the two scenarios of what our future world could look like.
Protect and protect the environment in everyday life
It turns out that environmental protection is very important. Global action is essential. And politicians also have to initiate a few things here. But you too can protect the environment in your everyday life and household with simple tricks. With this you can do something good for the environment and your children and do your part to limit environmental problems. At the same time, you can also save money. Also read our tips for saving money in the household.
1) Buy the right way and protect the environment
What does real shopping mean? Now we can already protect the environment when shopping. Because not all products that we find in the supermarket are good for the environment. Some have been transported long distances or their production caused a lot of greenhouse gases. That’s why we’ve put together an overview of the most important shopping tips. In addition, read our savings tips when shopping.
- Shop local. Because products from the local area save transport routes and consequently greenhouse gases. You also support regional producers.
- Buy seasonal groceries. Non-seasonal produce must be flown in from abroad or grown in heated greenhouses. And that causes more CO2 emissions.
- Eat more vegetables than meat. Since the production of meat and dairy products produces more greenhouse gases, it is advisable to eat mostly vegetarian food.
- Pay attention to organic quality. Organic products come from organic farming. And this is more compatible for our environment than the other productions.
- Plan your purchases well. A meal plan can also ensure that you throw away less or that the food goes bad. This saves you money and doesn’t take up unnecessary space.
- Drink more tap water. Since our tap water is usually of good quality and is available in one way or another, it saves unnecessary transport routes. If you can’t do without carbon dioxide, buy a bubbler for at home.
- Also, read about the advantages of a soda maker.
2) Environmental protection by avoiding plastic
When shopping, you can also make sure that you buy food and products with little packaging waste. Because many products are packaged unnecessarily. You should definitely avoid plastic. As a result, we have collected some tips for you on avoiding plastic in everyday life. Please also note our ideas for making your own shower gel without plastic, making your own deodorant without aluminum, and making your own natural cosmetics.
- Avoid microplastics in cosmetic products. Buy certified natural cosmetics instead.
- Use clothes for a long time or buy second-hand.
- It is best to use your own reusable bottle.
- Avoid unnecessary single-use plastic products.
- Go shopping with fabric tote bags.
- Avoid to-go drinks.
- Buy fruit and vegetables in bulk.
- Visit stores without packaging.
- Separate the garbage at home.
3) Protect the environment while doing housework
There is hardly any other area where you can do so much for the environment as with housework. And this starts with the right cleaning agents. Because many of these chemical compounds are harmful to the environment and can even get into the groundwater. Therefore, you should use sustainable cleaning products based on natural substances in the household and thus protect the environment. Consequently, you can use the following home remedies and tips to clean your apartment:
- Use of baking soda in the home.
- The popular baking powder for cleaning.
- Natural cleaning with the household remedy vinegar.
- Clean with citric acid.
- Make your own natural detergent.
4) Save money and energy in the household
You can also save a lot of water and electricity if you don’t wash your dishes by hand and fill the dishwasher completely. Furthermore, modern dishwashers have functions that can be used to save water. Exactly the same is also available for the newer washing machines so that only a fraction of the water originally consumed is used. You should also remove limescale from your devices. Since heavily calcified devices eat up more energy. Read our instructions for descaling the kettle and our article for descaling the washing machine and dishwasher. Also, read our detailed tips on saving electricity. Other tips are:
- Pay attention to an energy efficiency class A for electrical appliances.
- Possibly change the electricity provider – use green electricity.
- You should always turn off your standby devices.
- When boiling water in a pot, the lid should be on.
- When showering, you can lower the number of degrees a little.
- Instead of a tumble dryer, let your laundry air dry.
- Avoid using a hairdryer for long periods of time.
- Use washable handkerchiefs instead of paper handkerchiefs.
- Make sure you ventilate properly.
- Defrost the freezer and refrigerator regularly.
5) More sustainability when cleaning
In times of increasing environmental awareness, many also want to pay attention to ecological aspects in the household. A topic that should not be underestimated is sustainability when cleaning. Because the cleaning agents available in large numbers contain harmful surfactants and substances from petroleum that get into the wastewater. Consequently, they harm aquatic life and the environment. It can also cause skin irritation and allergies.
