We’ve all heard about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling, but I have some surprising eco tips that will help you take your passion about saving the Earth one step further.
I love these tips because they’re practical and so underrated! Most of the time you think of recycling and compsoting as the only way to help the planet, but there are so many ways we can make a difference by changing small habits.
Have you heard of that quote about becoming 1% better each day?
“Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.” – James Clear
Although this quote applies to productivity, we can easily apply it to our eco habits as well. By making small, realistic adjustments in our lives and holding ourselves to improving just a little bit each day, each month, each year – we will become more conscious, save ourselves money, and improve our current environmental outlook.
Here are 10+ surprising eco tips you probably never knew about!
1. Pee in the Shower to Save Water
Yup, you read that correctly! It may be one of my surprising eco tips, but if you think about it, it makes sense. Every time you flush your toilet, you’re using water – dirty water is being taken from your toilet bowl to a wastewater treatment plant and fresh water fills your bowl. According to the EPA, a toilet alone can use 27% of indoor water use. If you’re already in the shower peeing in there can save a significant amount of water by reducing the number of toilet flushes you need each day!
2. Human Hair Can Help Clean Up Oil Spills
Oil spills are incredibly unfortunate, but because we are still so heavily dependent on fossil fuels, it is a consequence we continue to have to try to navigate. The largest oil spill in the United States happened in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of a massive spill at the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig by BP. Over 4 million barrels of oil flowed for 87 days from April 2010 – July 2010. It is no secret that we need to find ways to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and, in the meantime, one of the surprising eco tips what can help clean oil spills is using human hair.
Hair has a natural ability to absorb oil. Salons often collect human hair to donate for use in mats that soak up oil spills, helping to protect marine environments.
Related Post: Sustainable Hair Products For Curly Hair Your Whole Family Will Love: Plaine Products Review
3. Buy Single Bananas to Reduce Food Waste
A study found that the most wasted item in grocery stores is bananas. When you notice those lonely single bananas in the grocery store, grab them! Did you know those single bananas were the first ones to be thrown out? By purchasing them, you help reduce food waste!
4. Buy Intentionally to Decrease Returns Being Landfilled
Consider buying items intentionally and thoughtfully. This helps to minimize returns, which often end up in landfills due to return processing costs and logistics. More specifically, it typically costs the company about 66% of the product’s price to process a return. For most companies, that isn’t worth it. In 2022, 9.5 million pounds of returns ended up in the landfill. A good way to help buy intentionally is:
- having no buy days (weeks, months, or a year),
- tracking your spending,
- holding items in your cart for 14-30 days before purchasing to see if you really needed them or if it was just an impulse,
- and not going shopping when your emotions are heightened
5. Send Fewer Emails to Lower Your Carbon Footprint
Believe it or not, sending one less email each day can lower your carbon footprint. The energy used to send, store, and read emails contributes to carbon dioxide emissions. Make sure you share this tip with your co workers!
6. Reuse Unsalted Pasta Water to Water Plants
When you cook pasta, save the unsalted water and use it to water your plants. This water contains nutrients that are beneficial for plant growth.
7. Use Ceiling Fans to Circulate Air
Ceiling fans can help circulate air, reducing the need to overuse heating and cooling systems. This simple step can save a lot of energy and lower your utility bills. Don’t have a ceiling fan, try a simple box fan!
8. Use Power Strips to Easily Cut Off Power to Devices
Plugging devices into power strips allows you to cut off power to multiple devices at once when not in use, reducing phantom energy consumption.
9. Meal Plan with Follow Through to Reduce Food Waste
Meal planning isn’t just for organization—it’s a powerful way to reduce food waste. By planning your meals and sticking to the plan, you can make sure nothing goes to waste.
Related Posts: Here Are The 5 Best Plant Based Meals For Beginners So Tasty You Won’t Miss Meat
10. Reuse Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can be reused in so many different ways instead of just tossing them in the trash! Coffee grounds can be used to exfoliate you face, fertilize plants, and even used in the fridge to reduce odor!
11. Crush Up Egg Shells
Instead of simply tossing our egg shells, be a true eco-warrior by using those shells as fertilizer in your garden, to add to your compost, or as a slug repellant!
Which of these surprising eco tips will you start to implement?
If you have any other eco tips, share them in the comments or check out my community on Instagram!
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