5 Unusual Ways to Become Eco-Friendlier

It’s difficult to deny that climate change is happening. Sea levels are on the rise, the weather has become wildly unpredictable, and we are starting to see water shortages across the globe. Only by changing attitudes and becoming eco-friendlier as a collective population can we stem the overwhelming tide of climate change. 

Many of us will already be doing a number of things to improve our carbon footprint and become eco-friendlier. From remembering to bring reusable bags when doing ou weekly shop to limiting the length of time we spend in the shower, even the smallest of changes can make a massive difference. 

However, while these more widely known tactics are great, there are also a number of lesser-known ways to become eco-friendlier which you likely won’t have heard of before. Here we shed light on some examples of these, helping you help us sustain the planet. 

Save on flushes

While on the theme of saving water, toilets use a crazy amount of water when they’re flushed. In fact, some older toilet models can use more than seven gallons of water on each flush. 

Fortunately, flush-saving devices like this one from Hippo can help to massively cut down on water use, ensuring you are doing your bit for the planet every time you visit the loo. 

Cardboard coffins

OK, so this one is slightly darker than the others on our list, but it’s still a fantastic idea. When somebody dies, they are usually buried in an expensive-to-produce wooden coffin that isn’t very eco-friendly at all. Now however, it is possible to use a variety of much more sustainable options, including cardboard coffins. 

This form of coffin can be made to the deceased person’s liking, featuring whichever style, imagery or design that they might like. Guernsey-based Creative Coffins, for example, manufacture their coffins using 98% cardboard – with 70% of which recycled from consumer waste. They also use corn starch glue and environmentally-friendly inks to produce the variety of unique designs on offer. 

Eco-friendly clothing

One of the easiest ways to become eco-friendlier is through the avoidance of brand-new clothes, instead opting to buy preloved alternatives. However, you can now take this one step further, by purchasing clothes, shoes and accessories that have been fully recycled. 

Many fashion brands already use environmentally-friendly materials and dyes in their garments, but it’s now possible to purchase clothes that have been upcycled, recycled or are even vegan-friendly. Each of these options is highly sustainable and will help ensure your wardrobe is doing its bit to sustain the planet. 

Edible/compostable utensils

The average individual throws away more than 15 tons of plastic from food packaging in their lifetime. Most of this won’t even get recycled, instead ending up as trash in the planet’s already substantially over-flowing landfills. 

While it may seem like a slightly silly idea, using edible or compostable utensils could actually make a big difference to preventing this level of wastage. You can even make your own with some pretty basic baking skills.

Eat less red meat

The UK throws away more than seven tonnes of food each year on average. This not only represents a huge waste of money, but it also contributes towards the overwhelming amount of carbon dioxide found in landfills. 

Therefore, limiting your food waste is incredibly important to reducing your overall carbon footprint. One of the best ways to do this is by cutting down on your beef intake, since its production typically uses 28 times more land and 11 times more water than other types of meat. 

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