7 Wasteful Habits That Are Costing You Money And Hurting The Planet
Gone are the days where being eco-friendly meant being unstylish or wasting your money buying a whole lot of eco-friendly products. In today’s culture being a socially responsible person is both on trend, great for the environment and saves you cash.
Here are a few things that will up your green cred while ensuring you save a little extra moolah.
#1 Letting that tap leak
Not only is it annoying and unseemly, but a leaking tap can cause litres of water wastage a year which means money – especially if it is your hot water tap that’s dripping. Check out this guide on how to fix it yourself, and when it’s time to call a professional.
#2 Using paper or styrofoam cups
As Sarah Wilson says, ‘paper’ coffee cups are often lined with plastic and other nasties that are not biodegradable. This plastic sticks around long enough to out-live us. Disposable does not mean recyclable so invest in a Keep Cup today already, sheesh.
#3 Smoking cigarettes
We don’t need to preach here, but ciggies are bad for you in pretty much every way and the habit costs you a bunch of cash each month to maintain. What you might not know though, is they’re also not doing our environment any favours. They’re on of the biggest causes of littering, take a lot of paper to create, and are a big cause of deforestation in many third world countries. Boo ciggies, boo!
#4 Driving solo
Conservation recently wrote an article explaining how carpooling will save the world, but no one really wants to do it. The fact that cars are bad for the environment isn’t news to anyone, but consider how many dollars you’re likely to save by splitting petrol costs or hopping a bus or tram instead of driving solo. Does that sweeten the carpooling deal?
#5 Wasting food
We recently wrote an article on how to stop spending all your money on food and drink with one of the primary tips being avoiding food waste. Plan meals around what you have, and don’t forget to pack leftovers. There’s nothing sadder than having to bid adieu to food for lack of forethought.
#6 Using paper goods
As mentioned in point #2, a lot of ‘paper goods’ don’t just contain paper; there are usually binding agents that are extremely bad for the environment and cups have a thin plastic-based lining preventing them from being recyclable. It just adds so much unnecessary waste into landfill, when you could just use your ceramic variety. Luckily, no one looks good eating off a paper plate: fact.
#7 Not recycling
Most things you’re likely to trash could serve another purpose within your home or office, or you could make money by selling them. Speaking broadly, setting up a proper recycling system isn’t challenging and it will save you money in the long run. It’s crazy to think people aren’t recycling in their homes, so if you visit a mate and they don’t have a recycling bin, feel free to give them hell.