Pretty ProgressiveWhen we think of essential practices for creating a “greener” world, the three Rs tend to come to mind—reduce, reuse, and recycle. If we expand on that, what does it mean? Of course, conserve water and energy, recycle appropriate materials, and reuse what you can before buying a replacement. Let’s consider developing that basic concept further with a few easy ways to be more eco-friendly.
Use Natural Cleaners
Switching to more natural cleaning solutions is a great way to take steps toward a better environment. By doing so, you reduce the number of harmful chemicals you’re releasing into the environment. Reducing the use of smog-producing chemicals minimizes your impact on climate change and ozone depletion. Additionally, green chemicals often use recyclable packaging to reduce waste.
Drainage Solutions
By investing in green products, you help to protect the water system in your area. Often, when you need to get rid of dirty cleaner water or waste, you dump it and go. We think it’s OK to pour these chemicals down our drains and toilets because we have “utility sinks” or flush our natural waste.
Toilet water that contains natural waste goes through a filtration system that allows the city to repurpose it for irrigation. Other water goes through different processes to clean it for reuse. If we pour abrasive chemicals down our drains, it causes erosion damage and may not filter out of our freshwater supplies the way natural waste does.
Clean Up Messes Properly
We know how important it is to take care when disposing of chemicals inside your home, but the same rules apply outdoors. Ensure that you clean up messes such as oil spills the right way. Rinsing them off the driveway into the grass puts those chemicals into the water table. Instead, cover these spills with absorbent materials. Consider sopping up outdoor chemical spills with kitty litter or other agents that will absorb the mess so that you can sweep it up and throw it in the trash.
Urban runoff and hosing can collect impurities on their way to our commercial drainage systems. Cities spend a lot of time laying out appropriate drainage solutions to prevent collected water from mixing with unnecessary toxins. Be aware of the chemicals you use in your yard if you want to protect the grass, soil, and water.
It’s time to expand on the basic reduce, reuse, recycle principles. Those philosophies gave us our jump-off point as children when we began our journeys into environmental consciousness. Of course, every little bit helps. Continue to find easy ways to be more eco-friendly and help keep our planet intact and sustainable for generations to come.
