Everyday things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint

In the face of climate issues across the globe, as a species, we must find ways to reduce our carbon footprint. If you’re unsure what this means, it’s essentially the total value of greenhouse gases produced via our actions, which in turn damages our planet. The only way to prevent further destruction is if we all make a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprint. This doesn’t necessarily mean doing anything too extreme, just a few simple changes to our lifestyle. If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint and impact on the environment, read on to find out four effective ways you can do so immediately.

Everyday Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Switch to renewable energy providers

Numerous energy providers in the UK are now offering customers greener tariffs. This means the electricity they provide is generated only from wind, solar, or hydroelectric energy. Not only will this reduce your environmental impact but it will also reduce your energy bills.

Depending on your property type and where you live, you could even install your own solar panels.

Avoid Driving As Often

Transportation is one of the largest contributors to global climate change, therefore we should be trying to make changes to the way we get around. While walking isn’t always possible, you could instead look to car share or use public transport.

If driving is unavoidable, take good care of your car, making sure the tyres are properly inflated and that any unnecessary weight is removed to improve fuel efficiency. Alternatively, you could invest in an electric or hybrid vehicle or even just drive occasionally, taking out day insurance for the duration to save on high insurance premiums.

Avoid Buying Fast Fashion

Yes, it may be relatively cheap and look good now but fast fashion quickly goes out of style - and where does it eventually end up? In landfills across the country. Over time, these items will produce harmful gases as they decompose, and the volume of clothing dumped in landfills will only increase if more people buy from these suppliers.

That’s not even taking into consideration the fuel used to transport the belongings. Instead, try to recycle unwanted clothing where possible and buy items from vintage shops.

Make Changes In The Home

You’d be surprised how much energy is wasted in the home by just carelessness. Just little things like switching off lights when leaving a room and unplugging devices when not in use can make a big difference. Changing your light bulbs to LEDs will also be beneficial, as they typically use a quarter of the energy of conventional bulbs.

Where possible, keep shower times to a minimum and use lower temperatures. The same goes for your washing; try to do larger loads to reduce frequency and wash at a lower temperature, such as 30 degrees. It is still recommended to wash things like bedding and towels on a higher heat though for health and safety.

If you really want to gain a better understanding of ways in which you use or waste energy, consider having an energy audit done. This will also identify ways you can be more energy efficient.