As you know, the more you know (about environmental issues), the less... ordinary things appear in your everyday life. Shopping turns into a treasure hunt, the cosmetic bag is half empty, and the bright plastic colors almost completely disappear from the apartment.

I can't call myself a great role model. Whatever the image of the ideal "eco-man" (like maybe this girl Lauren, about whom we wrote, and who almost does not produce garbage), but I am, unfortunately, far from it. I have a lot more garbage than a couple of grams, I fly planes, I can turn on the air conditioner and theorize more than I do.

But I got some habits. And many of them took root and became part of my life because they were convenient and pleasant, and not just because they brought me environmental satisfaction (although this, of course, too).

So: my 15 eco-pieces. And one bonus. Post with pictures.

Chemical dishwashing detergents were among the first to leave my kitchen. I clean almost everything with baking soda and lemon. One day a friend bought me something at the supermarket and was given a mini bottle of stove cleaner. “Well, don’t throw it away,” I thought, and sprinkled it on the stove. For the next half hour, I ventilated the kitchen and couldn't stop rubbing my nose. Once you get used to the chemical smell of these liquids, it is very difficult to return to them.

Similar story with cosmetics. I myself make simple creams, lip balms, scrubs, and I wipe my face with rose water. Somehow, the rose water ran out, and I used the usual tonic, which remained in the closet. The face turned red and began to pinch. In just a few months, many components of this tonic have become too "strong" for the skin. I even have a special application installed on my phone (“SkinDeep”). It scans creams, shampoos, lipsticks and talks about carcinogen components.

Without leaving the topic of cosmetics. Not using plastic, or even using less plastic, is a surprisingly difficult task. All packed, boxed and wrapped. Therefore, the following three items are my “no-package” products that I found in Lush (but I think they are in other companies in the world). For example, dry shampoo.

Dry deodorant. But I want to learn how to make my own deodorants. None of the ready-made ones suited me especially.

Dry toothpaste. She always raises the most questions. I really like these pills and a simple cardboard box. Especially when traveling.

Bamboo toothbrushes soon arrived for the paste. They decompose, along with the bristles, the box, and even the cellophane they were wrapped in. When I discovered them, I had a forgotten shopping itch. So I bought them for myself a year in advance.

For girls. In fact, I've always been terrified of just how much I'm throwing away each month. And the world, it turns out, has been using the mooncap for a long time.

Without packaging, I try to look not only for cosmetics. But I'm also going. It turns out that a lot of things are sold by weight. The second option is to buy large bags and bottles "in reserve".

Let's continue the fascinating topic "not plastic, but wooden." So my favorite wooden glasses came to me ...

Wooden comb…

And wooden (ahead of the question: certified) toys. I also have a wooden flash drive. At the sight of her, knowing my anti-plastic quest, my friends often roll their eyes, but I really like her.

Everyone has already read about plastic bottles. But the more I learn about them, the more this whole bottled story scares me.

In fact, I have the most problems with the mass market. I no longer buy clothes from huge retailers after reading a little more about where and how they make inexpensive synthetic sweaters. Therefore, I go almost exclusively to second-hand stores (and stores like Humana in Berlin help me out for years to come) ...

Or I'm looking for rare unusual things made from recycled materials, garbage, eco-leather, and so on. In the picture - favorite paper sneakers that became "famous" after the EcoCup in St. Petersburg.

They gave me a solar charger for my phone. She works like that. But the gift set me up to look for home tesla generators or home solar panels. Let's see what happens.

And finally. Bonus. Bicycle photo. But I really just love bikes, without any ulterior eco-thought.

What eco-habits do you have?

The list was compiled by Anastasia Laukkanen.

Energy savings, smart shopping, small sacrifices and ingenuity - short list everyday habits that will help save the planet.

At home

1. Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. This saves 10,000 liters of water per year.

2. Instead of a bath, which requires 150 - 200 liters of water, it is better to take a shower (30 - 50 liters). This will be better for the environment and for your blood circulation.

3. In order not to buy plastic bottles, purchase a filter for purifying tap water.

4. Do not overheat housing. Install a thermostat to keep the temperature normal: 16°C in living rooms, 19°C in other rooms. Lowering the temperature by 1 degree can reduce energy consumption by 7%.

5. Replace ordinary light bulbs with energy-saving ones that consume 5 times less electricity. These lamps are more expensive, but will last you longer.

6. Don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave the room. The same applies to electrical engineering - TV, computer, CD/DVD player. Even in standby mode, they consume about 10% of electricity.

7. Defrost your freezer regularly. A layer of ice only 4 mm thick increases energy consumption by 2 times.

8. Instead of liquid detergents, use washing powders without phosphates or, even better, soap nuts. This organic product gently removes impurities and is suitable for repeated use.

9. Do not be lazy to sort garbage for subsequent processing of household waste.

In the shop

10. Give up plastic bags in favor of durable and roomy eco-bags. The process of biodegradation of plastic lasts more than 400 years.

11. Shop for seasonal, local produce. This will help reduce the environmental pollution produced by the long-distance transportation of exotic fruits.

12. Recycle packaging such as liquid soap and shower gel dispensers.

13. Buy reusable organic diapers. An average of 5,000 regular diapers is used per child, and they take 300 years to decompose.

14. Buy organic products labeled with special labels - Ecocert, EU Ecolabel, AB, Grüne Punkt, Green Seal, etc.

At work

15. Try to print documents less. Use the back of printed sheets as a draft or for internal communications.

16. Encourage your business to go green - use air conditioning and heating wisely, recycle paper, donate old computer equipment to charities, purchase rechargeable stationery, cartridges and batteries.

17. Avoid plastic cups. Have each employee drink coffee from their own personal mug.

In transport

18. Take long train rides. This type of transport emits ten times less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than an airplane or a car.

19. The most environmentally friendly way to cover short distances is with your own feet. Walking is good for both the planet and health.

20. Switch to the car pool method - car sharing for city trips. You can cooperate with relatives, friends or work colleagues. Today, there are an average of 1.2 people per car.

Anna Gogoleva

Depositphotos/WDGPhoto

Many have seen in the press and the Internet messages about the deterioration of the ecology of our planet. Every year there is more and more such information: forests are disappearing, deserts are conquering more and more territories, rivers and lakes are drying up, the ocean is losing its biological capabilities, landfills are multiplying around our cities, and the air is spoiled by car exhausts and factory chimney emissions. How can one inhabitant of the planet influence this global problem?

The ecological efforts of one individual may seem insignificant, but if the number of people who adhere to the ecological concept constantly increases, then over time the situation may turn around and improve. Today we will try to give some general guidelines that will help in the acquisition of eco-habits.

Starting with the Basics

If you are interested in the problem and are reading these lines, then you are not indifferent to the fate of the Earth. You can change this world with your little efforts, make nature a little better. Eco habits are made up of simple things that are not hard to do, but they will bring great benefits.

Eliminate plastic

Do not use disposable plastic products for personal purposes: bags, dishes, food storage containers. Not everyone can immediately abandon the usual items, but it is already possible to reduce their number to a minimum. To do this, you can take bags from home for packing and carrying to the store or take a fabric bag with you. These bags are convenient and do not take up much space. They can even be folded into a women's handbag.

It is a little more difficult to get rid of plastic containers in which food is sold or stored. To reduce the consumption of plastics, you should buy products by weight. It concerns raw vegetables, fruits, berries. Instead of ready-made preserves and salads, it is better to buy products and cook them yourself at home. These habits will not only improve the environment, but also reduce the cost of purchases. Ready packaged food usually costs more. Do not forget about the shelf life and the possibility of a trade trick, so it is better to buy products by weight. Packages, by the way, often cost money too. Disposable dishes are completely replaced by ordinary ones, which you just have to wash and not throw away.

Save water

In order to use less water, you need to adhere to simple rules:

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and shaving;

The dishes should be washed in several passes: pour water into the sink or basin, add detergent, wash the dishes, rinse running water;

It is better to wash with a machine when a certain number of things have collected.

Getting rid of disposable batteries

When there are many devices in the house that need AA batteries, it is difficult to do without them. If you do not buy them, then they will simply stand idle. Do not forget about the harm that batteries thrown into the trash bring to nature. How to proceed?
The first step is to take care of replacing conventional disposable batteries with rechargeable ones. They are more expensive, but after a while they will pay for their costs.

If simple batteries have already been bought, then after the expiration of their use they do not need to be thrown into the trash, but it is better to collect them in a separate box. After a sufficient amount has been collected, they must be taken to the hazardous waste terminal. Today there are such places in almost every city.

No need to buy extra stuff

Sociological polls show an increase in the intensity of purchases of things for various purposes by our citizens, many of which then lie idle. Before going to the store, you should think about the appropriateness of a future purchase and not make purchases at random.

In order to realize the uselessness of a new dress or shoes, it is worth dividing its cost by an hourly salary. Thus, you can see how much life on the robot is spent on the purchase. Is she worth the time?

If you want to have constantly new things, then you should pay attention to second-hand stores. There are options for the exchange of ready-made clothes through communication on forums or meetings. Shops have already appeared that exchange old things for new ones and you can use their services.

No need to buy drinks in plastic containers

In addition to harming one's own health, plastic pollutes the environment. Even after a thousand years, future archaeologists will be able to admire plastic bottles. Glass or metal containers can be handed over at collection points and they will be recycled.

We save electricity

Everything is very simple here. It is necessary to replace the old familiar light bulbs with modern saving ones. If you plan to purchase appliances or other equipment that consumes electricity, then you need to choose among economical ones. They differ in the energy saving class. If in this moment no one uses the appliance, then you need to unplug it from the outlet. The same goes for lighting in rooms.

If you use our advice for a long time, as well as introduce friends, relatives, neighbors to them, then by joint efforts you can make our planet cleaner and the world a better place. For starters, you should start with yourself and try.

TO unfortunately, our children will have to live on an even more “neglected” planet. And if we can still afford to be negligent in some places environment then they are gone. To instill in them the right attitude to the planet and to their health is an excellent investment in their future. Here are the most useful habits of the future.

save water

At a minimum, you can teach your child to use a glass of water while brushing their teeth, and not pour water in vain. As a maximum, teach him to take a shower instead of a bath, do not pour water while washing dishes and cook vegetables in a small amount of water. Let these habits enter tightly into your life together!

Switch off the light

Teach to do this every time the child leaves the room. The action is simple, but saves quite a lot of electricity.

Go to the store with an eco-backpack

Sew or buy a special backpack that will be dearly loved by the child. Teach him to take his bag with him to the store for shopping. In the store, give the child the opportunity to fold their own products, and take them apart at home. You will not notice how this process will captivate the baby, and the idea of ​​​​refusing plastic bags becomes self-evident to him.

drink water

We must take care not only of nature, but also of ourselves. The habit of drinking water in the morning and throughout the day instead of packaged juices and teas is fundamental for people leading healthy lifestyle life. Drink yourself a glass of water with lemon on an empty stomach and offer it to your child. It will start all the processes in the body and improve digestion.

Take care

About people, animals and plants. Even a daily routine in the form of watering flowers on the windowsill will help raise a caring person, because the child will feel responsible for someone else's life. For the same purpose, get a pet (of course, if the child asks for it himself) and transfer the care of it entirely (or partially) to the baby. Such a caring child in the future will become compassionate, loving and responsible not only for himself. But also for our planet.

turn on fantasy

Teach your child to reuse things in games. Cardboard boxes, milk bags, egg shells and more can give your child a few hours of great time. A house for dolls, applications, puzzles, a mosaic, a sorter - this is only a small part of what can be created from seemingly unnecessary items. Read how to give a second life to things to throw away, and later do not be surprised if a talented inventor, architect or engineer grows out of your child.

Use 2 sides of paper

When your child is old enough to be a printer, show them how to print on 2 sides. Surprisingly, even many adults do not know how to do this, and in the meantime, a simple action will greatly reduce the young student's paper waste (not to mention the benefits for the planet). Top eco-aerobatics - use unnecessary printouts for papier-mâché crafts. Give waste-free production!

Take out a rubbish

It seems that all parents teach this, but why then do we still live in dirty cities? May you not get tired of repeating that you need to throw candy wrappers in the trash every time, may your child not be ashamed to take part in subbotniks! Lay the foundations of cleanliness and accuracy - and enjoy the fruits!

Swap books and toys

The scourge of our society is overconsumption. This is especially true for children's products. Tons of toys bought by parents, who have become unloved, are daily taken out to the trash heaps. Teach your toddler to sort toys once a month or two. Let him put aside those that he is tired of, and, if necessary, exchange them with a friend (it is necessary to agree with other mothers about this). After a while, you can change back. The toy cycle will keep your little one interested and help reduce the budget for baby purchases.

Buy quality items

The habit of buying quality items is also very useful. Things like this don't go out of style any longer. appearance, do not fade, do not stretch. So your child will wear them longer. For example, PlayToday clothes are ready to please the child until he grows out of them.

It's time! The store site not only discounts up to 70%, but in honor of the renaming. But we must hurry - high-quality clothing ends very quickly!