There are many ways to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly within your home and outside of it. Although change can be hard, these tips for being eco-friendly are relatively simple and will make a big difference.

Reduce Single-Use Plastics

Reducing your use of single-use plastics is a great way to start your journey to being more eco-friendly. Within your personal life, household and work life, there are plenty of ways that you can begin to reduce your single-use plastic consumption. First of all, what are single-use plastics? Sometimes referred to as disposable plastic, single-use plastic is plastic that is only intended to be used once before being thrown out or recycled. You probably encounter a lot of single-use plastics every day that you aren't aware of. Plastic bags at the store, plastic straws at restaurants or coffee shops, soda or water bottles and take out containers are just a few examples of single-use plastic.

Thankfully, today's world has a lot of new and innovative replacements to reduce single-use plastics. At the grocery store, consider investing in reusable grocery bags to replace the single-use plastic bags at the register. You can even purchase reusable bags that have built in insulation for refrigerated or frozen items. You can also purchase mesh bags online to replace the plastic bags that grocery stores provide for produce. Although you may not have enough bags to completely rid yourself of single-use plastic bags, even bringing along one or two reusable bags will make a big difference.

When you do get a single-use plastic bag, save it for dog or cat waste. Many stores also have designated bins you can recycle your bags in. Other single-use plastics have feasible alternatives as well. Consider a portable silicone straw to bring along to restaurants that don't have other options. Many big retail stores now sell reusable plastic bags to replace single-use zip lock bags. These also end up being more cost-efficient; it's a one-time purchase of the reusable zip lock bags compared to purchasing boxes of single-use zip lock bags multiple times a year.

Strive For Energy Efficiency

Did you know greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels is one of the top contributors to global warming? Clean energy is a great way to help reduce your own carbon footprint and reduce your role in greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in solar panels for your home is one of the most impactful and cost-efficient ways to make the switch to clean energy. This is because solar panels utilize light from the sun to create energy for your home. It's a renewable energy source and is less impactful on the environment than other popular energy sources like fossil fuels. Other examples of renewable energy include geothermal energy, bio gas and wind. Solar panels can also help you lower your energy bill and save you some money in the long run.

If you're not in the market for solar panels, there are many other ways to be energy-efficient. Using natural sunlight instead of artificial lighting is another way you can reduce energy consumption. Natural light can come from windows during the day, but you can also use light sources like candles when it gets darker. Natural light is beneficial because it not only lowers your electricity bill, but also reduces the possibility you accidentally leave lights on when you leave a room or leave the house. In addition, getting more sunlight during the day can increase your vitamin D levels and improve your mood.

A fairly new invention that can help you be more energy efficient and help the environment is energy-saving light bulbs. They're different from other light bulbs because they last up to 12 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb. Another popular alternative is compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or CFLs. However, CFLs contain a potentially dangerous vapor that makes them difficult to throw out. Instead, try an LED light bulb. LEDs also have a low energy consumption, but are safer and easier to dispose of than CFLs.

Reduce Waste In the Kitchen

Even if you're being more mindful of your single-use plastic consumption, there's probably still a lot of waste in your house that can be prevented, especially in the kitchen. Between paper towels and napkins, plastic containers and food scraps, it's easy to just chuck it all in the trash can. However, there's a much more eco-friendly way to clean up in the kitchen. Composting is one of the easiest ways that you can reuse your food scraps instead of just tossing them out. Composting uses food scraps mixed with other organic earth materials to create a soil conditioner. Composting also means you don't need as many chemical fertilizers, which can also harm the environment.

Keep your compost pile in a safe and dry spot outside your home. Mix food scraps like fruit rinds, coffee grounds, cereal or dry pet food, with twigs, leaves and grass clippings. Alternate moist and dry ingredients in the pile and add manure to speed up the process. Be sure not to compost any meat products, dairy items, fats or oils. Paper goods and other products, such as aluminum foil and paper towels, can be another big source of waste. Instead, look online for beeswax wraps, which can help preserve food and replace plastic wrap when keeping food in the refrigerator. You can also buy reusable fabric napkins or paper towels to not only help the environment, but also cut down on costs.

Go Local

There are a lot of ways to help the environment inside the home, but where you buy products can also make an impact. Consider shopping at a local farmer's market or joining a co-op. Buying local not only supports your community, but also ensures that your produce doesn't have any unnecessary or harsh chemicals in it. Getting your produce and food locally also ensures that your food doesn't have a long trip to get to you, reducing unnecessary plastic packaging and shipping or travel costs.

Even if you just implement one small change in your daily life, it can help reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet.