Amy & Aron's

Talk About Recycling

Most households are recycling now so it’s becoming part of everyday life. However, even though most adults know how to recycle well, they don’t always talk about it with their children. Recycling is something children as young as two can start doing.

Talk about the different materials and where they should go to your young children. Allow them to help you with the recycling everyday so it becomes a habit for them too. You can even use the different colored bins to teach your children their colors.

Switch to Cycling

Cycling is great for the whole family. It’s a fun form of physical exercise that everyone can do outdoors but it’s also an ideal method of transport. If you want to reduce harmful emissions in your area, swap your car or the bus for a bike ride instead.

On dry, sunny days, it’s the perfect way to get your kids to school and get yourself to work. Alternatively, instead of going out in your car for a family adventure on the weekend, opt for going on a bike ride instead.

Check Your Windows

Your windows could be one of the main reasons why your energy bills are high. If your windows are old, they could be damaged or they may not be double glazed. This could mean you’re losing heat through your windows or there’s cold air getting in and making the rooms colder.

Ask your family and friends for a window replacement recommendation so you can get the best from your windows. This will also add value to your property in the long run.

Go Digital

Going digital does one significant thing for the environment- it reduces paper use. If you manage all of your accounts online, there’s no need for paper statements. There’s no need for sending letters if you can be reached by email.

There’s no need for teenagers or college students to complete assignments on paper if they can use online software instead. Even children who have just started school are learning to color pictures on an iPad to reduce paper use. If you can do it digitally, there’s no need to use paper.

Switch It Off

Everyone at home will need to get used to this new habit. It’s not just about switching lights off when you walk out of a room. Since we use so many digital devices, it can be difficult to remember to switch everything off but it can reduce household energy use.

Switch off all plug points that aren’t in use and remove phone or device chargers. Turn off computers rather than leaving them on standby. The same goes for TVs and gaming equipment.

Pack Your Own Lunches

Packing lunches for everyone can be time consuming but it’s definitely worth it. You’ll save money by not needing to hand out cash to kids buying lunches and you’ll save money on buying your own lunch too. In addition, you can reuse containers for packed lunches whereas you’re often buying single use plastic when purchasing lunch.

If you batch make dishes like pasta and rice, you won’t have to spend time making lunch for every member of the family every evening. Buy refillable water bottles for each person to avoid buying plastic bottle drinks every day.

Save Water

Each member of the family can do their part to save as much water as possible. It could mean taking less time in the shower or remembering to turn the water off when brushing teeth. It may mean using one sink full of water to wash a few dishes instead of putting the dishwasher on.

You can also buy water saving devices for your toilet to reduce the amount of water used per flush. Reducing your water usage will also help to reduce the costs you pay per year.

Sharing Is Caring

It's natural to want to go out and buy new things. However, getting second hand items is much better for the environment than buying new. If you have older children, try and keep some of their clothing items in good condition for your younger children.

It can also help to share devices like laptops, tablets, and gaming consoles. The less manufacturing done in the world, the better the quality of our environment.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats help you to keep an eye on your energy usage. You have complete control of the temperature in your home from your phone via an app. You can even set the temperature of each radiator in each room.

You can put the heating on in your home ready for any member of the family to get home from school or work on a cold day. It will help you to reduce your energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint. Any member of the family with the app can control your energy usage.

Create a Vegetable Garden

Gardening is something the whole family can do together and helps if you can eat the fruits of your labor. You can create your own compost from leftover food and use it to grow fruits and vegetables. You’ll need to do your research on the conditions each fruit and veg needs to grow.

It’s extremely satisfying growing your own food and knowing exactly how and where it was grown.

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