10 Ways to Be Greener in 2014: Simple Adjustments Families Can Make
Ever wonder if you can be doing more to keep your family green? There are several ways for families to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle and by following these tips can even save families money. As a mom and maker of organic baby clothing, I’ve learned all the tricks. Here are 10 family-friendly ways to go green will help you do your part in helping the environment.
1. Replace brown paper bags with reusable lunch bags
Instead of sending your kids off to school with brown paper lunch bags, send them to school with reusable, eco-friendly bags. These bags are washable and have zippers to keep food and snacks contained. Use the see-through kind so you can see what’s inside. They can also be used at home for storing toys, hair accessories, school supplies and more.
2. Wash in cold water
A great amount of energy goes into heating water to use while doing laundry. Try to wash your clothes in cold water whenever you can in order to conserve energy. Also, consider using organic and eco-friendly laundry detergent, something are made with a biodegradable plant-based and petroleum-free surfactant. Be sure to use a kind that is septic and grey-water safe and never tested on animals. Many come in recyclable packaging and are gluten-free and vegan friendly.
3. Line dry your clothes
A clothes dryer may be convenient but it also results in an expensive electric bill. Start hanging your laundry on a clothes line to dry to cut down costs.
4. Use less gas
Instead of driving the car a few blocks away to go to the store, go for a walk! Carpooling with neighbors, taking public transportation and riding a bike are all ways to cut down on gas use.
5. Make your own cleaning products
You can save money on cleaning products and be environmentally responsible with some DIY cleaning supplies. For an all-purpose cleaner mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda in a quart of water and get ready to clean up spills.
6. Buy organic kids clothing
Organic kids clothes are chemical-free and safe for kids to wear and usually made of super soft fabrics. You can easily find modern baby and toddler apparel made with organic cotton blends, low-impact dyes and trendsetting fabrics. These manufacturers typically recycle their remnants and work with fair trade certified partners overseas. When your kids grow out of their clothing, donate them to second hand stores for another family to use.
7. Switch to cloth diapers
Cloth diapers are kind to baby’s skin and kind to the environment. Cloth diapers never get thrown away because you wash and reuse them as opposed to disposable diapers that get tossed away after one use. Rock-a-Bums are super cute cloth diapers that are fully reusable/washable to cut down on waste and save a lot of cash.
8. Remember to recycle
It’s so important to teach kids about recycling regularly to reduce waste. Set up differently colored recycling bins in your home and show kids what is recyclable and what is not and which items go in which colored bin.
9. Buy locally grown food
Buying local is a great way to save; food is fresher and tastes better. Plus, you’ll know exactly where your food is coming from. When you buy local you’re supporting sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
10. Turn off the lights
Sometimes kids and adults forget this one but it’s such a simple step to take that should not be overlooked. Remind kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room, and this goes for other things too like the TV and other electronics.
Written by Holly MacLean from Wee Urban
As a new mom, Holly was driven to start Wee Urban™ to offer the modern family a unique and fresh collection of eco-friendly baby gear and accessories that goes beyond the conventional and explores the exceptional! Tired of traditional pinks and blues and cute motifs, we offer sophisticated designs, “conscious” organic alternatives, practical functionality and superior quality. Using our custom certified organic cotton blends, low-impact dyes, and other trendsetting fabrics, we hope to inspire families to be make better choices and of course- do it all in urban style!
Beyond our organic cotton and azo-free dyes, Wee Urban uses 100% post-consumer packaging and tags for our Wee Dreams™ Sleep Bags. Our distinctive screen-printing is done with 100% eco-inks and are all phthalate free.
We also recycle our remnants and donate as much as possible to local elementary schools to help with arts and crafts programs.
Interested in writing a guest blog for Wee Urban? Send your topic idea to pr@weeurban.com.
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