Ecology: our 7 ecofriendly tips easy to adopt
As you know, ecology has become one of the most important issues of our time. This is why, day after day, many individuals seek to get involved in an eco-responsible approach. Problem: the communication around ethical gestures and reasoned consumption is struggling to be implemented on a large scale.
Of course, knowledge of the major principles of over-consumption and waste is now widespread, but it is not always clear what behaviors to adopt to help protect the environment.
However, whether it is a question of cosmetics, hygiene or food, there are effective tricks that, if applied by the greatest number, would undeniably make it possible to move things forward. Here we present 7 tips to apply to live more ecologically on a daily basis.
1) Making homemade laundry detergent
Laundry is of course essential for a healthy lifestyle and cleanliness in general. But the products found in traditional trade are generally derived from industrial production processes that use environmentally harmful chemical components that can be dispensed with.
Indeed, you can follow a very simple recipe, like the one proposed by @juliepancakes, to make your own laundry detergent with soap to wash your clothes. In addition to the effectiveness of this natural product and its low cost, you will contribute to the reduction of waste, since you will avoid throwing away the plastic packaging of consumer laundry detergents.
Photo credits: Julie Pancakes, bananapancakes.fr
2) Creating a compost
With the same goal of reducing waste, one of the most popular practices is to create compost at home. This small facility allows you to recycle your organic waste into a natural fertilizer, which you can then use to grow your plants.
Whether you live in a house or an apartment, there are many solutions of different sizes, as is the case with this apartment compost, ideal if you live in the city and do not have a garden or a large surface area.
Photo credits: La Ptite Noisette, laptitenoisette.com
3) Favouring local markets
Consumption is one of the key points of the ecological transition. To fully take part in it, one of the behaviors to adopt is simply to turn to local producers, especially for food products. This will allow you to support the industries close to your home, while consuming quality products; this is the ethical approach that we advocate at Bhangara.
By buying our products from the producer, we avoid the use of multiple packaging along the distribution chain. Moreover, by choosing markets that are located on your daily commutes, you limit travel, thus reducing your carbon footprint day after day.
4) Growing your own vegetables in pots
Growing one's own vegetables has become more and more popular in recent years: there are many solutions. Whether you live in the city or in the country, whether you have a vegetable garden or not, know that you can grow a wide selection of vegetables directly at home. Here are a few ideas for potted plants that may help you.
In addition to eating quality food, you'll also reduce the amount of packaging available on the market, and you'll be assured that your own vegetables are free of harmful products, pesticide and herbicide residues.
5) Try batch-cooking
Batch-cooking is becoming more and more common in our homes. It simply consists of cooking dishes in large quantities and planning your meals over a long period of time (usually a week). Batch-cooking has several advantages:
- - you do your own cooking, and thus keep control over the ingredients used and their quality;
- - you use fresh products, which preserve nutrients and vitamins, while avoiding the use of preservative additives that are specific to prepared dishes;
- - you limit packaging and waste;
- - you optimize the time spent shopping or cooking on a daily basis.
To give you some ideas, you can easily find general recipes for a whole year on Sandra Thomann's blog Cuisine Addict, or even vegan menus on Marie Laforet's blog.
Photo credits: Sandra Thomann
6) Make your own shampoo
As with laundry, making one's own shampoo has a double interest for people who want to be part of an ecofriendly approach. It helps limit plastic consumption by reducing packaging, but it is also the best way to ensure that the ingredients used are less polluting than in the traditional industry. As a reminder, not only do we avoid applying harmful chemical substances to our bodies, but we also avoid spreading them into the environment where the extent of their impact is much more serious.
Homemade solid shampoos are one of the best known practices today. You can find a recipe for it here and experiment with it, as many people have already done. You will surely be amazed at how easy it is to prepare, how long a single lozenge lasts, how economical the basic ingredients are and, above all, how shiny and vital your hair is.
7) Use an ecological toothbrush and toothpaste
Among the daily gestures, it is impossible to overlook tooth brushing, which involves the use of toothpaste, of course, but also commercially available brushes, usually made of plastic. As a sign of your commitment to the environment, it is a good idea to choose a toothbrush made of bamboo, for example, or one with an interchangeable head, if you don't have one. You can even make your own homemade toothpaste by following this recipe proposed on the Alternativi.fr website.
In all cases, the objective is the same: to limit plastic consumption and favor natural and renewable materials and, ultimately, develop a less polluting lifestyle.
Photo credits: Alternativi.frEveryday life, the challenge of ecological transition
These few tips are just a sample of the behaviors that can truly lead to a successful ecological transition. Indeed, everyone, at his or her own level, must be able to make a contribution to safeguarding the environment. To do so, it is essential to question oneself about one's daily life and to be able to change one's habits.
Taking action may frighten some people, but it is important to remember that the first step is often the most difficult. If you are not yet comfortable with this idea, we advise you to adopt these new gestures little by little, to make the transition smoother and more fun.