Eco-Friendly Habits at Home

Today, people all around the world celebrate Earth Day to inspire awareness and appreciation for the environment. April 22, 1970 gave the birth to the first Earth Day through the leadership of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.

Earth Day in the Philippines started on the mid-90s. But back then, it was nothing more than a holiday for average Filipinos. It took us years before we realized that our planet is indeed ailing and needs help.

Being frugal mom and an advocate of saving our environment, I teach my family, especially my kids some eco-friendly habits we can do at home. Save the Earth, save money too!

While it is convenient to take a car, I prefer to go on foot if my destination is only a few blocks away. Aside from saving gas, I also take it as an opportunity to exercise because I sit in front of my computer most of the time.

My primary concern at home is plastics. I understand plastics are non-biodegrable so we use plastics at minimum. Whenever I go to market, I use a bag made of sack where I put all the dry goods that I bought, such as fruits and vegetables. I also buy kitchen items in bottles, not plastic containers.

Need a little cash? I get money from my trash. As the old adage goes, "May pera sa basura." (Translated: "there is money on garbage.") As I have mentioned earlier, I buy stuff in bottles. I keep the empty bottles and cans of my kids' milk and sell them on the junk shop nearby.

I also teach my kids to turn off all unused lights and appliances. When they leave the room, they need to turn off the light and the fan they used. When we leave the house, my eldest son unplugs the fan in the bedroom while my second son unplugs the TV and the fan in the living room. It lowers our electricity bill. At the same time, it also reduces the use of nonrenewable sources of energy.

I also teach my family to go lean and green. We all know that vegetables are good for our body... but people do not realize that the habit of eating vegetables is also eco-friendly! Meat production has a very large impact on our environment. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, animals generate almost 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, I make sure I serve one or two meatless meals in a week. We do not wait for the Lent season and Holy Week to go meatless. I also buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. I also have my own mini-herb garden.

There are other innumerable ways we can do to protect and save the Earth. What eco-friendly habits do you practice at home?

Filed Under: Earth Day, eco-friendly, save the Earth