More individuals are trying to live sustainably, and with good reason. Not only will it reduce your carbon footprint, but it also lowers your monthly expenses. Going green is pretty difficult to do alone, but it’s even more daunting to do as a family.
Family tends to get in the way of personal plans, so the only way to beat them is to join them — or at least, make them join you. Although it may seem complicated, it’s not impossible. This helpful guide will teach you how to slowly transition your family into a green lifestyle.
Install solar panels on your home
Solar technology is a self-sufficient and clean source of energy. Although solar installation can be a little costly, this is one purchase that you’ll get the best return on your investment for. You’ll save almost thousands of dollars on your monthly energy expenses since you’ll essentially be generating free power. Should you ever choose to sell your home in the future, you should know that homes with solar panels are also known to have higher property values and sell quicker than regular homes.
Go on Meatless Mondays
Processing livestock, such as poultry, beef, and pork, generates tons of greenhouse gases that are harmful to the environment. A diet that’s full of meat is also quite unhealthy since it increases your risk of heart disease, obesity, and cancer.
You don’t have to go completely meatless if your family isn’t already vegan or vegetarian. If your family finds it hard to transition, setting aside one day out of the week to cook only non-meat dishes for the entire family is a simple way to reduce your meat consumption.
Start a family garden
One activity that’s fun to do as a family is to start a family garden. Not only is it an enjoyable and relaxing activity for everyone involved, but growing your own produce means you can reduce the chemicals used on large commercial farms as well as the greenhouse gases emitted by transporting them to groceries and markets.
Remember the 3 R’s
Everyone knows the 3 R’s — reduce, reuse, and recycle. It’s a catchy little phrase that gets drilled into everyone’s heads to teach waste management. Reduce your waste output, reuse items whenever possible as opposed to purchasing new ones, and recycle what you can. Even as an adult, it’s a good thing to remember when trying to make eco-friendly decisions, and something that’s still worth passing down to your kids.
Talk it out
Sometimes, your family might not be as receptive to change because they just don’t understand the purpose of these adjustments. It’s important to be on the same page with your family regarding your concerns about the environment. Talk to your kids about climate change and instill in them a sense of wonder and respect for nature. They’ll be more likely to accept these changes if they understand why they’re necessary.
Making more environmentally-friendly decisions can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Just take it one step at a time and eventually your family will be living a sustainable lifestyle. These tips will help the transition go over quicker.
