People are becoming increasingly more aware of environmental issues.
Organic produce is on sale in ever-increasing segments and issues like global warming are on everyone’s lips. Environmental protection is no longer the sole domain of hippies and we should all be doing something towards conserving our only home.
The trouble is, it’s so darn expensive to convert to eco-friendly alternatives. So, I have put together a few environmentally friendly ideas that don’t break the bank.
Ideas that are free:
Recycling
This is so easy to do. I have two bins in my kitchen; one for regular junk and one for recyclables. Put all paper, plastic, Styrofoam, glass and tins into the recycle bin. The only work involved is to rinse the food out of the containers or packaging so that there’s no smell. Also, fold the items as small as possible so that they don’t take up too much space. Some municipal areas collect recyclable material separately, but for those municipalities that don’t, use a pick-up service. They are really affordable. Try www.nostandingrecycling.withtank.com.
Composting
If you are lucky enough to have a garden, find a spot where you can deposit all of your veggie peels and food scraps into a homemade compost heap. If you like you can purchase composters, which make the process easier. The combined effect of recycling and composting will shrink your monthly contribution to landfills by 70% to 80%. I now only throw my single rubbish bag out once a month, and of course it doesn’t smell (all smelly stuff goes to the composter!).
Consume less
Where possible re-use items until they fall apart. Save paper by using the blank side of printed matter for notes. Reuse your shopping bags until they break and then put them in the recycle bin. Better yet, buy material shopping bags and don’t use plastic ones. You can save 36 cents per bag not used (or re-used), but the real saving is less plastic in landfills and less oil resources used to make plastic bags. Always ask “Do I really need this?” before buying clothes, appliances, toys, magazines, etc. as we get used to buying all these “things” in excess. How many of us have an “appliance graveyard” in our kitchen cupboards or have clothes that we never wear filling up our closets? Use a good old-fashioned lunch box instead of plastic bags for sandwiches.
Cycle or run to work
With high petrol costs and environmental damage from car emissions, bikes are becoming a more attractive form of urban transportation. Cleaner air, reduced traffic congestion, and lower noise levels are just a few of the benefits. Add to that the savings on a gym contract you no longer need and the healthcare savings because you are now fitter and less prone to common illnesses!
Ideas that save you money anyway:
Save water
Only shower once a week — no I’m kidding! But showering instead of bathing saves water, especially if you use a water-saving shower head and keep the shower as short as possible. Use indigenous plants in your garden, they need less watering. Be brave enough to let your lawns die off in the dry season, or use your recycled bath water to keep them green.
Save electricity
The biggest electricity consumer in the house is the geyser. If possible, switch it off when it’s not in use. Insulating geyser blankets combined with a lower heat setting (60ºC) greatly reduces consumption. The second biggest user of electricity is the fridge. Take care not to leave the door open for too long and defrost the freezer section regularly. Hang your washing out to dry instead of using a tumble dryer. Only iron your clothes if they really have to be ironed.
Make your own cleaning products
There are many recipes online for cleaning products made out of natural substances, such as vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, that do not harm the environment. A Biowash Ball used in your washing machine instead of soap can be used 1 000 times before a new one is needed. These balls cost about R140 at Pick n Pay supermarkets. Imagine that, 1 000 washes for R140 and NO water pollution!
Use a lift club
If you travel too far to walk or cycle to work, try to organise a lift club. Share those burdensome carbon emissions.
Use electronic media more
Books and magazines can be read online, no printing necessary. Bank statements, car finance statements and many other accounts now have the option of being emailed to you, saving paper. Music can be downloaded to iPods, preventing the need for plastic CDs & covers. A free, animated, highly amusing birthday card (and all other occasions) can be emailed to friends, saving paper and postage. You can even use creative and gorgeous e-invites for wedding invitations, christenings and other functions. Using electronic media not only saves paper and plastic but also reduces the costs and carbon emissions of distribution.
Grow your own vegetables
Planting seeds and watching them grow can be a very rewarding exercise, especially for children. You can get your own organic produce at a fraction of the cost, and once again, no distribution pollution as there is no need to transport produce first to markets and then to outlets. All seed packets come with full instructions, which include what season to plant the seeds in, whether the plant likes full sun or shade and how deep to cover the seed with soil. It’s almost idiot-proof!
Say no to bottled water
As South Africans most of us are very lucky to be able to drink tap water, even if it tastes a little like chlorine. If you must drink filtered water, then either buy big bottles (and that also applies to fizzy drinks and fruit juice) or filter it at home. The production process for bottled water uses three full bottles of water to produce one bottle of water. What a waste! Plastic packaging and carbon-emitting distribution adds to the pollution over and above the millions of plastic bottles that end up in landfills. If you want to save money, consider this fact: bottled water costs on average R2,38 per litre, compared to R0,16 per litre for filtered tap water.
Ideas that are affordable:
Purchase gifts that are eco-friendly
You are going to spend the money anyway, why not make sure that you help the planet at the same time? There are many websites you can use to buy eco, organic, recycled and sustainable products online but a simple plant or tree is earth-friendly too.
Make new purchases eco-friendly
When it’s time to buy a new car, geyser, washing machine or fridge, make sure you buy an eco-friendly one. Consider replacing your geyser with a solar option. The cost of installing a solar geyser varies between R12 000 and R35 000 depending on the size, type, and source (whether it is imported or locally manufactured). The rebate Eskom is willing to pay consumers to go solar is between 15% and 30% depending on the equipment’s energy-savings capabilities. A geyser uses between 30% and 50% of the electricity used in a home. Typically, taking overcast weather and usage patterns into account, 70% of this energy can be saved by using a solar system. Investigate Eskom’s rebates at www.eskomdsm.co.za.
Cook with a hotbox
A what? A hotbox uses the principle of insulated cooking. First you heat the food on a regular stove. Once heated you place the pot into the hotbox, containing the heat. No replacement heat is necessary to complete the cooking process. Salathiso, a women-empowerment company based in Cape Town, produces hotboxes and they can be contacted on 021 712 6424 or [email protected]. A hotbox from Salathiso costs R140 (other types cost a bit more — google “hotbox” to find some). If used often, it will save you far more than you would have used in electricity.
Insulation
I’ve already discussed insulating your geyser, but installing ceiling insulation saves lots of money over time on both heating and cooling costs.
Change all light bulbs to CFLs
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) only consume 20% of the electricity that an incandescent globe would use. In addition, they also last between six and 12 times longer than traditional globes.
There is so much you can do to help protect the environment without spending a cent. Begin by simply changing habits and then slowly incorporate a better way of spending your hard-earned cash. You, the consumer, have the power in your purse to make a very tangible difference.
Jillian Kipling is an acsis financial planning coach
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