Making Choices as a Family: Living Green

While most kids are actively learning about recycling and turning off the lights and water when not in use- it is more important now than ever to expand our efforts in making environmentally responsible choices. Our kids are watching us, and following our examples (for better or for worse) and with some effort we can change our habits at home and have a real impact on our children’s future. The world needs mainstream consumers to embrace small lifestyle changes in order to help reduce our environmental impact. Besides recycling, what else can families do to live green?

One of the main environmental problems is that the planet’s resources are not unlimited. We act as though there is a never-ending supply of energy and resources, when in fact they are finite. By changing just one simple habit within your family, you can make a big impact on your life and the world around you! Whether you change how you get to work or simply make different choices at the grocery store, picking one habit to change can reduce the waste getting thrown away in our landfills, plus reduce the waste of energy it took to create the product- and of course, directly benefit our environment. As parents make these small daily choices towards a greener life, we have the power to protect our Earth, and teach our children to follow in our footsteps.

Here are some ways our family has vowed to make choices that use less nonrenewable resources, so that we can lighten our impact. Pick one (or more!) of these green habits to add to your routine with your kids:

• Use cloth sandwich bags and reusable containers to carry your lunch
• When grocery shopping, choose food and beverage products with renewable packaging, like cartons made of paper from Tetra Pak
• Take shorter showers
• Bike or walk whenever possible
• Turn your thermostat down a couple degrees in winter and put on a sweater
• Swap your paper coffee cup for a mug
• Recycle old cell phones and electronics
• Take the Tetra Pak Happiness Quiz

If each family could change one habit, imagine the impact we would have on our planet! What are some steps you have taken with your family to live a more sustainable life?

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.