We live in a consumer-driven capitalist society. While our economy provides all kinds of wondrous products, it also has an impact on the natural world. Creating cheaper products is good for the consumer in the short-run, but it isn’t always good for your wallet or the environment.
Sustainably-made products may cost more at first, but with environmental issues like climate change coming to the forefront of our consciousness as an existential threat to humanity, we will be forced to become more sustainable in what we buy and how we produce energy. It is all connected. The benefit is that when you purchase sustainable products, they often provide a way to lower your energy costs in efficient and reusable ways.
Hygiene and Cosmetics
Two of the most wasteful industries are hygiene and cosmetics. Make-up has one the worst records in animal testing. Hygiene products lead to a lot of pollution. Luckily a zero waste store can provide the necessary sustainable alternatives to avoid these kind of damaging products. You’ll find eco-friendly toothpaste, organic soap, bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo toilet paper, and much more. These products are sometimes more expensive, but they will become more affordable as time goes on.
Household Products
Like bathroom products, there are eco-friendly products for the rest of the house. Like toilet paper, there are bamboo paper towels, plant-based cutlery, and environmentally sound straws. Organic dish soap and eco-friendly washer detergent aren’t just better for your skin, they are better for the environment. Wool dryer balls decrease the amount of time you dry your clothes, which lowers your energy bills and therefore mitigates your carbon footprint. If you can imagine an environmental equivalent to a household product, odds are that it exists and that there is a high-quality alternative to damaging traditional products.
Smart Appliances
You’ll have to spend more money on smart appliances, but they are an investment that will make a difference over time. Everything from refrigerators to dishwashers to dryers are available in “smart” equivalents. You can even get a smart water heater that helps you turn down the heater to save power. These help you save energy in a variety of ways. While every product and brand is different—with its own benefits and advantages—smart appliances are a great option for anyone looking to save water, use less energy, and decrease their carbon footprint.
LED Lighting
If you are still using traditional light bulbs, it is time to transition to LEDs. Not only are LED lights cheaper over time, they last 25 times longer than regular bulbs and use 75 percent less energy. You will save money and lessen your negative impact on the environment. Changing all of the lights in your house to LED bulbs will make a big difference to your bills and your carbon footprint. There is no good excuse to keep using regular light bulbs.
Smart Thermostats
A great product to look into if you’re focused on your impact on the environment and the difference it makes to your wallet is a smart thermostat. This product allows you to control the temperature of your home wherever you’re using an app. When you’re gone you can turn off the heat and have it warmed up the time you get home without wasting all the money and energy heating your home while you’re gone. A smart thermostat offers the most comfortable and effective way to change the temperature of your property.
With so many options for sustainable and eco-friendly products, you can save money and lessen your effect on the atmosphere and the warming climate. Technology will continue to evolve and new products will make it easier for everyone to live more sustainably. It will be more expensive at first, in the long-run you will save money.
Not only will you save money on water and energy, you’ll have the peace of mind that you’re doing the right thing for the environment. We will all need to change our habits to create a cleaner, more sustainable world that runs on renewable energy and uses less power to do the things we want to do. It can be done. Let’s get started.
Ryan Beitler is a writer, journalist, and blogger who has written for a wide variety of publications including Paste Magazine, The Slovenia Times, New Noise Magazine, and more.