Don't have time to be eco-friendly and care for the planet?
Then you NEED these 7 Eco-friendly tips that WILL actually save you time, reduce stress AND make you happier.
Sounds like a miracle, right?
1. Use your Cooking Appliances
We collect useful (and sometimes useless) appliances to save time in the kitchen, but how often do you use your time saving appliances?
Look in your kitchen cupboards and you might find some typical items like a bread machine, a food processor, an ice-cream maker, a thermomix if you're lucky. There are so many gadgets available!
They really can save us a lot of time in the kitchen and can be incredibly efficient, helping us to reduce plastic packaged food, eat deliciously fresh food, and save time!
Many appliances are set and forget, so get your slow cooker on in the morning or your bread machine on at night and let them do the hard work for you.
2. Use your Dishwasher
Yes, dishwashers do use water and electricity but there are many studies that show it is MORE EFFECIENT than hand washing.
Substitute rinse aid with vinegar for a chemical free option and hunt down an eco-friendly dishwasher powder.
You could make your own dishwasher tabs or powder but this isn't going to save you time - you can read my take on on homemade dishwashing powder and make up your own mind.
3. Become a Non-Consumer
Unless you really need something, skip the malls, sales and window shopping and cut back on consumer activities.
This can save hours per week, even more at Christmas time, and that extra time could be devoted to a hobby, a cat nap or reading a great book.
If you've seen the Story of Stuff you'll be aware of the buy and throw out cycle that has become common place and landfill sites are rapidly filling up with it .
When you don't buy something, you're not only saving time and money but the impact on the environment and landfill is huge.
Resist impulse purchases, and cancel your junk mail while you're at it.
4. Take Your Coffee With You
It's far quicker to make a perfect cup of coffee or tea at home than to buy it.
Don't believe me?
Just time yourself next time to see how long it takes to get to a barista, place an order,..... wait....., pay and be on your way again.
With kids in tow, you may have trouble even ordering and your bound to have to buy a babycino, cookie or whatever else is at kids eye level.
Make your cuppa at home, just how you like it, put it into a keep cup or even a jam jar with a cosy and take it with you when heading out the door.
You could save an hour or two a week and no chance of accidentally getting a disposable cup!
5. Cook Once, Eat Twice
Cooking a double batch of something doesn't take much more time and won't make more dishes and mess.
Make sure it's something you are going to eat and can be reheated, anything freezable is a bonus.
By freezing half, you have a ready made family meal just waiting to be defrosted and reheated.
This reduces reliance on takeaway and be a great option for a busy day when you really don't have the time to cook.
Not everything is freezable, but items like pasta sauce, lasagna, mashed potato and loads of other foods keep well.
Double cooking can be applied to baking and lunch box snacks.
6. Choose to Refuse
Choose to refuse and say NO to plastic bags, no to the tuppaware party, kris kringle gifts, single-use straws, and anything you don't want or enjoy.
You will have more spare time, use less petrol, spend less money, have less trash to sort AND all of these are great for the planet.
This doesn't mean you should lock yourself in the house and not have any fun, just be selective about what you do with your time.
Need a mini digital detox to free up some time? Then try this Forest App that lets you plant real trees while your doing other things.
7. Give More
Got toys or clothes your kids have outgrown, unused appliances, extra furniture or a million pens?
We all have stuff we don't need, want or use.
Whatever it is find a simple and quick way to give it to someone who can use it.
Donate at your local opshop, school, to friends, family or just put it out the front of your house with a big FREE sign.
How is it eco-friendly?
Well, this means the receiver won't have to buy a brand new item and it will get as much use as possible before it is potentially thrown out.
You'll have less clutter, and spend less time shifting things, looking for lost items and cleaning.
Being eco-friendly can be challenging when you're strapped for time, but these tips will save you time while you're saving the planet.
What are you going to do with all that extra time up your sleeve?
Have you got a fabulous way to be green that gives you more time? Put it in the comments below so we can all add it into our week and have more time for the fun stuff!