As a mom, you probably feel like you’re constantly running around. Between getting the kids to school on time, getting to work, making dinner, and doing laundry, it can seem like there’s not enough time in the day to work out how to be more eco-friendly.

But even if you’re short on time, there are still plenty of easy ways to go green and save money (and time!). Here are five easy tips that are good for you and good for the environment:

1.     Use Eco-friendly Apps

Using eco-friendly apps is a great way to start living more sustainably. These apps can help you in different ways. While some apps help you save energy by tracking your electricity usage, others can give tips on using less power. There are also apps to help you save water by monitoring your water usage and finding ways to use less water.

Here are three great examples:

• Dropcountr connects to your utilities and tracks your water consumption.

• RecycleNation lets you choose from 13 different material categories and look up directions and hours of operation for recycling locations near you. 

• Ecosia is a search engine that plants trees with every web search. So far, they've planted over 100 million trees!

   

2.     Shop Secondhand

Consider thrift shopping instead of buying brand-new items when you need new clothes or toys for your kids. This is a great way to keep clothes out of landfills, save money, and reduce your impact on the environment.

When you consider that approximately 85% of textiles end up in landfills as waste, shopping secondhand to slow that down becomes a no-brainer.

3.     Buy Bulk

Here are three reasons to buy bulk:

• It’s often sold with less packaging, reduces food waste and helps you do your part to protect the environment.

• When you purchase items in bulk, you can typically get a discount on the overall purchase price, which can help you to save a significant amount of money over time.

• When you’re buying from local businesses, you support the local economy and reduce your carbon footprint.

   

Remember, not all bulk items are created equal. To make sure you're really doing your part for the planet, look for items that are made from recycled materials or that can be easily recycled.

4.     Employ the Sun

One easy way to go green is to harness the power of the sun. Solar energy is free, renewable, and emissions-free. There are many ways to employ solar power in your home or business. Solar panels are the most obvious choice, but there are also:

• solar water heaters

• solar pool heaters

• solar cookers.

   

Even something as simple as hanging laundry outside to dry can save energy and money.

5.     Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

Every time you recycle a can or a bottle, you’re helping to reduce pollution and conserve our limited natural resources. Recycling all of your family’s recyclable materials, such as paper, glass, and plastic, is one of the easiest ways to go green and save money. You can even recycle some electronics and appliances.

Final thoughts

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint but don’t have a lot of time on your hands, these five easy ways should help get you started. And if going green is important to you, check out our list of 60 ways saving money can be environmentally friendly. With a little effort, we can all do our part in preserving our planet for future generations.

About the author:

Jodi Rowe is the author and creator of this infographic.

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