New year, new environment hacks

2018 is here and we decided to wrack our brains to come up with 3 new environmental hacks you might not have thought of. Life is full of small changes we can make to lessen our impact on the Earth. Do you already do these? Let us know if you have more suggestions that aren’t so obvious.

1. Put a recycling bin in your bathroom

The first time we saw this done was a real lightbulb moment. It seems so obvious yet not many people do it. While you might be diligent enough to always remember to take empty toilet roll holders and recyclable plastic containers out of the bathroom to add to your usual pile, not everyone who uses your bathroom might do this. Having a separate bin just for recyclables ensures that every visitor should think to put their rubbish in the right bin. It also avoids having a pile of cardboard or plastic cluttering up your bathroom.

2. Charge your phone when you’re awake

A lot of people plug their phone in to charge when they’re going to bed. This seems to make sense, as you get to start each day with 100% battery. However, even after your phone is fully charged, it keeps using power. There are two names for this unused but constantly-drawn power: “vampire power” or “phantom power”. It costs you money and is also bad for the environment, which shows where the scary monikers came from. The easy solution? Charge your phone in the late evening instead and unplug it as soon as it’s at 100%. Use airplane mode to charge it faster or to save battery at times when you don’t need your phone, such as during work meetings.

3. Keep a reusable bag in your handbag or car

We’ve all gotten better at remembering to take our reusable bags with us when we do our weekly food shop. However, it’s often the unplanned small purchases that catch us out and mean we buy a plastic bag. Do you have a drawer or cupboard at home full of reusable bags? Thought so! Avoid this by keeping a small fold-up bag in your handbag, car or desk drawer. Keeping one handy means you’ll be far less likely to have to add to the dreaded pile of bags at home.