50 Little Tips To SAVE THE PLANET.
Sometimes the little, simple things can make a big difference.
Saving the planet is a huge challenge that can seem insurmountable.
Fortunately, there are some simple and effective things you can do to help act concretely.
To help you, we have prepared this list of 50 little tips to save the planet.
And rest assured, these 50 everyday actions are really easy!
As you will see, anyone can participate and help save our planet. Look :
1. Use low consumption light bulbs
Switching to energy-efficient light bulbs is a simple and effective way to reduce your energy consumption.
This small gesture will not only help the planet, but it will also help you reduce your electricity bills.
Even if you only replace one light bulb in your home, the impact on the planet is enormous.
According to the Nicolas Hulot Foundation, if each household installs at least 3 low-consumption light bulbs in the main rooms, this would make it possible to close 4 nuclear power plants.
To discover : The Guide to Low Consumption Bulbs Adapted to Each Room.
2. Use a laptop rather than a desktop computer
Unlike desktop computers, laptops are designed to be energy efficient.
Depending on the model, a laptop uses up to 80% less energy than a desktop computer.
Because laptops run on battery power, great design efforts are made to save power.
Therefore, they are more suitable for reducing carbon dioxide emissions than desktop computers.
To discover : € 110 Savings When My Computer Is Turned Off During My Absence.
3. Stop pre-rinsing dishes
Can't live without your dishwasher?
So at least try to stop rinsing the dishes before loading the dishwasher.
In fact, know that the way you load your dishwasher is much more efficient at washing than pre-rinsing each glass and plate!
And by using a good detergent, your dishes will be just as clean ... and you save a lot of water by the way.
To discover : 5 Tips To Better Load Your Dishwasher And Make It MORE Efficient.
4. Do not preheat your oven
Unless it is absolutely essential for your recipe (for example, if you are baking bread), you don't need to preheat the oven.
You can just set it to the right temperature and start cooking.
The oven loses a lot of heat when the door is opened, so avoid opening it to check doneness as well.
Instead, use the interior oven lights to gauge doneness.
To discover : Baking: Our Guide To Converting Temperatures to a Thermostat.
5. Consider recycling your glass bottles
Did you know that non-recycled glass can take up to a million years to decompose?
Make sure to always recycle the glass in the appropriate bin.
This can reduce water pollution by up to 50% and air pollution by up to 20%.
This is also true for cans. Remember to put them in the correct bin.
To discover : 22 Smart Ways to Recycle Your Glass Bottles.
6. Choose washable baby diapers
Not only are cloth diapers more environmentally friendly, they also protect baby's skin better.
So, as much as possible, opt for washable diapers.
If sometimes you need disposable diapers for practical reasons, use an eco-friendly brand, like this one.
For a single child, know that disposable diapers represent 5 trees and 25 kg of plastic.
And these 25 kg of plastic are obtained thanks to 67 kg of crude oil.
This represents 6,500 diapers thrown in household garbage, which cannot be recovered, and which take up to 500 years to decompose.
Not to mention the fact that more, disposable diapers cost an arm and a leg!
To discover : What All New Moms Should Know To Survive the First 3 Months.
7. Dry your laundry on a drying rack
To make your clothes last longer, avoid using the dryer.
Instead, use a clothes horse, or even better, dry them naturally outside on a clothesline.
With a clothes rack, clothes deteriorate less quickly and they smell fresh and clean.
And of course, that saves you even more money on your electricity bills!
To discover : 5 Tips For Drying Indoor Laundry A LOT FASTER.
8. Eat vegetarian (at least) once a week
No need to forgo meat forever, but at least try to eat vegetarian just one day a week.
Why ?
First, because it takes 13,500 liters of water to produce a single kilo of meat!
In addition, be aware that a single small hamburger represents 5 square meters of deforestation, if the steak is made with meat from a farm in an old forest area. Ouch!
To discover : 8 Delicious Homemade Vegetarian Hamburger Recipes.
9. Fill your washing machines before you leave it
To save money and for the sake of the environment, avoid running your washing machine on a half load.
Always fill your machine before running it.
Similarly, also remember to do your laundry at a low temperature.
During a cycle at 60 ° C, heating the water represents 80% of the energy consumed by the washing machine.
If the average washing temperature in Europe were reduced by 3 ° C, the energy savings would correspond to the elimination of emissions produced by more than 700,000 cars per year.
Awesome, isn't it?
To discover : The 6 Tips for a Complete Cleaning of the Washing Machine.
10. Don't waste paper towels
Here is a little mistake everyone makes.
After ordering food, we take 1 or 2 extra paper napkins.
Big waste! Extra towels are rarely used and end up throwing them away, even though they are perfectly clean.
If everyone reduced their intake to just 1 paper towel per day, it would eliminate 500,000 tonnes of waste.
To discover : I HAVE NO WASTE FOR 2 YEARS. This is What My Life Looks Like.
11. Reduce your paper consumption
When you jot down a note on a sheet of paper, keep it and reuse that sheet to write your notes.
According to ADEME, an employee consumes on average 70 to 85 kg of paper per year.
Ideally, try to encourage your colleagues to use as little paper as possible.
When absolutely necessary, print double-sided, with multiple pages on one sheet.
And of course, don't forget to sort: all paper for recycling!
12. Consider recycling your magazines and newspapers
Remember to put newspapers and magazines in the correct bin for recycling.
In France, only 47% of newspapers, prospectuses and directories are recycled.
Recycling newsprint minimizes the need to make paper from cut trees.
Or better yet, ditch the print version of your favorite newspapers and read them online!
To discover : 25 Surprising Uses of Newsprint.
13. Don't buy any more wrapping paper
Gift wrap is a major source of wasted paper and other materials.
Save wrapping paper, ribbons, and tags for reuse later.
You can also test the DIY alternative by trying to make your own wrapping paper.
It's as easy as pie: just wrap your gifts with newspaper, magazines or old road maps :-)
To discover : Here's Why You Won't Buy Gift Wrap This Year.
14. Avoid plastic bottles
The important thing here is to do everything possible to avoid plastic bottles.
Of the 28 countries in the European Union, France is second to last in plastic recycling.
And in Europe, only 1 in 2 PET bottles are recycled.
But let's face it: on the go, plastic bottles are handy for drinking water.
Fortunately, there is also a more environmentally friendly alternative: use a water bottle without plastic, like this stainless steel flask.
Like a plastic bottle, you can take your water bottle with you everywhere and easily fill it at the tap before you go.
To discover : Water Bottles Can Be Dangerous To Your Health. Here's why.
15. Stop taking baths
Taking a shower instead of a bath is a huge difference to the planet.
Indeed, a 4 to 5 minute shower consumes 30 to 80 liters of water.
In contrast, a bath consumes up to 200 liters!
Showers not only help save water ...
... but they also require less heating to bring the water to the right temperature.
To discover : Scientifically, How Often Should You Shower?
16. Turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
When brushing your teeth, turn off the tap water instead of letting it run.
This saves up to 24 liters of water per day.
Imagine the billions of liters of water saved if everyone did the same!
Consider educating your children to do the same too.
To discover : 16 Tips To Save Water And Reduce Your Bill EASILY.
17. Put a bottle of water in your toilet
Did you know that you can easily save toilet water?
You don't even have to buy a dual-flow flush!
To decrease the flow of the flush, just use a plastic bottle.
Fill an old plastic bottle, close the bottle with its cap, open the toilet water tank, and place the bottle in the toilet tank. Close the toilet water tank.
And there you have it, with just a bottle of water, you save hundreds of liters of water every month! Check out the trick here.
18. Spend less time in the shower
Know that shortening your shower by just 2 minutes helps you save money up to 35 liters of water.
Imagine if everyone contributed by saving just a few liters a day.
Also remember to educate your children so that they stay as little time as possible in the shower.
To discover : The Shower Minute To Shorten Your Shower Time.
19. Plant a tree in your garden
The benefits of planting a tree in your garden are numerous.
First of all, it's good for the planet, both for the quality of the air and for the quality of the soil.
Trees also provide shade, which can save you from using your air conditioner in the summer and even increase the value of your property.
You can even make it an annual event, where each family member plants a new tree!
Moreover, know that comment-economiser.fr has already planted more than 3,000 trees! Read our Engagement page to learn more.
To discover : The 10 Most AMAZING Trees in the World.
20. Use your car's cruise control
Is your car equipped with cruise control? So use it!
Riding at a steady speed helps reduce your fuel consumption by at least 15%.
Less pollution, less gasoline and more money in your pocket ... everyone wins!
To discover : 17 Effective Tips For Using Less Gasoline.
21. Buy used instead of buying new products
Do you need to make a purchase?
Try to look for used products rather than new ones.
For example, bicycles and other children's toys are often little used because of the rapid growth of our little ones.
By buying second-hand, you pay less for items, help give them a second life, and eliminate packaging materials.
Always remember to check on Leboncoin, if you cannot find the same product twice cheaper and used.
To discover : 63 Great Ideas For Bringing Old Furniture A Second Life.
22. Buy local and seasonal products
Whenever possible, buy local produce.
This is an important gesture that reduces the pollution generated by the transport of goods over long distances.
For this, the best is to always try to consume seasonal products.
Follow our seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar to find out which ones to buy.
To discover : Italy: The City of Florence Imposes 70% of LOCAL PRODUCTS In Its Restaurants.
23. Set your thermostat to the right temperature
Adjusting the temperature in your home by just one degree can help you reduce your consumption by 10% energy throughout the year.
A small adjustment that not only helps save big, but most of all save the planet!
To avoid wasting energy, consider using a room thermostat.
That way, you can program it for a suitable temperature at night or when you are away from home.
To discover : What is the ideal temperature at home?
24. Use homemade household products
To clean, of course, you need household products.
But think about all those plastic bottles you buy in a year to do your cleaning: tile cleaner, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, dish soap, etc.
With a few simple basic ingredients, you can use your own homemade cleansers.
Not only is it more environmentally friendly, it's also a lot cheaper for you.
Here are some of our easy homemade recipes (click on the link):
- Homemade multipurpose cleaner
- Homemade window washer
- Homemade floor cleaner
- Homemade toilet cleaner
25. Do all your shopping at the same time
Instead of going shopping every time you need something, plan your meals ahead by making a shopping list.
This not only saves you time, but also reduces your trips by car!
It also means less gasoline to pay on your wallet and less pollution to the planet.
Even better: offer a friend to accompany you and go shopping together!
To discover : Finally, an Easy-to-Print Shopping List Before Going to the Supermarket.
26. Turn off the light when you leave a room
No need to light up an empty room, that makes sense!
So save energy (and your money) by getting into the habit of always turning off the lights when you leave a room.
For standard bulbs (incandescent): turn off the light Everytime as you leave the room.
For low consumption bulbs: switch off only if you leave the room for more than 15 min.
Small bonus, you also reduce your air conditioning costs.
Indeed, your home will stay cooler longer, because light bulbs also cause the mercury to rise without noticing it!
To discover : 7 Simple Tips To Lower Your Electricity Bill This Summer.
27. Water your plants the right way
Avoid garden hoses for watering your plants.
Instead, use a watering can to water the places that really need it, like at the feet of plants.
Likewise, try to water your plants in the morning, just before sunrise, which avoids wasting water that evaporates quickly in the sun.
Rake plant scraps and clippings by hand. Or even simpler, let them fertilize the soil.
Finally, use simple white vinegar to kill weeds.
Indeed, white vinegar is a perfect replacement for commercial herbicides which are full of products harmful to the environment.
To discover : If You Use White Vinegar In The Garden, These 13 Miracles Will Happen.
28. Use colored markers during picnics
Do you often have family picnics? Ideally, you should avoid using disposable dishes.
But if you can't help it, bring permanent colored markers.
Thus, each person will have their own color to mark a single plate and a single glass!
A useful little tip to avoid waste, because we all end up forgetting which one is our cup.
And, as a result, we use a new disposable cup ...
To discover : The Easy Way To Carry Picnic Food.
29. Recycle your old cell phone
On average, a consumer changes their cell phone every 18 months.
Each year, this represents 130 million laptops that are discarded.
But once in the recycling centers, laptop batteries contain pollutants that contaminate the soil.
Be sure to recycle your old laptop at an electrical and electronic collection and recycling point.
And even better, you can resell it to be repackaged and reused by another person.
To discover : For the price of an iPhone, You Can Now Buy a Wind Turbine That Can Supply Electricity to a Whole House.
30. Regularly maintain your car
With an engine that purrs as it should, clean air filters and properly inflated tires, your car uses less gas.
And less fuel means less pollution ... and more money in your pocket.
Also remember to empty your trunk every now and then, as excess weight increases fuel consumption!
To discover : 20 Engineering Tips For Your Car.
31. Use public transport as much as possible
If you live in a city, you don't have to buy a car or use it to get around!
You can use the RER, metro, bus, tram, self-service bicycle, scooters and carpooling.
In any case, you save a lot of money, much less pollution and in addition you save time!
Indeed, public transport is much faster than being stuck in traffic jams by car.
32. Drink tap water
Did you know that when you buy bottled water, you are doing the planet a disservice?
Why ? First think about the energy required to produce all those plastic bottles (plastic is made from petroleum).
Then think about the waste produced after the bottles are thrown away (often without being recycled).
There is also the transport of the bottles to the supermarket and then to your house, which further increases the amount of carbon dioxide released.
In most Western countries, tap water is perfectly suitable for drinking.
And if you really don't want to drink tap water, get a tap water filter here.
It will cost you less than buying bottles and you will significantly lower your carbon footprint.
33. Work one day a week from home
If possible, try to come to an agreement with your employer to telecommute at least 1 day per week.
Working from home saves a lot of fuel, which reduces pollution and saves you money.
Yes, for those who wish, it also means that you can work in your pajamas :-)
To discover : 12 Things You Should Never Say At Work (And What To Say Instead).
34. Close the draft of your chimney
When you are not using your fireplace, always close the draft valve.
Indeed, few people realize that keeping a draft valve open is like keeping a four foot window open all the time!
Imagine the hundreds of euros you waste heating the air when it is immediately sucked up the chimney ...
To discover : The Easy Way To Clean The Glass Of A Fireplace Insert.
35. Stick a "Stop-Pub" on your mailbox
Every second, in France, 27 kilos of flyers advertisements are distributed in mailboxes.
Per year, this corresponds to an average of 40 kg of advertising per household, or 17 kg per inhabitant!
Flyers represent a lot of wasted paper, 5% of the weight of French bins.
Sticking a "Stop-Pub" label on your mailbox helps prevent the accumulation of flyers that you will never read and that will go straight to the trash.
36. Use matches instead of a lighter
Nowadays, the majority of lighters are disposable.
Big problem: the 7 billion disposable lighters put on the market per year are impossible to recycle!
Indeed, even though they are made of plastic, they are made up of several pieces that cannot be dismantled - not very environmentally friendly.
Instead of buying a disposable lighter, use matches instead.
To discover : Stop Buying Barbecue Fire Lighter. Make Them Yourself In 1 Min.
37. Equip your taps with a water saver
Water savers are also called aerators, aerators or flow reducers.
In any case, what is important is that they drastically reduce your water consumption each time you turn on the tap.
Your tap will go from 15 liters per minute to 5 liters! Awesome, isn't it?
If you do not yet have one on all the taps in the house, we recommend this water aerator which is of very good quality.
38. Give your old objects a second life
As the expression goes, the waste of some are the treasures of others. Well, that's often true!
Don't throw away an undamaged item just because you don't want it or don't need it anymore.
Instead, give your old items a second life by donating to a charity or to a free donation site, like donnons.org.
To discover : 49 Ingenious Ways to Give Our Old Objects a Second Life.
39. Wash your car in a car wash instead of hand washing
To make their business profitable, car wash professionals must reduce costs and maximize profits.
This is why the car washes have dosed to the droplet the ideal amount of water for a thorough cleaning of your car.
So, choose high pressure washing stations to wash your car and avoid waste.
In France, car washing represents 6% of drinking water consumption.
Some companies even offer to wash vehicles without using water, only with ecological products and microfiber wipes.
To discover : 15 amazing tips to make your dirty car look like new!
40. Switch to reusable shopping bags
Single-use plastic bags are neither biodegradable nor recyclable. Thus, they end up in recycling centers.
And more often than not, they end up polluting our oceans and contaminating our food chain.
Instead of using single-use plastic bags, always carry a reusable bag like this with you.
To discover : 101 EASY Tips To Reduce Your Waste Today.
41. Use e-tickets when traveling
Today, the vast majority of airlines offer electronic tickets.
Instead of printing your ticket or going to collect one, you can have it directly on your iPhone or Android.
Super practical and of course you avoid wasting paper for nothing!
And this is also true for train tickets at the SNCF and on Ouigo.
To discover : The BEST Time to Buy Your Airline Ticket.
42. Buy your food in bulk
More and more supermarkets (like Biocoop) have a section where you can buy your food in bulk: rice, pasta, starches, nuts, cereals, muesli, etc.
Bulk has 2 big advantages: it is less expensive and it means much less packaging and therefore less pollution.
The next time you buy pasta or rice in a package, check the supermarket for bulk.
You will be surprised at the price difference for similar quality!
To discover : Buy in Bulk, A Virtuous Gesture For the Wallet (and the Planet).
43. Help the bees by planting these flowers in your garden
The disappearance of bees would be a disaster for our planet and humanity. But the economic impact would be just as significant.
Did you know that pollination represents approximately 140 billion euros in the world economy?
Yes, thanks to its contribution to agriculture, bees are a major economic player.
Studies have been conducted by an independent group of 53 scientists to try to understand why bees are disappearing.
Their conclusions are clear: neonicotinoids, which are among the worst pesticides, poison bees that come to forage on contaminated plants and slowly kill them.
Thus in France, beekeepers in certain regions such as Auvergne or the Pyrenees have observed a loss of 50% or even 100% of their honey production.
But there is still time to help them! To do this, here are 8 simple and effective steps to help bees survive.
44. Say NO to plastic spoons and stirrers
Each year, billion spoons and stirrers are thrown in the trash.
When ordering a drink, always refuse plastic stirrers, spoons and straws.
Instead, use a real spoon to sweeten your coffee - just wash it down and reuse it!
To discover : The Incredible Wooden Spoon: 11 Tips For Caring For And Using It Well.
45. Use natural methods to remove snow and melt ice.
Many people use commercial snow and ice products to melt ice.
Big mistake: these products contain harmful chemicals for your health and for the planet.
Likewise, salt-based anti-snow and anti-ice products should also be avoided, as they attract animals and contaminate the water table.
To clear snow and remove ice, use only natural products that are safe for your pets.
To discover : 12 Effective Tips For Saying Goodbye To Frost And Fog On Your Windshield.
46. Avoid flying as much as possible
We don't necessarily realize it, but planes consume tons of fuel!
It's very simple, each plane consumes on average 7,500 kg of kerosene per hour of cruising flight...
It's cold in the back! It's monstrous in terms of air pollution ...
In 2018, we recorded 36.8 million flights, the equivalent of 1.16 flights every second!
As you will have understood, the more you limit your air travel, the better the Earth is.
The best is to limit as much as possible to taking a transatlantic flight (Ex: a Paris-New-York).
47. Pay all your bills online
Paying an invoice online is not only fast and convenient, it can also make a huge difference to the environment.
Indeed, refusing paper invoices saves millions of trees.
But it also reduces by several billion tons our greenhouse gas emissions and our solid waste.
To discover : No more EDF invoices! With the New Tesla Battery, Your Home Runs 100% On Solar Energy, Including At Night.
48. Request to receive your bank statements online
Many people still receive their paper statements every month.
Instead of storing your statements in boxes that take up space, ask to receive them online.
More practical, online account statements are accessible and stored free of charge on your bank's website.
Obviously, you are also doing something for the environment!
Indeed, with 65 million French people, 12 monthly account statements of 3 sheets each, that makes trees cut for NOTHING!
Imagine the ecological impact if we choose all online statements?
To discover : Ranking of the 5 CHEAPEST Banks Where You Should Have an Account.
49. Use rechargeable batteries
Too often thrown away carelessly in the trash, disposable batteries are a real nuisance to the environment.
These batteries contain corrosive acid, which they release into the ground in waste collection centers ...
To replace traditional batteries, switch to rechargeable batteries.
Granted, there is the initial cost of the battery charger ...
But in the long run, it will allow you to save money.
Plus, you'll always have charged batteries on hand!
If you still use disposable batteries, consider recycling them at collection points near you.
Click here to find the nearest one to you.
To discover : The Quick and Easy Way to Find Out If a Battery is Full or Empty.
50. Share these tips with your friends
In general, if people behave harmful to the environment, it is quite simply because they ignore the consequences of their actions.
To give real meaning to these 49 ecological tips, share this list with your loved ones : The Planet will thank you!
Imagine if each of your loved ones assimilated just one of these 49 ecological points ... the impact would be enormous!
What if, in turn, your loved ones also share this list? Imagine on what scale we would all have worked to save our planet!
The future of our planet concerns each of us: let's work together to make the world a better place.
Your turn…
Have you managed to integrate these tips to save the planet in your daily life? Share your experience here in the comments. We can't wait to hear from you!
Do you like this trick ? Share it with your friends on Facebook.
Also to discover:
Farewell to Earth: We Have Passed the Point of No Return of Climate Change.
16 Simple Tips To Reduce Plastic Waste.
