By Harshita Mathur
Image by Victor Candiani
Eco-Friendly Parenting: ‘Greenify’ your materials and methods
Create recycle bin stations!
Separating glass, plastic and paper can’t get any easier! Pick a spot in your home or garage to place 3 different coloured recycling bins. Enforce a system whereby any material to be thrown away goes into the right bin rather than you having to sift through your bins to separate materials when they’re full.
Turn this into race! Get your kids to compete for who can collect the most recyclable material.
Cleaning common stains
Getting rid of common ketchup and mustard stains on clothes becomes easier using lemon juice and lemon peel (also known as lemon rind). Squeeze some lemon juice on the stain and scrub with the rind! With this handy method you can reduce a) spending money on cleaning supplies and b) the environmental impact the chemicals in these products contain.
Unplug your household appliances
Get into the routine of doing this before going to bed so you minimize energy consumption. All appliances consume energy even while plugged in. Since they are not in use while you sleep, encourage everyone in the house to unplug them before bed.
Conserve water!
In the 2–3 minutes you take to brush your teeth, you have used roughly 12 gallons of water (when leaving the tap running). Turn off the taps whilst brushing your teeth and washing your hands. If you are more conscious of this, you’ll get into the habit of not wasting water!
Another game: Set a two-minute timer in the bathroom and have a rule that the kids need to keep brushing and aren’t allowed to switch the tap on until the timer has gone off!
Make wise household purchases
Invest in LED lights to place around your house – these will include motion sensors in order to conserve electricity and save you having to switch the lights on and off! Additionally, seek an eco-friendly alternative to other regular household appliances and products such as dishwashers, washing machines and even your toilet!
Lastly, spread the word!
Discuss these eco-friendly tactics with your friends and neighbors. You’ll be encouraging others to turn green and may even learn new tricks of the trade yourself!
Bollywood actor Abhay Deol has taken an environmentally friendly approach to daily life. He is conscious about conserving electricity and water, and is also building an eco-friendly house in Goa.
