Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Here's how.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere for the last decade, you’re no doubt aware that global warming is big news and it’s due in large part to an increase in greenhouse gases.

According to Climate Central there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the last 800,000 years. Yes that’s right - the last time CO₂ was this high, humans didn’t exist.

Global warming affects all of us and the ferocity of those devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean and the USA recently are a direct result of climate change. Simply put, a warmer ocean makes a warmer atmosphere, which can hold more moisture – meaning more rainfall.

Managing and minimising the effects of climate change aren’t just the responsibility of Government and big business – it’s up to every single one of us to consider what we do each day and how we can make sure we tread a little more lightly on this earth.

Here are a few things we can all do to go green and reduce our carbon footprint:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Everyday things matter. By reducing your energy consumption you’ll be kinder to the planet and the first thing you can do is switch to energy saving light bulbs. And if you’re shopping for appliances, make sure you check the energy efficiency rating before you buy.

The waste we throw out has a huge impact on the environment, and according to Cool Australia we’re sending more and more rubbish to landfills – every year the average Australian family produces enough rubbish to fill a three bedroom house, generating a massive 2.2kg of waste each day. Considering that landfills release large amounts of methane gas (a big contributor to climate change), this is pretty scary stuff.

How can you reduce waste? It’s pretty simple:

Stop using those plastic supermarket bags and switch to reusable cloth bags instead. As a nation, we currently use 4 billion plastic bags a year and they take at least 20 years to break down.
Compost your food scraps (your garden will love you for it).
Always put recyclable paper, glass and plastic in the recycling bin.
If it comes in non-recyclable packaging (like Styrofoam) – don’t buy it.
Refill your own drink bottle – those single use bottles generate an enormous amount of waste.

Be food smart

Cool Australia estimates we throw away more than $5 billion worth of food each year (that’s 13 times more than the food we donate to overseas aid agencies). Here’s how you can make sure you’re food smart:

Plan your meals and shop with a shopping list.
Take home any restaurant left-overs to eat for lunch the next day.
Do smaller, more frequent shops during the week so you avoid buying too much that you can’t use.
Freeze your leftovers.
Turn those surplus veggies into a nourishing soup or vegetable stock that you can cook up and keep in the fridge.

Travel choices

The Climate Council have stated that transport is Australia’s third largest source of emission, responsible for 18% of our greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 and our highest growing source of emissions (up by a whopping 51% since 1990). You can help to reduce this by:

Riding a bike or walking if the distance you’re travelling isn’t too long.
Car pool whenever you can.
Inflate your tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

Go Solar

Want to reduce your carbon footprint even more? Consider investing in solar – it’s good for the environment and good for your electricity bill too, so this is a great option that will help you become more eco-friendly. If you need a little financial help to buy your solar system, or upgrade an existing one to add battery storage, why not check out our flexible mini-loans that make it super easy to get some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually deposit the funds into your bank account within 24 hours - so you can start talking to those solar providers right now!