Are You Greening or Greenwashing Your Life?

Going green is pretty popular these days. Many people are aware that we need to think about the impact we have on the environment in our daily lives. That doesn’t mean we all get it right.

It’s not an easy thing to make your life more eco friendly. There are a lot of challenges that really complicate things. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best.

Can You Go Completely Green These Days?

Most of us can’t do all of the green things we’d like to do. Going completely off the grid is financially impossible for the average family. Most of us don’t have enough yard space to grow enough food for our families for the entire year. Avoiding all plastic is next to impossible.

Most of us
can’t do all of the green things we’d
like to do.

Just go to the store and look at how hard it is to be green, even when you’re trying to shop with the environment in mind. So many companies advertise their products as eco friendly when they really aren’t. So many basic household cleaning supplies come in plastic, even if you use eco friendly cleaning supplies.

To top it all off, many of the people who want to go green don’t know how to see past the greenwashing practices that so many companies have enthusiastically adopted to make themselves look better. Much of the terminology they use is completely unregulated. They can make claims about their products which sound eco friendly but really mean nothing at all.

What Can You Do?

The most important step you can take in making your life truly more eco friendly (aside from getting started) is to educate yourself. Find great resources that will help you to know when a product claim means something. Learn how to make some of the simple changes in your lifestyle.

Really think about the things you’re changing and the things you’re not. Why does your family need two cars? Is mass transit in your area good enough that you could maybe get by on one car? Is a backyard vegetable garden a good choice in your area or are watering restrictions too likely to kill it off? What can you do about that darn lawn anyhow?

Look at your shopping habits. When do you buy? Why do you buy? Do you ever ask yourself if you should buy? Do you really need more or newer electronics in your life?

Not buying things you don’t need is one of the best things you can do for the environment.

Not buying things you don’t need is one of the best things you can do for the environment, especially once you understand how big the “don’t need” category is even in modern life. If you’re shopping to keep up with styles or the hottest technology, ask yourself why. Be sure you have a good answer.

Sometimes your answers won’t be perfectly eco friendly. Your circumstances won’t always allow you to do what you know is the greenest answer. But try. Find ways to break your non-green habits. Keep at it even when it’s not easy.

The environmental effects of the changes you make usually aren’t apparent. But they’re present, not only in your home but in your ability to encourage others to do likewise. The difference one person can make won’t solve all our problems. The example one person can make can encourage others, who can encourage others, who can encourage others as the ideas continue to be accepted. That’s where the big differences may someday come in.