Your Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly Living

The term eco-friendly living is also referred to as green living, sustainable living and Earth-friendly living, but the essence of each phrase is the same. Being eco-friendly means focusing on actions that can make a positive impact on the planet. How is this mission achieved? By making choices that promote sustainability and reduce harmful waste.

This guide will help you understand the importance of eco-friendly living, what it means to be a good steward of resources and how you can help to make a positive impact on our planet.

What is green living?

In its simplest terms, green living, or eco-friendly living, means doing your best to conserve and preserve the planet’s resources. Sustainability, or the ability to offset the depletion of resources, is the key goal of green living. The more we can do to preserve and conserve resources—water, oil, animals, ozone and even our communities—the healthier our planet will stay.

Does green living mitigate climate change?

We can all make an intentional effort to follow sustainable practices, and when we practice green living, we are taking steps to mitigate climate change. Climate change is the long-term effect of temperature and weather changes on the planet. There are (pollution from factories, using resources for gas-powered vehicles) and natural causes, such as volcanic eruptions and tectonic shifts. 

You may be most familiar with worries over melting ice caps, acid rain or holes in the ozone layer—and these are all byproducts of climate change.

Humans have the responsibility of reducing current and future negative environmental impacts, and our work can begin with the simplest steps. Here are a few examples of easy things you can do to help mitigate climate change.

Buy Local

Purchasing goods and services from businesses located in your community—known as buying local—has many benefits. When you travel fewer miles to purchase goods, you reduce gas consumption, lower the amount of air pollutants and decrease your overall carbon footprint. And spending your dollars at independent or local establishments can help sustain their operations and keep the unique culture of the area alive.

Travel on Two Wheels

If you can get to where you want to be in under a few miles, why not trade your automobile for a two-wheel ride? Bikes and e-bikes can be a fun way to travel around town, and the environmental impact is minimal.

Recycle and Reuse

It’s a good bet that there are more recyclable items in your home or garage than you’re aware of. Here are some, plus information about where you can recycle them:

• Electronics and obsolete media; at many big box stores, such as Best Buy.
• Shoes; through national brands like Nike and Asics.
• Holiday lights; through organizations like Holiday LEDs.
• Items made with foam (packaging and office supplies like pens and rulers); at Home for Foam.
• Ink cartridges; at many office supply stores, like Office Depot and Staples.
• Used boxes in good condition; at BoxCycle.

Give Green Gifts

The best gifts are personal and memorable, so here are some ideas for gifts that are good for the receiver—and the Earth, too:

• A plant with flowers that match the color of the recipient’s birthstone, or a plant that reminds the giftee of a favorite place (such as plumeria to represent Hawaii).
• Experiences, like a concert, a must-see play or an area attraction. Here’s a bonus: AAA Members can save on tickets to their favorite activities.
• Everyday items purchased from sustainable companies. Look for clothing and goods made from recycled materials or faux leather.

How To Practice Green Living

Living the eco-friendly lifestyle is also good for your mindset and mood. This is because doing good can make you feel good. AAA has four tips for eco-friendly living:

1. Be Good Stewards of Resources.

Many of our most valuable resources, such as oil and coal, are limited, which makes them non-renewable. As a result, we all have to do our part to conserve water, energy and natural resources. Ideas for conservation include:

• Taking shorter showers.
• Turning off lights.
• Swapping your car for a bike (and AAA provides roadside assistance for cyclists).
• Investing in energy-efficient appliances (look for the Energy Star® label).
• Turning the thermostat up or down just a few degrees.
• Installing solar panels to power your home.
• Recycling your car battery as well as cans, plastic and other items that you may not realize can be repurposed.
• Staying at eco-friendly hotels.
• Planting gardens and native flowers and plants
• Unplugging devices and appliances when they’re not in use.
• Composting (up to 25% of your trash items can likely be composted).

2. Make Healthy Living Choices.

Research shows that for many people, adopting a green lifestyle can have a positive correlation to health and wellness. Examples of green living include walking and biking instead of driving, spending time outdoors and in green spaces, purchasing local fruits and vegetables, and avoiding the consumption of processed foods.

3. Help To Save the Planet.

Each person can contribute to the global good. Collectively we can all make an impact by protecting ecosystems, wildlife and natural habitats. Other habits we can adopt to help save the planet include:

• Reducing carbon emissions by driving less, carpooling, ride-sharing and taking public transportation.
• Purchasing sustainably grown foods from farmers and locals.
• Supporting businesses and organizations that practice sustainability.
• Traveling to places that support ecotourism.
• Focusing on diversity, inclusion, and equality at work and socially.
• Participating in community cleanup activities, clothing drives and recycling efforts.

4. Reduce Plastic Waste.

Recycling at home, school and work is an important step in reducing plastic waste. Plastic that can be recycled into other items means we’ll keep more items out of the landfills—and we’ll have to spend less time mining for natural resources to make new items.

To help do your part, make an effort to replace single-use plastics with reusable items, such as:

• Canvas shopping bags
• Lunchboxes
• Ice packs
• Water bottles
• Metal cutlery
• Cloth diapers
• Metal or paper straws

AAA Members Can Save on Eco-Friendly Products

You can use your AAA Membership to enhance your green lifestyle in many ways. For example, you can speak with AAA Travel Agents to plan an eco-friendly trip and support sustainable tourism. Visit a AAA Approved Auto Repair or AAA Owned Car Care facility to recycle batteries. You can also save on hundreds of products and services you love, including eco-friendly brands like All Bicycles, GreenLife, GreenPan and BabyEarth.

As you take important steps in eco-friendly living, learn more about what your AAA Membership can do for you, your family and the planet.