{"id":23438,"date":"2025-12-15T16:07:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T16:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/green-living-tips-home\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T21:30:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:30:11","slug":"green-living-tips-home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/green-living-tips-home\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can Change the World: 25 Green Living Tips for Every Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.chariot-article {\n  max-width: 800px;\n  margin: 0 auto;\n  padding: 40px;\n  font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;\n  font-size: 18px;\n  line-height: 1.8;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h1 {\n  font-size: 2.5em;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  line-height: 1.2;\n  margin: 0 0 30px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article h2 {\n  font-size: 1.8em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.3;\n  margin: 50px 0 20px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n  border-bottom: 2px solid #f7931e;\n  padding-bottom: 10px;\n}\n.chariot-article h3 {\n  font-size: 1.4em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.4;\n  margin: 40px 0 15px 0;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h4 {\n  font-size: 1.2em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  margin: 30px 0 10px 0;\n  color: #444;\n}\n.chariot-article p {\n  margin: 0 0 20px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article img {\n  max-width: 100%;\n  height: auto;\n  border-radius: 8px;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  display: block;\n}\n.chariot-article figure {\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article figcaption {\n  font-size: 0.9em;\n  color: #666;\n  text-align: center;\n  margin-top: 10px;\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article ul, .chariot-article ol {\n  margin: 20px 0 20px 30px;\n  padding: 0;\n}\n.chariot-article li {\n  margin-bottom: 12px;\n  line-height: 1.6;\n}\n.chariot-article a {\n  color: #f7931e;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;\n  transition: border-color 0.2s;\n}\n.chariot-article a:hover {\n  border-bottom-color: #f7931e;\n}\n.chariot-article blockquote {\n  border-left: 4px solid #f7931e;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  padding: 20px 30px;\n  background: #f9f9f9;\n  font-style: italic;\n  color: #555;\n}\n.chariot-article strong {\n  font-weight: 600;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article em {\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article hr {\n  border: none;\n  border-top: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n  margin: 40px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article table {\n  width: 100%;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article th, .chariot-article td {\n  padding: 12px 15px;\n  text-align: left;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n}\n.chariot-article th {\n  background: #f5f5f5;\n  font-weight: 600;\n}\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\n  .chariot-article {\n    padding: 20px;\n    font-size: 16px;\n  }\n  .chariot-article h1 { font-size: 2em; }\n  .chariot-article h2 { font-size: 1.5em; }\n  .chariot-article h3 { font-size: 1.25em; }\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"chariot-article\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"An assortment of green living items, including a reusable coffee mug, a reusable water bottle, metal straws, a glass jar, wooden utensils and baking ware.\" class=\"wp-image-1785\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/plastic-free-living-1.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>While people have actively cared for the environment for millennia, conservation as an idea or concept didn\u2019t achieve true public consciousness until the first Earth Day was held in 1970. Even then, it\u2019s been a struggle to get billions of people around the world to change or even slightly adapt their individual actions for the collective benefit of the whole planet.<\/p>\n<p>We get it. Old<br \/>\nhabits can be hard to break. But recent climate science tells us that our<br \/>\nplanet is heating up to levels that are downright hazardous for human, plant,<br \/>\nand animal life. If we\u2019re going to stop rising temperatures and sea levels, we<br \/>\nmust learn better behaviors \u2014 ones that really change the direction of our<br \/>\nenvironment.<\/p>\n<p>To help you, your friends and your <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/blog\/how-can-i-help-my-family-go-green\/\">family<\/a> learn how to be more attentive global citizens, we\u2019ve gathered 25 essential <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/blog\/green-living-in-texas\/\">green living tips<\/a> that can deliver the greatest impact on the environment. Below, we grouped our recommendations by relative difficulty level \u2014 easiest to hardest \u2014 to help you make the transition to an eco-friendly lifestyle as seamless as possible. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, we recommend making only one or two changes at a time. It\u2019s easy to get frustrated with new habits when you attempt too much at once.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simple Green Living Tips<\/h2>\n<p>Think of these green living tips as the table settings on the menu of true green living. You\u2019ll see them on almost every \u201cHere\u2019s How to Go Green\u201d list online since they require little to no effort to achieve them. That said, you should absolutely implement these tips, as it\u2019s still a win for the environment.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Use LED Light Bulbs<\/h3>\n<p>Energy-efficient light bulbs last longer, give off less wasted energy and don\u2019t contain harmful chemicals. If you can afford to replace all of your old bulbs at once, you should do so, or you can simply replace those old ones each time one goes out.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Use ENERGY STAR Appliances<\/h3>\n<p>This<br \/>\nenergy-efficient technology uses less electricity and uses it more effectively.<br \/>\nThese energy-saving devices can also help you save money \u2014 and help the<br \/>\nenvironment! However, don\u2019t replace your current appliances unless you<br \/>\nabsolutely need to, and look for every possible opportunity to recycle old<br \/>\nappliances so they don\u2019t end up in a landfill.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Use Canvas Bags<\/h3>\n<p>There are enough<br \/>\nplastic bags in the world, so you should instead use ones that you can use over<br \/>\nand over and over again. This doesn\u2019t apply to just grocery shopping, but to<br \/>\nany shopping you do.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Turn Off the Lights<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s the oldest<br \/>\ntrick in the book, but it\u2019s also one of the most tangible ones that can make a<br \/>\ndifference. We also encourage you to see how long you can go in a day without<br \/>\nusing any large overhead lights by simply using a small lamp or sunlight from<br \/>\nyour windows.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Turn Off Electronics<\/h3>\n<p>Not only do we mean turning off consumer electronics and appliances when you\u2019re finished using them, but we also mean unplugging everything so they don\u2019t draw vampire power from the wall. And yes, this includes the chargers for your devices.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Use Less Water<\/h3>\n<p>A wide-ranging<br \/>\ntip, this includes the following:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Installing low-flow showerheads, toilets, and<br \/>\nfaucets<\/li>\n<li>Taking showers instead of baths<\/li>\n<li>Taking shorter showers<\/li>\n<li>Turning off the faucet when washing dishes or<br \/>\nbrushing teeth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Use Appliances Thoughtfully<\/h3>\n<p>Another broad<br \/>\ntip, you should implement the following techniques:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only run your washer, dryer, and dishwasher after<br \/>\nthe sun goes down<\/li>\n<li>Run your washer on cold water<\/li>\n<li>Open the dishwasher door to dry your dishes<\/li>\n<li>Hang dry clothes when possible<\/li>\n<li>Skip preheating your oven<\/li>\n<li>Use the microwave instead of the stove or oven<br \/>\nwhen possible<\/li>\n<li>Set your water heater to 120 \u00b0F<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Actively Recycle Everything<\/h3>\n<p>If your community<br \/>\noffers any sort of recycling program, you should be involved and follow the<br \/>\nrules. Additionally, check with the stores in your area to see what heavy items<br \/>\ncan be recycled \u2014 including consumer electronics, light bulbs, plastic bags,<br \/>\nand more.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Use Renewable Electricity<\/h3>\n<p>Switching to an<br \/>\nelectricity plan powered by renewable energy \u2014 instead of power generated from<br \/>\nburning coal and natural gas \u2014 will go a long way to helping the environment. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Use More Efficient Thermostat Settings<\/h3>\n<p>With this tip,<br \/>\nyou\u2019re reducing your overall electricity usage, which helps the greater<br \/>\nelectricity grid by slowing down on our collective consumption. Our suggested<br \/>\nsettings are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Summer: 75 \u00b0F if someone is home<\/li>\n<li>Summer: 80 \u00b0F if no one is home<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/blog\/winter-prep-tips\/\">Winter<\/a>: 68 \u00b0F during the day if someone is home<\/li>\n<li>Winter: 65 \u00b0F at night or during the day if no one is home<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intermediate Green Living Tips<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img alt=\"Female hands hold eco bag of vegetables, greens and reusable water bottle.\" class=\"wp-image-1786\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/reusable-water-bottle.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>With this list,<br \/>\nyou\u2019re choosing to make real changes to your lifestyle in terms of how you<br \/>\nreduce your overall consumption of goods and services that harm the<br \/>\nenvironment. These tips require you to make real changes to your schedule and<br \/>\nlifestyle because you\u2019re becoming more aware of your <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/carbon-footprint\/\">carbon footprint<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Use Public Transportation<\/h3>\n<p>Depending upon<br \/>\nwhere you live, this one can be difficult, as not every town has a bus, train,<br \/>\nor subway system. But if you do have access to these services, you should use<br \/>\nthem whenever and however possible. Fewer vehicles we have on the road reduces<br \/>\nthe amount of exhaust in the form of <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/greenhouse-gases\/\">greenhouse gases<\/a> emitted into the environment.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12. Drive More Responsibly<\/h3>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have reliable public transportation in your town, then you can set up a carpool or rideshare system with friends, family, and coworkers. Such an arrangement is especially effective for people who commute to a downtown center from the suburbs. Three or four people taking one car every day is a vastly better solution than a car for each individual on the road every day.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">13. Plant Trees<\/h3>\n<p>Trees are vital<br \/>\nto our personal health and that of our environment. Well-placed trees around<br \/>\nyour home provide essential shade, which lowers the temperature of your house.<br \/>\nPlanting these new-growth forests replace the trees that have been cut down for<br \/>\npaper goods and also serve to extract carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2<\/sub>) from the<br \/>\natmosphere.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">14. Use Water Bottles<\/h3>\n<p>Stop buying<br \/>\nbottled water. You don\u2019t need to open up a new bottle every time you want a<br \/>\ndrink. Reducing our plastic consumption helps clean up our planet by lowering<br \/>\nour dependence on single-use plastics that end up in landfills.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">15. Make Your Own Cleaning Products<\/h3>\n<p>We thought about<br \/>\ntelling you to buy all-natural cleaning products in the previous section, but<br \/>\nthat just leads to even more plastic waste for you to recycle or throw away.<br \/>\nInstead, you can purchase large quantities of simple ingredients in reusable<br \/>\ncontainers to make small as-needed batches of all-natural cleansers. This way,<br \/>\nwhen you finish cleaning, your home won\u2019t smell like chemicals, and you won\u2019t<br \/>\nhave sent chemicals down the drain.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">16. Eat Less Meat and Dairy<\/h3>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to become a vegetarian or vegan, but committing to a few plant-based or meat-free meals each week can help reduce your carbon footprint. The cattle raised for human consumption are a substantial driver of climate change because of the amount of methane created in commercial factories. At least start off with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mondaycampaigns.org\/meatless-monday\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Meatless Monday<\/a> to see how things go.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">17. Buy In-Season Organic Produce<\/h3>\n<p>Unless you live<br \/>\nin an actual desert or in the middle of the ocean, the produce you consume<br \/>\nshould come at most from a 100-mile radius. If your food is coming from faraway<br \/>\nplaces, you\u2019re contributing toward climate change because of the carbon dioxide<br \/>\nsent into the atmosphere by the planes, trains, and automobiles delivering the<br \/>\nfood.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">18. Choose Cloth Over Paper<\/h3>\n<p>That\u2019s right \u2014 we<br \/>\nwant you to stop using paper towels. Yes, you can invest in some brand-new and<br \/>\nsuper-durable cloth towels that can last you years, but we have a better idea:<br \/>\nold t-shirts. We know you have plenty of them lying around in the back of your<br \/>\ncloset and boxed up in your garage. So instead of waiting until that mythical<br \/>\nday when you can break out that old Lollapalooza 2010 shirt to impress your<br \/>\nfriends, cut it up to create a washcloth or two for cleaning your home.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">19. Reduce Your Consumption of Single-Use Items<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019ve introduced<br \/>\nthis concept with plastic bags and bottled water earlier, but we wanted to<br \/>\nextend it to the rest of your house. This includes items such as:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Travel toiletries<\/li>\n<li>Laundry soap<\/li>\n<li>Condiments<\/li>\n<li>Cups<\/li>\n<li>Utensils<\/li>\n<li>Coffee pods<\/li>\n<li>Tea bags<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Instead, invest<br \/>\nin high-quality, multiple-use household items that help cut down on all the<br \/>\nwaste sent to landfills or recycling facilities.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Challenging Green Living Tips<\/h2>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time for<br \/>\nthe really big-ticket items. These might seem a bit over-the-top and<br \/>\n\u201ceco-warrior\u201d for some, but they do represent activities you can do to take<br \/>\nyour green living to the next level. And, as you can see, they certainly<br \/>\ninvolve an increased commitment of time, resources, and effort on your part. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">20. Plant a Garden<\/h3>\n<p>To be clear, we<br \/>\nknow that not everyone has the means to grow their own fruits and veggies, much<br \/>\nless the land or time. Thus, we suggest organizing a community garden so<br \/>\neveryone can share the costs, labor, and benefits. Buying produce at a local<br \/>\norganic farmers market is great, but starting your own nonprofit community<br \/>\nendeavor is better.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">21. Start a Compost Pile<\/h3>\n<p>This works<br \/>\nhand-in-hand with your garden. A compost pile is a fantastic way to develop<br \/>\nyour own fertilizer created from all the organic matter in your home. This<br \/>\ndramatically cuts down on your overall waste because you\u2019re literally reusing<br \/>\nyour food waste to create more food.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">22. Eat More Plant-Based Foods<\/h3>\n<p>Do cheeseburgers,<br \/>\nsteak, and pizza taste good? Absolutely. Is the overconsumption of meat and<br \/>\ndairy from commercial farms a cause of climate change? Most definitely. You<br \/>\nshould take steps to convert more of your diet over to plants in the form of<br \/>\nfruits, vegetables, legumes, and more.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">23. Reuse Items Before Recycling<\/h3>\n<p>These last three<br \/>\nare the biggies. They\u2019re the ones that make us think in truly new and fresh<br \/>\nways. We\u2019re used to just tossing out stuff after its initial purpose has been<br \/>\nserved. We\u2019ve been convinced that newer is better. We\u2019ve told ourselves that<br \/>\nmere recycling changes everything when what we really need to do is use an item<br \/>\nin as many ways as possible before we get rid of it. Recycling is good, but<br \/>\nreusing is much better.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">24. Renew Items Before Recycling<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re on<br \/>\nPinterest, you know this concept as \u201cupcycling.\u201d This requires you to kick<br \/>\nthings up a notch and stretch your creativity, and it started earlier with our<br \/>\ntip of using old t-shirts as towels. We\u2019re talking about creating skirts from<br \/>\nold jeans, desk organizers from old flowerpots, paint cups from old yogurt<br \/>\ntins, and more. In short, it\u2019s all about curbing waste. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">25. Give Away Before Throwing Away<\/h3>\n<p>The flip side to<br \/>\nthe previous item, we know that everyone isn\u2019t crafty or handy, but we all know<br \/>\npeople who are. Share your reusable goods, clothes, and assorted products for<br \/>\nfriends, family, and neighbors. You can even conduct a semi-regular \u201cSwap<br \/>\nMeet,\u201d where everyone gets together to trade what they have. Think of all the<br \/>\ngently used play clothes you can get for your kid in exchange for an old<br \/>\ncabinet you don\u2019t need any longer.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You Can Make a Difference When You Go Green <\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img alt=\"Gardener watering freshly planted seedlings in garden bed for growth boost with shower watering gun.\" class=\"wp-image-1787\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/planting-in-garden.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height:30px\"><\/div>\n<p>True green living isn\u2019t a trend or affectation \u2014 it\u2019s a lifestyle. You are choosing to live your life in greater harmony with your fellow humans, plants, animals, insects, and the whole environment. This sometimes means sacrificing some of the creature comforts and habits you\u2019ve adopted that aren\u2019t necessarily friendly to the planet.<\/p>\n<p>While we know that wholesale change overnight isn\u2019t realistic or practical, we also know that we need to make positive changes on a consistent basis if we\u2019re going to defeat the march of climate change. Print this guide out and refer to it every time you tackle and initiative. And if you conquer all 25, share this list with your family, friends, and neighbors! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With our 25 green living tips, you can change your habits to help the environment and slow down the advance of climate change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":23608,"parent":627,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23438","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23438\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}