20+ Easy, Eco-Friendly Home Hacks

Kermit the Frog may think it's not easy being green, but it sure can be if you know the right tricks! And, thanks to the Internet, brilliant tips are easier than ever to uncover. We did our own bit of browsing and came up with some really unique and clever ideas. Live your life a little more sustainably with these 20 easy, eco-friendly home hacks. Stick around and share your own for a chance to win a $200 gift code for ECOS Paints and finishes!

#1 Put your smartphone in airplane mode for a faster charge that uses less energy.

#2 Skip using plastic to store your food and re-use old salsa and spaghetti sauce jars instead.

#3 Look into buying renewable energy. You don't need your own solar panels to use solar power!

#4 Before buying anything new, check your local thrift store, Craigslist, or Freecycle for something gently used. Saves money and natural resources!

#5 Become besties with vinegar.

#6 Keep a bucket in the shower with you and use the water it catches to water your plants.

#7 Use a pressure cooker. According to Greatist.com, "This is a terrific way to save time, money, and energy all at the same time. Pressure cookers can take up to 70 percent less time (and less energy) to cook a meal, and they’re more versatile than one might think: They can make chili, pot roast, soup, whole chickens, corn bread—and even desserts!"

#8 Commit to Meatless Mondays. Why? According to their site:

• It Minimizes Water Usage—The water needs of livestock are much greater than those of vegetables and grains. – Approximately 1,850 gallons of water are needed to produce a single pound of beef. – Approximately 39 gallons of water are needed to produce a pound of vegetables. Americans consume nearly four times the amount of animal protein than the global average. When compared with current food intake in the US, a vegetarian diet could reduce water consumption by up to 58% per person.
• It Reduces Greenhouse Gases —Studies show that meat production produces significantly more greenhouse gases than vegetables, including carbon dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxide – the three main contributing sources of greenhouse gas. Beef was found to produce a total of 30 kg of greenhouse gas (GHG) per kg of food, while carrots, potatoes and rice produce .42, .45 and 1.3 kg GHG per kg of food, respectively.

#9 Use a clothesline to dry your clothes. No yard? No worries. Hang things around the house - the higher the better since heat rises.

#10 Glue old corks together to make a trivet pot holder.

#11 Turn an old, glass coffee pot into a terrarium.

#12 Turn an old t-shirt into reusable wipes.

#13 Turn an old t-shirt into a reusable tote bag. No sewing required!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5MLI5zKQ9o]

#14 Upcycle an old milk jug into a watering can by making holes in the cap.

#15 Rinse your used coffee grounds and use them as plant fertilizer.

#16 Simplify your beauty routine and use coconut oil as a moisturizer, in place of shaving gel, to remove eye make-up, and more.

#17 Reduce food waste. Did you know that trashing just one egg wastes 55 gallons of water? Or that 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted? That's bananas!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7AiSqmYIeg]

#18 Instead of washing and drying your jeans, freeze them. (Seriously, it's a thing.)

#19 Make your own, natural scented candle with an orange peel. According to Instructables, you just take "an orange/lemon/grapefruit, cut in half, eat the middle portion, leave the center core-like stem intact. Pour a kitchen oil (veg oil,olive oil, etc) into orange just below the top of the stem. Light stem. It will burn for hours and smell amazing."

#20 Upcycle your food scraps into more fresh food.

Now it's your turn! Share your eco-friendly home hacks in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a $200 gift card for ECOS Paints!

Here’s how to enter:

REQUIRED: 

• Like ECOS Paints on Facebook
• Follow ECOS Paints on Pinterest
• Follow ECOS Paints on Houzz
• Follow ECOS Paints on Twitter
• Follow ECOS Paints on Google+
• Tweet about the Giveaway and use the hashtag #ECOSGiveaway
• Share the giveaway on Pinterest and use the hashtag #ECOSGiveaway
• Share the giveaway on Facebook and use the hashtag #ECOSGiveaway

For each additional entry, leave a separate comment letting us know what you’ve done (and what your profile name is where relevant). If you’ve already done one of the actions, feel free to leave a comment letting us know you have previously. You can enter up to 9 times by taking all of the actions listed above and the more entries you make, the more chances you have at winning!

One random winner will be selected on July 31st, 2016!

Good luck!!!

WAIT! Did you know we host 2 giveaways a month? One here on the blog and one on Facebook! Enter them both to potentially win $300!! Click here to enter on Facebook (but don't forget to leave your entries here first!)