Today’s consumers know how important it is to be mindful of our environmental impact. Our natural resources – clean air, safe water, and healthy soil – are precious, and we want to protect them for future generations. While sustainable living may seem like a challenge, there are lots of things you and your family can do to practice a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Learn ways to be more eco-friendly in this post from SeQuential.
Switch Your Showerhead
Here’s something everyone can do to make a big difference in their water consumption: use less water when you are in the shower. This is easy to do by simply changing out your showerhead. Look for a showerhead with a WaterSense label – these meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for water conservation by using no more than two gallons per minute, while still performing just as well or better than a conventional shower head. The EPA estimates that the average family can save up to 2,700 gallons each year by installing WaterSense labeled showerheads. Don’t want to pay for a new showerhead? Shortening your shower by just one or two minutes can save hundreds of gallons of water each year.
Stick to Reusable Containers
Another great way to lower your environmental impact is to stop buying bottled water. Not only will you help keep plastic out of the waste stream, but you’ll be saving money, too. Bottled water might seem convenient, but it isn’t necessary – the United States is lucky to have a safe, clean, and reliable potable water supply. A reusable plastic, glass, or metal water bottle is easy to take with you wherever you go, and it’s better for the environment. The same goes for disposable coffee cups – when you’re visiting your neighborhood café, bring your reusable travel mug, and you’ll reduce your waste.
Patronize Eco-Friendly Businesses
Help make your community a more environmentally conscious place to live by patronizing eco-friendly businesses. For example, many restaurants give you the option to skip utensils when picking up takeout. Others use compostable packaging. An increasing number of restaurants are choosing to recycle their cooking oil rather than letting it enter the waste stream. Used cooking oil can be recycled to produce renewable fuel, a clean-burning, nontoxic alternative to petroleum diesel.
Walk or Ride Your Bike
When visiting your favorite restaurants, you can lower your carbon footprint by walking or riding your bike. Anytime you can reduce your vehicle usage, you’re helping reduce fossil fuel emissions. Meeting up with friends? Even carpooling helps to make a big difference in fuel emissions. And in addition to patronizing the eco-friendly restaurants in your community, you can also support local businesses that fuel their fleets with biofuels.
Recycle Your Cooking Oil
Helping to repurpose oil isn’t limited to retail businesses: homeowners can also recycle their used cooking oil. Depending on where you live, you may be able to recycle your used cooking oil at a designated drop-off point. SeQuential provides cooking oil drop-off locations for residential customers throughout the West Coast, including:
- SeQuential in Richmond, CA
- SeQuential in Salinas, CA
- Far West Fibers in Portland, OR
- Allied Waste in Salem, OR
- SQ Refuel Station #1 in Eugene, OR
- Island County Transfer Station in Coupeville, WA
- West Van Materials Recovery Center in Vancouver, WA
Compost at Home
If your kitchen garbage can fills up quickly, you can go green by trying out home composting. Eggshells, coffee grounds, and produce waste – such as the peels, stems, and skins on fruits and vegetables – can all be repurposed with a simple home composting system. You’ll keep fruit and veggie scraps out of the landfill and generate less waste. Plus, because compost is a natural fertilizer, you can use it to help you maintain a healthy lawn or garden.
Choose Renewable fuel Fuel With Help From SeQuential
One of the best ways restaurants and cafes can be eco-friendly is by recycling their cooking oil. At SeQuential, we specialize in converting used cooking oil into renewable fuel, which emits up to 76% less greenhouse gas emissions than regular fuel. SeQuential works with restaurants via our used cooking oil collection service – we help you collect your cooking oil and pick it up on a convenient schedule. To learn more about us and partner with SeQuential, contact us today.