Eco-Friendly Begins at Home

Growing up, I was taught not to waste. Little did I realise that most of my childhood habits were a part of what we now call, being eco-friendly. If we collectively reduce, reuse, and recycle we might make planet Earth a better place, and these habits begin at home.

Homemade With Love

We are a family that repurposes, which means our daughter gets to play with homemade toys. How cool is it when we look back to know that she learnt her colours because I repurposed an old kuaidi box and created a colour sorting game. Or the first bed for her dolly is designed and made from an old shoebox. 

Focus on Essentials

To help our family reduce unnecessary items, it helps to differentiate a need versus a want. My 3-year-old may want a diet of lollipops and cookies,but as her mum we need to make healthier diet choices. Understanding the difference between the two will come in very handy later, especially for bigger budget items like new phones, computers, iPads. Not a day I look forward to, but I know we will get through it. 

Creative Housework

We try to conserve at home, so water from the de-humidifier is used to water our plants and to mop the floor. We also recycle used coffee grinds and make our own body scrub, or put in my potted plants. 

Our kid’s job is to let us know which de-humidifier needs emptying.
We also make sorting our garbage into a little game. Just like how she tidies up after playing with her toys, she knows which bin to use. We keep our home more energy efficient by turning off the air con and lights in our apartment if we are not in a room (except the nanny cam, that stays on).

Bring Your Own

When we go grocery shopping, we love taking our reusable bag. This also means we need to be detailed in our list, so we know everything fits in our bags. 

We often bring our own Tupperware to store our leftovers when eating out to minimise plastic consumption at the restaurant. However, refrain from taking the handy Tupperware when it comes to buffet dining, that is a cheapskate move and one the restaurant may not appreciate.

Grow It

After last year’s lockdown in Shanghai, I became inspired by all the at-home gardeners. Growing a garden is a survival skill and one that I enjoy learning about together with my daughter. Knowing how long it takes to grow something teaches us how to appreciate our food and respect the farmers.

Healthy Lifestyle

One part of being eco-friendly is doing healthy exercise together as family. Walking and exercising are good habits to keep the body active, and it’s never too early to develop a healthy lifestyle.

Other ways we enjoy making our home environmentally friendly is:

• Supporting local growers

• Buying products that are made from recycled materials, or are biodegradable

• Using energy-efficient light bulbs

• Line dry laundry

Are you ready to get creative? We hope this is inspiring for your family! 

Our kid’s job is to let us know which de-humidifier needs emptying.We make sorting our garbage into a little game. Just like how she tidies up after playing with her toys, she helps us throw items in the trash, with direction of course.