Governments hold climate talks, yet make no real promises to commit to anything. It is up to you to change things for the better, to ensure a greener and healthier environment for future generations.

Here are a few ways you can do that:

1.     Recycling

The simple act of recycling your trash is one of the single most effective things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. All you need to do is to sort your trash into different categories, namely paper, plastic, tin and glass. Don’t throw away any food items. Create your own compost heap at home and throw any garden waste and food items on it. Hey, it’s free garden fertilizer.

The city of Cape Town has 20 recycling centres across the city. You can drop off any recyclable material at any of the places listed on their website: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/solidwaste/Pages/ReduceReuseRecycle.aspx

2.     Turn off all lights and electronics

Turning off your lights when not using them will not only help reduce your carbon footprint, but will also save you a bunch of money. The easiest way to do this is to switch off the light as soon as you leave the room and back on only when you need it.

Make sure you switch on electronic equipment only when you are using it, even energy efficient electronics use quite a lot of power. And all electronics still use power in standby mode.

Remember to turn off your TV and lights when going to bed; you will be surprised at how much more peacefully you sleep.

3.     Switch to CFL bulbs

They may be a bit more expensive than ordinary bulbs, but they will save you a lot of money in the long run. Firstly, they use less power, so your electricity bill will lessen. Secondly, they last longer, so you don’t need to replace them as often. Some CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs even have a day-night sensor, so it switches itself on when you need it. Clever, hey!

4.     Don’t use what you don’t need

Some of the biggest users of electricity in your home are the stuff you don’t really need.  The biggest one is your tumble dryer. One cycle of your tumble dryer can use as much as 5000 watts of power. So, as an alternative, hang your clothes on a clothesline. Trust me, you’ll be thankful for how much you save.

5.     Car pool

Travelling between work and back every day causes massive amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the air every day. You can help reduce your carbon footprint by travelling to work and back with a colleague. This will cut your fuel costs in half and help save the environment.

Please remember, it’s the little things you do that make the biggest difference. So go out and help save our most beautiful planet.

(This a post by our intern Kristian Meijer)

(Image by lydiashiningbrightly, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)