Living in a big city is like living in a different world than you do in the suburbs or in rural areas. New Yorkers have developed eco-friendly habits to benefit the environment, their neighborhood, and their wallets. Some eco-friendly habits save you big money on energy bills. Additionally, they help them reduce the load on the essential services in the city. Here are the top eco-friendly things that New Yorkers do.
Recycle When Possible
Recycling is entirely possible if you know where to start. Many businesses in New York offer recycling stations to encourage reusing materials. New Yorkers recycle when possible because they don’t want all of their trash ending up in landfills or the ocean.
Take Public Transportation
Public transportation is everywhere in New York City. You can go anywhere you want in the city, without needing your own vehicle. Walking is a daily habit and this is great news for eco-friendly New Yorkers who want to make choices that help the environment. They know that owning 2-3 vehicles per household isn’t necessary. So, they take the bus, the Subway, or a Taxi instead. And if they do have a car, it’s most likely something fuel-efficient.
Buy Eco-Friendly Cars
One of the most important things you can do is to buy fuel-efficient cars. Look around the next time you are in New York. There are far fewer trucks and SUVs than there are smaller, eco-friendly cars. They understand that you need to drive, but that you also do not need to have gas-guzzling vehicles. New Yorkers love full electric vehicles for this reason. More and more parking garages in the cities are adding electric car charging ports to help accommodate these eco-friendly car options.
Buy Local
Look past the initial cost of buying local foods and goods. And look at the impact it has on the environment. Eco-friendly New Yorkers buy from local farms, at farmer’s markets, and from retailers who carry local products. When food isn’t carried as far it helps to reduce the impact on the environment. Fewer resources like fuel are used, and this also means better prices for better quality products.
Carry Reusable Straws and Cups
When you’re going to Starbucks daily, you need to think about the impact that your habits have on the environment. One of the eco-friendly things that most New Yorkers do is to bring their own cup or a reusable straw when needed. These little habits add up and contribute to a healthier planet that has less waste. Using plastic cups and straws from the restaurant creates a significant amount of waste. If everyone brought their own cups or used their own straws, they would cut down on trash by tons of waste per year.
Take Short Showers
Are you the kind of person who loves baths or could take a long, hot shower? When you’re looking to be environmentally friendly, taking showers is important. Not only that, but you should limit the length of those showers to help conserve water. In New York City, this habit is especially helpful as there are millions of people in a small area and they use a lot of water every single day.
Watch Energy Consumption
New Yorkers know that there are times of year to especially watch their energy consumption. This includes things like turning off lights when you aren’t in a room and keeping thermostats at moderate temperatures. In the summer, they keep the AC around 75 degrees and in the winter they stay closer to 70 to help conserve energy. This careful attention to their energy consumption rewards them with lower utility bills and helps the environment.
Unplug Appliances When They Aren’t in Use
Did you know that your appliances draw energy even when they aren’t being used? Just by being plugged in, they are pulling energy. Think about those on and off lights that even some TVs come equipped with. While it may be convenient to know whether your things are off or on, it doesn’t help your utility bills, and it’s wasteful. New Yorkers know that they need to unplug appliances when they aren’t in use to reduce the amount of electricity they consume when they aren’t using something.
