The environment is a shared space where we all meet together. Being kind to the environment is an important consideration, and teaching kids to be eco-friendly is especially important. Remember they are the future generation.

Life is a cyclic process of constant learning and those who are learning the most are children. Parents are the role models for their kids. They learn best by watching and interacting with their parents. So parents and adults around them need to behave responsibly. As parents, we need to teach them about how to take care of the planet. If we want our children to be aware of how important the earth is, we need to teach them with our actions and our words.

It’s important to pass down skills on how to love and care for the environment to the children.

Here are some ways you can teach your child to love the environment and take care of it. If one option doesn’t work, there are many other ways available; just use the one that suits your child best.

1. Spend time outside in nature

The best way to start your child on the eco-conscious journey is to show them the love of the outdoors. Take them to places like parks to play, out fishing, for bicycle rides and on hiking trails or even for camping. In the process, your children will associate the outdoors with fun and adopt habits that conserve the environment.

2. Shopping for children

Explain to children that they can buy more eco-friendly items, whether it is clothing, toys, or other items. Analyze each of your shopping choices with the children. You will be surprised at how much they already know. Teach children to find deals and coupons online rather than collecting them from newspapers and magazines. This way, they can learn to go paperless and also get a sense of saving money. Parents can also teach kids to shop for second-hand (reused) items, clothing, and toys.

3. Encouraging the reusing and recycling of materials

Teaching your children about reusing and recycling materials is an art in itself. There is one activity that helps keep our surroundings clean: recycling. Make recycling a habit in your home and teach your children to separate trash and have different bins for each type. Also, go with them when you are dumping the waste so they can see how organized recycling can be and adapt it as a way of life.

Boxes, wrapping papers, toilet paper rolls, and plastics can be reused for special purposes. Help kids to make creative and decorative boxes that they can use for school stationary, closets, or elsewhere.

4. Conserve water and food

Teaching children how to preserve food and beverages in the fridge or freezer is a fantastic way to avoid throwing away huge amounts of food leftovers. Don’t forget about lowering the water usage in your household. Teaching your kids to turn off the tap when they are done with one task is not so hard. Just keep emphasizing this action to them.

5. Encourage children to use environmentally friendly means of transport

Teach the children to walk or ride a cycle to a place they need to go that is not far away from home. It’s a great way to save fuel and also minimize air pollution. Make sure you explain to your children the effects of air pollution.

6. Plant a small garden

A great way to raise an eco-conscious kid is to teach them sustainable gardening. Growing things and playing in soil is a great way to make a child appreciate nature. During your activities, teach them how to create manure using recycled waste. Teach children to plant a tree, and let them experience the wonders of nature.

Tell them they can serve humanity by just planting a tree, as it gives oxygen which all humans can absorb. Trees can also provide fruits, vegetables, fibers, wood, and a shelter for animals and birds.

There is a famous quote: “He, who plants trees, loves others beside himself.” – Dr. Thomas Fuller.

7. Cleaning

Teach your children to pick after themselves and deposit waste responsibly. Have you seen adults that throw trash around in public? These are probably individuals that were not taught the importance of proper waste disposal in their childhood. Your child should always know that littering is wrong. They should know how to clear after themselves and take each item of litter to its appropriate disposal point.

8. Encourage eco-friendly tasks

We should give some independence to our children while performing certain eco-friendly tasks. Kids can be taught to independently turn off the lights when they are not being used, unplug devices that are not being used, turn off the water-tap while brushing their teeth, or open the windows for a fresh breeze. This will create a sense of responsibility and a connection towards eco-friendly living. Each time a child engages in such tasks, praise and reinforce them.

Kids can be taught how to respect the environment. It’s all about explaining it in ways that are fun, interesting, and easy to understand. Kids are eager to help, step by step.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing it ever has.” –Margaret Mead. Remember this small group of thoughtful committed citizens do not have to be adults. Start young. Start slow. Encourage one another.

Photography: Have you ever wondered how people get those beautiful finishes on their photos of their products? In this article I will share my experience with you on using two cheap alternatives that you can use in the comfort of your own home.

Me and photography go a long way back, however product photography was never on the table. Simply because I was more interested in taking photos of nature or traveling. However, since I am a Graphic Design intern at Go Eco Love, I have been tasked to create something new and get to know this field of photography better by putting into use my existing skills.

Due to the pandemic and other circumstances I was not able to go to a photo studio to ensure a quality shoot, and that’s when I realised that creating my own light box will help solve this problem and also help me in the long run. Taking photos using the box seriously elevated the level and the look of the products that I shot to use on Amazon.

I first learned how to make a light box from Youtube – DaWanda English, but you can also find useful tips here: blog.martinbelan.com. The box is inexpensive to make. It’s simply a cardboard box, white paperboard and some tissue paper.

By taking photos inside a box that diffuses natural light from all sides, you can remove shadows. You can also give a white, magazine-like look to your photos, like this (this photo was created in the DIY box):

I was also searching for comparison videos, blogs or articles where photographers would compare the cheaper DIY box to a more professional and, yes, more expensive product.

Honestly, I could not find one, so I decided to take this opportunity to show you: is it really worth the money to buy a box from Amazon, or can you create the same quality photos for your products at home?

I had the opportunity to borrow a photobox purchased on Amazon from the founder of Go Eco Love, therefore I was able to use both boxes at home to compare the differences between them.

By looking at the photos, I think both boxes do the job quite well with a minimal difference. Taking pictures with different camera settings, or even using flash had a bigger impact on the quality than the box itself. Hence why I would recommend the DIY version 100%!

Pros against the Amazon one is that you can fold it, so therefore it is easier to store this box at home, especially in a small apartment like mine! It also has an additional LED lighting as an extra, however using flash with the DIY can compensate for this easily.

Cons on the other hand is of course its price and if you definitely want to use the LED, you have to use a cable to connect it to your computer. If you don’t have too much space like me, it could be problematic.

Pros for the DIY box are: you can carry it around the house or flat without a cable; it is also cheaper, and you can always create a new one if it gets damaged – and recycle the damaged one!

Cons: it does not have an additional light (unless you attach one yourself, but that is an additional cost to consider), and it is harder to store in a small flat.

The conclusion for me was this: there are all sorts of uses of the lightbox in photography, so consider building a light box if you want professional-looking results on a budget. Remember that the most important thing is the end product and not the tools you used to get it right!

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An eco-friendly business, or “green business” demonstrates a commitment to an environmentally sustainable future. A green industry business uses sustainable materials to make its products.

Green businesses strive to have a positive impact on the environment and their community. This can be achieved through many practices and strategies, from recycling to sourcing local products to promoting energy efficiency. Eco-friendliness is a method of commodity production that is less or not harmful to the environment. So these businesses support renewable resources and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

These businesses use as little water, energy and raw materials as possible while cutting carbon emissions or it finds ways to utilize these materials in renewable and eco-friendly ways. In some cases, if waste is generated, it is reused as energy or raw material. Sustainable and green business ideas combine the business’ commitment to the environment with the objectives of the business. This minimizes the business’ strain on natural resources and contributions to climate change. Social and ecological commitment that in addition to positive changes in the world generate profits for the business.

Here are some innovative and eco-friendly business ideas that serve the purpose of sustainability and are profitable as well.

1. Green walls

Placing natural plants on interior and exterior walls of offices or architecture and decoration offices, among others. Preparing walls with a coating helps to avoid humidity, the generation of insects or the proliferation of bacteria.

2. Using Ecological disposable products

A disposable utensil is used at least once a week to collect these products. To reduce environmental damage, it disposes of products made from organic elements. These, unlike the others, biodegrade completely in a time of 90 to 240 days, since they are consumed by bacteria and microorganisms from the ground.

3. Advertising using bicycles

Means of transport, bicycles can serve as an advertising medium, mounting advertisements on their wheels or on adapted structures at the rear. Hire drivers for several units and monitor them with an app and a GPS system that counts the kilometers traveled. Set your rates based on the number of bicycles hired and the kilometers traveled per day or month. Your potential customers: advertising agencies, local businesses or companies seeking to position their brand.

4. Car wash without water

Contribute to saving this vital liquid by providing the car wash service with biodegradable products that replace water. Be even more ecological by using bicycles as a means of transport. Another good idea is to get a mobile point of sale terminal (POS) to charge with a Smartphone or Tablet.

5. Dry cleaning and ecological laundry

Few people have the time, space or desire to wash or iron in their homes. Start with a dry cleaner in a local area, at street level or in a shopping center. It offers added value by using machinery that minimizes the use of water compared to traditional dry cleaning machines – and biodegradable detergents.

6. Urban repairs

This process allows the damaged viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum to be recovered and reused to minimize the use of new material, which is a petroleum derivative. Potential customers are: hospitals, schools, companies and even local governments. Try to hire two to three people to do the repairs or create alliances with contractor companies.

7. Intimate hygiene

The use of disposable products – diapers and sanitary napkins – have a high environmental impact, since they are considered by the Waste Law as “inorganic of limited use” because the reuse of their components is almost nil. Help reduce impact by marketing sustainable products such as cloth diapers and menstrual cups.

8. Organic responsibility

Those who have specific food needs with the marketing of organic bread and desserts made from certified inputs. Take care to make them free of milk, eggs, sugar, preservatives and hormones, so that they can be consumed by vegans or people with conditions such as diabetes, autism or cancer. To wholesale, go to organic markets, hospitals and foundations that serve people with these conditions.

9. Solar panels

The installation of solar panels is a trend that has gained interest in the country.

It serves regions where the electricity grid is scarce, businesses with high energy consumption or even families concerned about reducing their polluting emissions and spending on their bills.

10. Filters and water purifiers

It contributes to reducing this contamination by marketing portable filters for taps and bottles that eliminate 100% of bacteria and parasites. Installation takes five minutes and anyone can do it; so you can sell the packaged product or install it yourself.

11. Biodegradable for pets

Avoiding bad odors at home and not harming the health of pets are two common concerns of their owners. It meets these needs by marketing biodegradable products made from essential oils. Your catalog can range from soaps, shampoo and odor remover to repellents and aromatherapy products to reduce stress for animals.

12. Natural comics

One of its most recent exploits is in the beauty industry. It sells cosmetics made from this cactus, such as mascara for eyelashes, make-up removers, powders and body creams, free of substances derived from petroleum. With a sustainable or people with specific dermatological needs, promote, market and process your orders using digital platforms.

13. Organic crops

Organic markets are opening the door to small producers, and join this opportunity with your own cultivation of vegetables and ornamental plants. Train yourself to master the cultivation methods and the different techniques –garden, hydroponics or greenhouse–, as well as irrigation systems, plant nutrition and pest control. Your main customers are: shops, local markets and your acquaintances or supply centers.

14. Gas savers

Gasoline and electricity prices continue to rise. Help citizens to have savings on these expenses with a business for the sale and installation of savers. The regular consumption of gasoline, diesel and electricity, as well as the reduction of minerals accumulated in the water pipes. The equipment is installed in hoses, tubes or pass-through wiring in as little as 10 minutes.

As well as looking at the fundamentals of a business, there are some simple ways to make day-to-day activities more eco-friendly too.

Here are easy ways to make your business more environmentally friendly.

1. Save Energy

To avoid wasting power in your office, there are some super simple solutions you can implement.

Activate power management systems
Shut down tech at night
Lighting tips
Let fresh air in

And harness the power of nature to cool your business in summer by opening windows and doors rather than putting on the air conditioning.

2. Choose Green Suppliers and Partners

Green energy suppliers
Other eco-friendly companies

From sustainable raw materials suppliers to carbon balanced printers and even eco-friendly web hosts, there are heaps of green partners out there, so you can ensure your whole network is as environmentally friendly as possible.

To keep our carbon footprint down and to ensure our service is as sustainable as possible, we fuel our servers with 100% renewable energy.

3. Go Paperless

Paperless billing

There’s no need to send out paper bills and invoices nowadays. E-bills, app notifications and internet banking are commonplace and go paperless.

Digital docs

To make your business more environmentally friendly, try to avoid using paper and printing as much as possible. Virtual sign-off, fillable PDF forms and online ordering are just some of the other ways you can let go of the letterhead.

Avoid single-use paper

And don’t forget about other paper use too. At Solve, we also avoid things like single-use kitchen rolls and paper towels in the bathrooms.

4. Save Water

In the kitchen

Use a dishwasher in the office kitchen and wash all the day’s dirty dishes together rather than individual office members washing them by hand throughout the day.

In the bathroom

Look at dual flush toilets which can use less water and push taps to avoid water wastage.

Collect rainwater

Collect rainwater to quench the thirst of your office plants and grassy areas where you could even flush your toilets with it!

5. Recycle & Reuse

Waste packaging

Encouraging recycling and reusing is important in any green business. If you’re a retail business, you could sell branded reusable products like shopping bags and coffee cups. Encourage employees to use reusable lunch packaging, or even provide them with branded, bento-style lunch boxes – great for marketing and the environment

Food waste

Try selling leftover cafeteria food at the end of the day or even an informal noticeboard for staff to share out short-dated produce and save it from the bin.

Community initiatives

6. Encourage Walking & Cycling to Work

To reduce the environmental impact of your business, you can encourage your employees to take more eco-friendly transport to work like cycling, walking or running.

7. Reduce Unnecessary Travel

Minimising travel wherever we can if it can be done virtually, saves emissions and goes digital.

If you really do need to travel, try to maximise your trip by combining multiple visits.

8. Create a Green Space

A simple way to create a healthy, more environmentally friendly workplace is to make it greener. Plants absorb the carbon dioxide we breathe out and release fresh oxygen back into the environment, which can cleanse the air at the same time. Using your free window sills to grow fresh herbs that can be used by staff at lunchtimes.

9. Be the Change

As an eco-friendly business, you could promote horticulture and sustainability within your staff and community by getting involved in things like tree-planting events or community gardening projects. If there aren’t initiatives within your local area, why not organise some? Use your power as a business to drive change and promote your green thinking and values to your following. Share your knowledge and encourage others to get involved.

To better preserve our planet for future generations, we all need to do our bit to tackle issues like climate change, deforestation and pollution together. Businesses have a huge part to play so do whatever you can for the environment at all levels of your life.

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Children learn what they live, they understand and develop an appreciation of nature at an early age. One day a child will be an independent decision-maker, educator and so on. Teaching them today about eco-friendliness will undoubtedly affect their future day-to-day life choices and eco-friendly habits. Plus, teaching them how to lead a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle will teach them to take responsibility for their actions and maintain a healthier planet.

Recently, everybody has been crazy about “go green” and it’s a good thing to follow. When it comes to any actions we take around the house to save energy, water, recycle, reduce waste, etc. the effects are positive.

Why Is It Important to Teach Children About Eco-Friendly Living?

There are efficient and easy-to-apply ways to teach the next generation eco-friendly living. Here are some ways to raise a eco-conscious kid & to keep the fun flowing while building a strong foundation for future eco friendly behavior of your kid:

Inspire to Spend more time hanging outside in nature.

This simple trick will teach your children respect for the outdoors.

Kids almost naturally like to spend time outside. They like to play in the park, go for walks, ride bikes, go skating, climb trees, etc. As long as they are outdoors, they will be happy. Don’t stifle this love by keeping them connected to the TV or other electronic devices all day. Encourage their love of nature. Encourage them to absorb the fresh air.

Teach and encourage your children to use environmentally friendly means of transport or public transport.

As a family, choose a mode of transportation with the least amount of damage to the environment whenever possible. This may include taking public transit, riding your bikes when spending free time with your family, and walking instead of driving. Teaching your children to use public transit to environmentally-harmful means of transport from an early age will also benefit your child’s attitudes in the future.

Get your kids using reusable containers.

My kids use their own water bottles to take on walks, when we go somewhere in the car, and reusable containers and water bottles when they take food to day camp or school or etc

Educate your kids to reduce waste.

Reducing waste by eating all the food on their plate, only using the materials they need and saving any leftover materials for next time and cutting down on unnecessary packaging. It also helps them to appreciate food and their blessings.

Teach them the importance of saving water.

Save water when they brush their teeth, when they wash their hands, when they take a bath (or shower), when they help do the laundry or dishes, etc. Reusing gray water (without soap) to water plants is also something most kids enjoy doing.

Start recycling.

A few simple steps are all it takes to get your kids into recycling. When kids understand that recycling allows for one item to be saved so it can begin a whole “new life” as something else, they get interested.

Saving energy.

Involve your kids by making them responsible for saving energy in their own rooms and around the house. Turning off lights during the day or when they leave a room. Opening their shades or blinds in the morning to let natural light in, rather than using electricity.

Gardening.

Kids love to create new things. They love to see things grow and love knowing their actions helped make those things grow. Teach them to grow their own vegetables. How to care for them from seed to table. Get them to know all food doesn’t need to come from grocery stores. They can grow their own.

These are environmentally-friendly actions you and your kids can take. Remember, it’s not about teaching your kids to be “greener”, it’s about teaching kids to be smarter. To respect and care for the environment around them and the earth itself.

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