How Can We Be More Environmentally Responsible?

What is Being Environmentally Friendly?

Being environmentally friendly means living a lifestyle that is better for our planet and reducing your environmental impact. However, it does require some fundamental behavior changes in our shopping and everyday activities. It does also mean more than sorting your paper from your plastic.

There are many ways you can become more environmentally friendly and lead a sustainable lifestyle. A few practices that can be implemented include;

• conserving water

• driving less and walking more

• Consuming less energy. A great way to do this is by changing lightbulbs - Replace old incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs with LED bulbs.

• buying recycled products

• creating less waste by reducing your use of single-use plastics and paper

• planting more trees

• composting food scraps

Making different choices on a personal level can help in changing your awareness and consumption of resources.

Other ways to be environmentally friendly at home

Invest in eco-friendly technology 

Turning appliances off at the power point will help in lowering electricity costs. You can take it a step further by making sure that the tech and appliances you have are as energy-efficient as possible. This way, you're using much less energy for the time that the product is on, saving money, and reducing your energy output.

Recycle everything

Recycling paper, bottles and cardboard is great, but could you improve your recycling-ability and waste  reduction? You can recycle almost  everything, from batteries to paint. Before you throw it away, take a minute to find out if you could  recycle  it instead. Your local tip or recycling centre may  take things like mattresses, paint and E-waste at a cost. Recycling your food scraps in a compost bin will ensure you always have nutrient rich fertilizer on hand for your gardens.  Take your old clothes, shoes and bed linens to a charitable organization that can re-purpose them for those in need.

Cut out plastic

Plastic seems to be everywhere. To reduce your use of single use plastic, stop buying bottled water, opting for a reusable stainless steel bottle instead. Bring your own bags when grocery shopping and keep your fruit and veg loose in your trolley rather than using a bag. Invest in beeswax wraps to wrap sandwiches and other items in your children’s lunchbox like trail mix or cut up fruit.

Change Transportation

We currently have a campaign where new and existing members will go into a draw to win an ebike. (Ends 30 June 2021) If you live close enough to work, consider using an e-bike as your main mode of transportation.

Cruising on an ebike can save commuters time and effort, so you can arrive at work feeling fresh. You can rule out the sweat factor and extra clothes involved with riding to and from work.

Not only do ebikes provide the benefit of exercise, but because they run differently to other types of powered transportation, they are considered zero-emission vehicles  running on clean  energy as they are powered by a battery. Motor vehicles typically run on gas, petrol or diesel that release carbon emissions into the atmosphere whereas e-bikes don’t.

Changing to an electric or hybrid vehicle is a great leap into becoming environmentally friendly and having a positive impact on the environment. Electric vehicle uptake in Australia is low, however this is expected to rise as cheaper models arrive and more charging infrastructure is rolled out. The biggest bonus is that greenhouse gas emissions can be eliminated if EVs are charged using renewable energy. Using an EV contributes to improving air quality as they produce no carbon dioxide emissions when driving. Thinking of purchasing an EV? Ask us about our car loan products to finance your vehicle.

Support An Environmentally Friendly Business

At Horizon Bank, we have sustainable business practices in place to remain a responsible and influential environmental citizen.

• We have solar panels on our head office building
• We recycle our printer cartridges through Close the Loop
• We use recycled paper for printing, and are constantly reviewing the amount we print to reduce paper usage.
• We have lights that are motion censored in our offices. They turn off if they do not detect motion for a specified amount of time.
• We Promote a healthy working environment by including plant life in our offices.

Another one of our sustainability initiatives is to provide products that promote our members sustainability goals.

Any business can promote a healthy working environment by considering natural light and air ventilation. These improvements can vastly enhance the quality of the air within a workplace, so if you’re a business owner it may be worth getting a professional in to consider the options available. Whether it is installing skylights in a dark and dingy office space or getting ventilation systems added into a busy warehouse or manufacturing area, there are many ways in which the space where employees work can be enhanced.

Some other simple business practices to reduce energy usage is to have energy efficient appliances with standby or energy saving settings. Chemical management and using green products for pest control and weed management is also another way to contribute to environmental practices.

At Horizon bank, we take sustainability and the environment seriously.  Visit us online to learn more about our Green Horizons’ key strategic initiative. 

With branches conveniently located across the Illawarra and far South Coast in Thirroul, Wollongong, Albion Park, Nowra, Ulladulla, Moruya, Bermagui, Bega and Merimbula there is always someone you can chat to in person.

The content in this article has been prepared by Horizon Bank for general information only and it is not intended to be professional advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should seek your own legal, accounting, financial or other professional advice where appropriate, and consider the relevant General Terms and Conditions before deciding whether to acquire any products or services offered by Horizon Bank and/or its affiliated partners. We do not recommend any third party products or services referred to in this article unless otherwise stated and we are not liable in relation to them. Any links to third party websites are for your information and we do not endorse any content on those sites. Horizon Credit Union Ltd ABN 66 087 650 173 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence Number 240573 trading as Horizon Bank.