Reasons to Start Living Green 1

We may not fully realize it, but most Filipinos are raised to be practical and efficient. 

In our homes, we see our parents reuse and upcycle food containers. Ice cream tubs make for durable frozen meat containers. Danish butter cookie containers are repurposed as sewing kits. Takeout containers, plastic bags, and plastic cutlery get more than a second life. “Simot” is the name of the game when it comes to eating, squeezing the toothpaste tube until it’s flat, and watering down bottles of condiments and soap.

These are great practices to teach our household how to be resourceful and get the bang for our buck. However, there’s more to “sulit” and “diskarte” than these systems – they are great steppingstones towards living green. We become more aware of the impact of our choices in food, products, and energy use, thus promoting the health of the planet and all of its inhabitants.

Here are five reasons you should start a lifestyle that’s better for the environment today:

1. It teaches our children valuable lessons.

Reasons to Start Living Green 2

Green living starts at home, and when we practice earth-friendly acts with our family, our children pick up these habits. We can teach them how to plant native and endangered trees by joining tree-planting activities usually held by nonprofit organizations. We can show them how to bring the outdoors in, too, by planting NASA-approved air purifying indoor plants. These make up their green foundations, and they can grow up to be role models. They learn, at an early age, to respect the environment and how conscious living connects us to Mother Earth in all we do – through compassion, care, and love.

2. You can breathe cleaner air.

Reasons to Start Living Green

In a report, the World Health Organization attributes 13 million deaths annually and nearly a quarter of all diseases worldwide to environmental causes that could be avoided or prevented. An unhealthy environment heightens health issues like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

So, when we do our part in taking care of the environment and then influence others, we protect ourselves and our loved ones from the climate’s effects on health – especially on the air we breathe. Going green at home reduces air pollutants – so if you’re looking for a sign to buy more indoor plants, this is it.

3. You can eat healthier.

Reasons to Start Living Green

When we choose to make eco-friendly food choices, we support sustainable methods that support our planet – from farming, production, processing, packaging, and transportation of food. We can buy local – food grown within 45 kilometers of where we live – because the shorter the food chain, the less waste created before it reaches our kitchen. We can also support organizations that practice fair trade and with sustainable certifications. In turn, we can eat fresher and healthier food options while supporting and creating a better work environment for our farmers.  

4. You can help the future generation.

Reasons to Start Living Green

Using fossil fuels for energy is one of the biggest culprits for climate change – and sadly, one of the biggest problems that we have little control over. However, we can make lifestyle changes to help curb this. We can reduce our energy consumption and switch to energy-efficient appliances. This way, we conserve energy in our homes and reduce carbon emissions, which create a better and habitable planet for the next generation. 

5. Mother Earth will thank you.

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Since the 1970s, the global population has doubled, and the utilization of natural resources to fuel economic development has more than tripled – and continues to grow. There may be gains, but they have come at a monumental cost to nature. Aside from policy interventions from global leaders, we, as citizens, would need to be eco-conscious too. By reusing and recycling, we help slow down consumption and reduce the quantity of waste sent to landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for every ton of paper we recycle, we save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill spaces, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water. Mother Earth will definitely be happy.

Green living is not new, but the pandemic has shown us how urgent it is to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle. Let’s make cleaner air, clearer vistas, and bicycle-friendly streets part of our new normal. After all, with a greener planet, we become healthier – and a healthy person is a productive citizen.

Dreams are built green at Filinvest. As we stay attuned to the changing lifestyles of Filipinos, we continue to build the Filipino dream with sustainable, future-forward principles that ensure healthy and quality living in the new normal and beyond. We believe that the way forward is always green – and this is our inspiration as we craft more homes and communities.

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