How To Make Your Commute More Eco-Friendly

Being eco-friendly is the least we can do for the environment. You can make your workout routine eco-friendly, and you can do it for your nighttime routine, too! One thing we may not think about, though, is how our daily commute can be made more eco-friendly. We're often told to carpool, but there's got to be more to it than that, right? 

If there is one thing that life during the pandemic has taught us, it's that doing things from home is rather eco-friendly. People aren't commuting to offices and various other jobs as much, people aren't driving to see friends and family as much, and the list could go on forever. With less driving, less gas is being polluted into the atmosphere. Now, we're not saying don't visit family, but when it comes to working from home and thus not commuting as much, you're actually being really eco-friendly! This is something we can think about post-pandemic when we're driving more. For example, before you get in the car to go somewhere, think about if you actually need to go to that place, or try to combine all of your errands into one trip to save not only pollution emission into the atmosphere but also your gas money (via FlexJobs).

In addition to questioning when you need to commute places, think about how you're commuting. Could you be taking public transit or a bike? We know this doesn't work everywhere, but big changes can be made in places where these options are viable (Net Impact). Moreover, when you're considering your work life, consider options such as working only four days instead of five or only going into the office some days and working the rest from home (via The Green Living Guy). All of these options cut down on pollution and make your carbon footprint smaller. What's more, if you can afford it, you can invest in an electric car. If you can't afford an electric car but have an older car, you can consider updating to a newer gas car, because even newer gas cars use better technology that pollute less than older cars (via United States Environmental Protection Agency).

While it's become rather cliché-sounding, every little bit really does make a difference. It's never a bad time to step back and reflect on your habits — such as commuting — to see how you can make even small changes in your everyday life.