Revealed: 10 simple steps to lead a greener life in Dubai

Droughts, heat waves and rising water levels are all reminders of the constantly deteriorating state of the planet.

Dubai has launched numerous initiatives to promote a healthier and greener lifestyle among its residents, with plans of transforming itself into a city with the world’s smallest carbon footprint by 2050.

However, as daunting a task it may seem, we as individuals can help make a difference by redirecting our efforts towards a more sustainable lifestyle and help contribute to Dubai’s end goal.

In the hopes of living an eco-friendly lifestyle, here are a few simple steps to initiate the challenge:

1. Recycle

Dubai has made recycling easy by providing residents and visitors with a few options:
– Green truck – a weekly service which collects all your recyclable waste after you have segregated the materials.
– Recycle bins – located throughout the city, near apartments and in public areas for your convenience.
– Take my junk – an organisation which picks up items from old clothes to electronics and sells them for lower prices in low income markets.
– Washmen – a laundry service, which has partnered with Bee’ah to collect your plastic and paper waste for recycling.

2. Save electricity

Reduce the overall energy use in your household with simple actions such as refraining from using lights while there is enough natural light coming in, unplugging electronic devices and appliances when you’re not using them, and using energy efficient lighting (LEDs) for light fixtures.

3. Reusable and eco-friendly products

Find items to replace those you constantly dispose of such as stainless steel water bottles for plastic bottles, reusable coffee cups and reusable sandwich wraps for regular plastic wraps.

There are a plethora of eco-friendly products available in the market such as recycled tissue paper, compostable party plates, clothes made from recycled material, and other biodegradable products.

4. Shop local

A significant amount of waste comes from large grocery stores because of their bundle deals and exclusive offers with extra packaging.

Take advantage of local products available at the grocery store or local markets and make purchases based on necessity, rather than impulse.

5. Stop water wastage

Restrict the amount of water used on a daily basis by being cautious about when you leave water running and reusing water whenever possible.

6. Say no to plastic

There are an abundance of alternatives for plastic products available in the market. For example, you could use canvas bags instead of plastic bags, and compostable cutlery in place of plastic forks and spoons

7. Go paperless

Since we now live in a digital world, we can easily focus our efforts on going paperless. For example, whether we shop in-store or online, we can opt to receive the receipts by email or text versus the standard physical copy.

8. Change your cleaners

Swap out your chemical cleaners for ones that are safer for the environment or create your own at home.

There are a few safe cleaners in the market. Optionally, a lot of YouTube videos offer straightforward DIY steps to create homemade cleaning products.

9. Sustainable commuting

Consider switching to a fully electric vehicle, a hybrid, or public transportation as all these options can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Vehicles are one of the largest factors causing pollution and any change to switch to a cleaner alternative would be a positive one.

10. Compost your food waste

This will help to reduce methane emissions and can help reduce the need for chemical fertilisers.