Green Ways of Commuting in Chicago After You Move
You've finally made the move to the big city and you did it in the most eco-friendly way possible. With a green moving company, rented reusable moving boxes from The Chicago Green Box, and plenty of other eco-friendly moving hacks, you're ready to live it up in Chicago.
Now that you're settled in your new apartment or condo, you want to continue living as green as you can. One of the key ways you can help the environment is by choosing an environmentally-friendly way to commute to work each day. Here are some of the best green ways of commuting in Chicago.
Chicago Transit Authority
One of the first choices on the list of eco-friendly commuting in Chicago is the Chicago Transit Authority or CTA. This environmentally conscious public transit option works hard to protect the environment while helping commuters get to and from work every single day.
CTA offers sustainable transportation helping to replace the need for motor vehicle trips, along with reducing traffic congestion on the roads. Also, the vehicles used for rail and bus transportation provide reduced emissions through alternative fuel sources and advanced technologies.
As a commuter, you can use the trains and busses offers by CTA for a green way to commute in Chicago. They have also established the Bike & Ride program to ensure better bicycle access to rail stations and bus routes.
Divvy Bike Share
Maybe the best way to commute to work, if you want to be super eco-friendly is through the Divvy Bike Share Program. With stations throughout Chicago, you can join the program and use bikes to get to and from wherever you need to go.
An annual membership runs $99 and you'll be able to commute via bike to many of the major areas throughout Chicago. With more than 570 stations and over 6,000 bikes available across Chicago and Evanston, Divvy offers the ultimate solution for the eco-friendly commuter.
You can even use Divvy Bikes to connect to the train or bus station of your choice making your commute both eco-friendly and fast.
Pace Vanpool
A rideshare program offering larger vans to transport 5 to 13 people at a time, Pace Vanpool is offered all throughout Chicago and surrounding areas. You can use this rideshare program for commuting to work, the airport, or anywhere you need to go.
While a rideshare may not be the greenest way to commute in Chicago, sharing a vehicle does help lower emissions. If you live near other people working in a similar area as you, a regular rideshare with Pace Vanpool may be the perfect solution.
By Foot
Of course, if you can walk to work, you will have the best option for a green way of commuting in Chicago. Walking to work is the dream for many people living in Chicago. If it's possible, walk to work whenever the weather cooperates.
After moving to Chicago, you have plenty of options to make your daily commute eco-friendly. Whether you choose to commute by bus, train, bike, rideshare, or foot, you'll be doing your part to help preserve the environment.
How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint in Your New Home
When you are preparing to move into your new home, you may be ready for a fresh start and to make some new changes to your routine. That’s why this is the perfect time to start thinking about how you can reduce your carbon footprint as you enter into this new chapter of life.
While you may have slacked off on recycling before or had a bad habit of leaving the lights on when you left the room, this is the time to start making changes. Along with starting these new habits, here are some other great ways to reduce your carbon footprint going forward.
Reusable packing supplies
Before you even move in, you can start going green by choosing reusable moving boxes over those traditional cardboard boxes you’ve likely used in the past. Choosing a green move is the first step is reducing your carbon footprint and making better decisions in your new home.
These types of moving boxes are made of plastic and they work like a traditional plastic bin you’d buy at the store when needing storage solutions around the house. These are great for protecting your items more efficiently while avoiding any waste that would come with buying cardboard boxes and other one-time use packing products. You can just rent the amount you need from your moving company and they will pick them up for you after you’ve settled in.
Reduce energy use
Now that you’re home, it’s time to start reducing the energy use around your new home. By starting these habits now, you won’t even realize you are doing it. Start by unplugging your devices more regularly. Even if your device is not charging, it will suck energy just by being plugged into a socket.
You can also make simple changes around the house such as switching to LED lightbulbs, turning off lights when you leave a room, and hanging laundry to dry rather than using the dryer. Check your insulation and weather-stripping to make sure you aren’t losing air conditioning or heat, while also making sure that your heating and cooling ducts are sealed.
Be sure to turn off appliances, shut curtains, moderate your thermostat, and minimize energy use by buying energy-efficient equipment and appliances. You can have an energy audit done to see what other areas could be causing any wasted energy.
Plant a garden
Did you know that something as simple as your home garden can reduce your carbon footprint? Since plants absorb carbon dioxide to help humans, and green spaces help to cool off cities that are experiencing too much heat from all of the concrete and pavement, you can make a difference in your neighborhood. If you can plant trees for shade, it will help your energy bills, but a downtown apartment could benefit from a community garden or green roof.
Eat local, fresh food
You may not have thought about how your food consumption affects your carbon footprint, but by eating local, you’ll save the environment for experiencing the harmful effects of shipping food from out of the area. In addition, food closer to you is healthier and fresher.
Food that has waste fuel to be transported to you will usually be picked earlier causing it to be less fresh and might be processed which could have harmful chemicals in the food. Eating local supports local farmers which will support your local economy. You also may want to consider eating less meat so that you can contribute to a smaller need for greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycle
Lastly, the easiest way to go green in your new home is to start recycling. Once you start this habit, you’ll find yourself trying to do it everywhere you go, from the office to travel. You can search online for ways to recycle unique items like furniture.
By making more conscious decisions about everyday tasks, you’ll find that you’ll start to naturally reduce your carbon footprint. Use these tips to get started with your upcoming move!