Eco-friendly Emergency Preparedness Tips

Eco-conscious emergency preparedness tips

Store your water in large containers instead of buying multiple packs of single serving water bottles. The less rubbish you produce the better, even if it is recyclable. Plastic is detrimental to the environment, so you want to use it little as possible.

Fill buckets, pots, and bathtubs up with water for flushing the toilet, washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc. Older toilets can use 3.5-7 gallons of water with every flush, but if you use a toilet manufactured after 1994, it will only use up to 1.6 gallons per flush.

A rain catchment system also works well for capturing water for non-potable uses. It is recommended to have rain catchment year round to use for plants and other non-potable uses, but be especially helpful during emergencies, as it stores a large amount of water.

Don’t just stock up on canned food. Buy fruit, vegetables, nuts, and other food that can be consumed without heat. Fruit and vegetables are perishable, but they will last you the few days, or even weeks, that you need until power is restored, and you will avoid the waste of single serve food containers. If you do use food stored in aluminum cans, make sure to wash them out before recycling them when power is restored. Most plastic single serve food packaging is not recyclable.

An eco-first-aid kit should include: Calendula gel or lotion for burns. It will ease pain, prevent infection and quicken healing. Cinnamon essential oil can quickly reduce bleeding from any source. Goldenseal capsules are a good choice to have to prevent infection internally and topically. Activated charcoal powder counteracts diarrhea, absorbs viruses, bacteria and parasites, and many more first aid uses.

Opt for a solar generator instead of a diesel generator for lighting and ancillary devices. You may have to stick with a diesel generator or a more heavy duty solar generator with panels for more heavy duty appliances like refrigeration. To keep you phones, laptops, and lights powered, a small solar powered generator with panels could provide a great solution. Make sure you buy compatible panels for your generator and find out if you need any cables or other equipment to facilitate charging.

Hand crank devices are great eco-friendly devices for emergencies since they require no electricity or batteries. This particular model was chosen because it can be powered with a crank, solar energy, or micro USB. It functions as a radio, flashlight, and cell phone charger!

Choose products and supplies that are made of sustainable sources when possible to stock your emergency kit. An eco-friendly disaster kit for is a good choice on many levels.