Byron HoffmanClimate change is disturbing the peace of our planet. It is causing rising sea levels and melting glaciers, which results in hotter and more extreme weather conditions.
While it may seem daunting, remember that environmental change is a gradual process. By making slow and steady adjustments, we can work towards a healthier planet for future generations.
Adopting sustainable home practices can help you do your part for the environment. Each person can make a significant contribution while benefiting from reduced home costs.
Here, you can discover the best ways to make your home eco-friendly.
Assess Your Insulation
Poor insulation could be why your home feels excessively warm in the summer and cold in the winter. Insulation protects our homes against changing conditions, allowing you to easily regulate the temperature without too much air conditioning or heating need.
When your insulation is thinning or damaged, your home’s temperature will be difficult to maintain. Fixing the poor insulation, adding draught excluders, and improving the window sealant are simple yet great ways to improve heat regulation in your home. Improved heat regulation will require less heating and cooling, reducing energy use.
Food Waste Compositing
Most people recycle plastics and paper, but fewer people contribute to the food waste compost box. Correctly compositing food waste is an effective organic waste management system.
While it might not feel nice to touch leftovers and cold puddles of fruit and vegetables, this simple practice can do wonders for the entire. The nutrients from leftover foods provide the Earth with more moisture and health, contributing to the growth of plants and biodiversity.
Remembering to recycle your food waste as much as your plastics and paper will become a new habit that can significantly impact the planet.
Upcycle your furniture
Instead of buying new furniture for your home, it is more eco-friendly to upcycle your existing pieces.
Whether you are looking for a new coffee table or coat stand, you could use the items you already have (and don’t use often) to create the items you are seeking. Using materials that you already have reduces your carbon footprint and also recycling.
When you buy furniture, it often comes with excessive packaging. Plastic is the slowest material to decompose as its not biodegradable. Hence, reduce your carbon footprint and plastic use by upcycling furniture in your home.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Using eco-friendly cleaning products is a simple way to make your home more eco-friendly. Many cleaning products contain hidden synthetic chemicals like phosphates and phthalates.
Swapping these for natural ingredients is much safer for your health and will reduce your contribution to climate change. The best natural ingredients for sufficient home cleaning include lemon, baking soda, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and salt. You can buy natural, eco-friendly cleaning products from the store or make your own.
Energy-Savings Appliances
Energy-saving appliances have profound sustainability benefits. Traditional lightbulbs and powerful appliances can use 95% more energy than an energy-saving option.
Upgrading your washing machine, refrigerator, lightbulbs, and dishwasher is wise, as most of us use them daily. Look for appliances rated A, as these are the most efficient.
Turn Your Plugs Sockets Off When Not In Use
Many people are unaware that turning on plug sockets when they aren’t using an appliance consumes energy. Turning devices off and switching them off at the socket will save you a lot of money and help you reduce your energy use.
It might feel like more effort to switch each plug on when you need to use something, but it will make a huge difference in your home’s sustainability. Switching off your plug sockets could save you around $70 yearly.
Be Better At Reusing
You can also reuse other items in your house and upcycle furniture. Buying unnecessary materials and tools will cost you a lot of money and not help you live sustainably.
For example, if you buy a new lunch box every time yours is left at the office or becomes damaged, you are buying unsustainable materials and causing environmental damage. If you use other existing containers, you can save money and live more sustainably.
Other reusable items and materials include:
- Jars
- Beer bottles
- Gallon jugs
- Filters
- Laundry waste
- Old towels
- Egg cartons
- Cereal bags
- Cardboard
- Tea
- Clothing
You might be surprised at how many items you can reuse. Hopefully, it will encourage you to stop buying non-essentials and see what you can use around your home.
Shop Locally
Shopping locally is essential to live a more sustainable lifestyle from home.
What can shopping locally do?
First, it can reduce food miles. Not only will you travel less for food, but fewer people heading to faraway stores will encourage them to buy fewer foods from international destinations.
Second, it can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions cause the atmosphere to trap heat, which is a significant climate change challenge. Trapped atmospheric heat causes rising sea levels and melting ice caps, causing extreme chaos for humans and wildlife.
Update Your Windows
Old windows might be causing your home to be overly hot or cold. Gaps in the windows or single-glazing prevent you from maximizing the benefits of heat regulation.
If you turn on the heating too often, it might be because your windows let cold air in and hot air out. Updating the windows to double-glazing will offer the regulation benefits. You can experience reduced energy use, which will reduce your energy costs.
Install A Log Burner
You might automatically switch on the central heating to keep your home warm in the winter, but heating is expensive and unsustainable.
Instead, you should install a traditional log burner and use logs to naturally heat your home. A log burner is sustainable and often cheaper. Your home will get and stay warmer faster, enabling you to stay cozy and healthy at home during the cold months.
A few simple changes to your home routine can help you live more eco-friendly. Adjusting your cleaning options and maintaining your home’s warmth without the need for central heating are small changes that can make a huge difference to the environment.
