Making the world a better place starts at home. If you’re interested in an eco-friendlier lifestyle, the first aspect you need to turn to is undoubtedly your personal environment. And, since your home is the biggest reason for concern when it comes to your carbon footprint and energy waste, you have plenty of possibilities to change things for the better. Obviously, you don’t have to stress yourself over trying to make all the changes at once. But, knowing the best steps to take in making your home eco-friendly will also allow you to organize your projects and your budget with this wonderful long-term goal in mind.
Small changes can save a lot of water
If you’re not sure where to start with your eco-friendly home makeover, you can opt for simple changes that will mean a lot. For starters, this involves the amount of water every household tends to waste. It’s understandable that you don’t exactly plan to waste all that water, but it happens because you probably don’t have the habit of turning off the tap when you’re not using it. So, the first step towards your eco-friendly home can be a serious talk with all the members of your household about turning off the tap every time you don’t use water. The second and very effective thing is to get low-flow shower and tap heads which will minimize the water flow. You’ll get enough water for your needs but the minimized flow will prevent the waste. A win-win situation!
Energy-efficient appliances
Considering your interest in sustainable living, you have probably heard of energy-efficient appliances. These are star-rated appliances that don’t waste as much energy as the usual ones. Of course, no one expects you to suddenly invest in replacing your entire kitchen and other machines you have. However, keep this in mind, so that you actually look for star-rated alternatives when the time to replace one appliance at the time comes. Nevertheless, you can replace all your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones as this investment won’t be too harsh on your budget. LED and CFL bulbs are definitely the best choice as they use less energy and are more durable. They will also save you money in the long run.
Buy repurposed items or take up repurposing projects
Even the little things can make a big difference when it comes to helping the planet. Instead of supporting and paying for completely new items that aren’t sustainable and actually waste the planet’s resources, you can always find companies that put the environment at the top of their priority list and sell repurposed household items. If you take the time to look, you can even get a beautifully repurposed charcuterie board for sale let alone other home essentials. And, obviously, you can always take up some repurposing projects yourself. For instance, if you have an old suitcase, you can turn it into a nice and unique coffee table, instead of buying a new one.
Proper insulation can boost your home’s eco-friendliness
If you really want to make a big difference for your green home, insulation should definitely be one of the steps in your transformation. There are several different insulating techniques and it’s important to choose the right one. But, once you do, insulated walls together with the benefits of double-glazed windows can help you boost sustainability most efficiently. For starters, the air won’t escape your home as quickly, which means less heating during the winter as well as less cooling during the summer.
Switch to natural cleaning products
A lot can be achieved with water, vinegar, lemon and baking soda. These are the usual ingredients of all-natural cleaning agents for your home. If your goal is to live in an eco-friendlier home, it’s essential that you get rid of the common store-bought cleaning solutions. These are filled with toxins. Even though they might keep your home clean on the eye, the fumes and toxic traces can be dangerous to your health. What’s more, the toxic waste from these agents goes straight back to the environment, polluting it even further. Keep that in mind as going all natural with your cleaning solutions is not a difficult step in improving your green game.
The above-mentioned steps are some general options that you can embrace in your environmentally aware lifestyle. However, considering that every home is a bit different, you’ll get the best results from speaking to a sustainability consultor.
