Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

In an effort to do more for the environment and reduce your carbon footprint as an individual and as a family, there are a lot of things to think about.

Going out and buying a Tesla is going to be out of the question for most people. The good news is that there are plenty of changes that you can do from home that can help.

There is still a feeling of having to make some inconvenient and expensive lifestyle changes in order to ‘go green’.

The changes that you can make that are better for the environment don’t have to be expensive ones.

So read on and think about what can work for you. You can do your bit and make some changes to make your home more eco-friendly.

Switch to LED Lighting

There has been a lot of research into LED lights compared to conventional lights. According to the US Department of Energy, LED lights use 75% less energy than a traditional bulb.

They also last for twenty-five times longer as well.

So using them really is a no brainer. A lot of money will be saved on your energy bill, and a lot less energy sapped away.

We all need to light our homes. It makes sense to do it if it is going to cost a lot less. Plus, it will be better for the world.

Food Waste Compost

No matter how much you meal plan and try to reduce waste, there will be some inevitable waste.

Especially when cooking at home and feeding a family.

You may just normally throw them into the trash, but there are some more eco-friendly things that you can do.

Your bin collection service may have a food waste collection. So if they do, make sure that you make the most of it. But if they don’t, then you could start a compost of your own.

When food waste is in landfills, where the normal trash goes, it is a leading cause of methane gas, which is so bad for the environment because of greenhouse gases.

But if you compost food, it allows it to naturally decompose, which is much better for the environment.

You can eventually use it as fertilizer in your yard too, so it is a great switch to make.

Ditch Plastic Bottles

Putting your plastic bottles in the recycling trash bin is one thing, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that you have been using plastic bottles in the first place.

It has been found that around 80% of plastic water bottles just get tossed into the trash, and only 20% as a result, actually get recycled.

The ones that aren’t recycled can take years and years to breakdown in landfill, and they can also be harmful to wildlife and marine life if they are not disposed of properly.

So instead, a quick swap is to have a reusable bottle for all of the family, so that you can carry those with you and refill them instead.

Cut Down on Meat Intake

There is so much evidence to suggest that cutting down our intake of animal products, red meat, in particular, can do good things for the environment.

When there is less demand, there will be fewer animals that are needed to provide the meat, which is where the environmental problems stem from.

It could even just be one day a week, such as embracing the ‘meatless Monday’ trend. If you think that one day a week isn’t much, then you’ll be surprised to hear that it has been found by Earth Day Network. Eating one less burger a week, if you did so for a year, has the same impact on the environment as not using a car for 320 miles.

Vegetarians and vegans can cut greenhouse gas emissions by a large percentage, so at least one day a week can be something to start off with at home.

Turn Your Heating Down

We are getting towards some warmer spring weather soon, so your heating is likely to be used less at the moment.

But over time, you’ll need to use it on full blast again.

Turning your heating down even by one or two degrees can make a difference to your heating bill, but also to the environment. You’ll keep the heat in your home if it is a well-insulated home.

The heat won’t dissipate as much, which can be a really good thing. The same thing goes for using air conditioning too. You might be planning to use that sooner rather than later.

Those units can use up a lot of energy, which isn’t good for the environment as we’ll need to keep finding more and more sources of energy and power.

So only use the air conditioning (and heating) when you really need to.

The good news is that there is a lot of technology that can help us at home with this kind of thing.

There are heating systems like Nest that allow you to control your heating remotely with an app, so you can turn it down a few degrees, or turn it off when you’re at work if you forgot to do so.

For example. If you are looking for any more advice on this kind of thing, then looking into Nest thermostat installation service could be a good idea. They’ll be able to help you with any questions.

Small changes like this can make a difference when it comes to your wallet, as well as the environment.

Short Showers

It can be nice from time to time to have a relaxing and luxurious soak in the bath. But from a water shortage point of view, it isn’t the best thing to do each day.

Showers are better for daily use. Having said that it is important to keep them short. Even though they can be relaxing and warming!

If you have a shower that is a couple of minutes shorter each day, it can save gallons. We’re talking about gallons of water a month.

Again, this is good for your bills, especially if you are on a water meter. But it can do good things and save precious water.

Unplug Electronics

Encourage children to unplug devices and electronics.

When lamps are plugged in and switched on it is still using up energy. When you leave a TV that you leave on standby, then it will be using up electricity!

It needs to have power flowing through it in order to have the red light switched on, doesn’t it?

Don’t leave things plugged in when they’re not being used. It is a simple thing to do. It makes a difference and will keep your energy bill lower as well.

Ditch the Dryer

Saving money and energy is definitely something that we have been talking about a lot. Though the two are closely connected.

Especially when you’re looking to make your home more eco-friendly.

Another thing to do, to save money and to save energy, is to skip using the dryer altogether.

It can be easier to do at different times of the year. Line drying your laundry is going to be much better, energy-wise.

Dryers use up so much energy. In fact, it has been found by EPA that a dryer uses more energy than the washing machine does, more than the dishwasher does, and more than a refrigerator does.

So hang your washing out on the line instead and you could save a heap of energy.

Wash on Cold

You can save even more if you wash your laundry on a cold setting. Although it doesn’t use up as much energy as a dryer.

To heat water to the highest heat setting can take a lot of time. That time uses up a lot of energy.

If you use a cold setting on your washer, it can cut the time it takes to do a load. Not to mention, it uses less energy compared to a hot wash.

It is a simple change; all it takes is the click of a button.

House Plants

A simple way to make your home more eco-friendly is to get plants. Having plants in the house can be hard work, as they do need some looking after.

But the science is there that shows how good they can be for us.

The soil that is in the house plants can help to purify the air in our home. They also help to clear away toxic substances in the air.

They can look good too and add a pop of colour to the home, let’s face it.

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They will all help. Though it is reported that the Boston fern and golden pothos are some of the best house plant options.

Why?

They have mega effective air-cleansing qualities.

Now you have some easy ways to make your home eco-friendly. If you’ve thought about making a few changes, you have a good foundation to start with here.

Do you have any additional ways to make your home more eco-friendly?

Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!

 

 

 

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