Earth Day is fast approaching, and with it comes new possibilities for greener products and challenges. The best way to become more eco –friendly is by creating new habits within our homes. There are lots of little things we can do in our homes to play our small part in reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape.
Whether you want to make some energy efficient improvements or are looking into making little changes to the functionality of your home, going green isn’t as difficult as you may think. An easy upside, helping the environment around you by going green can also show in your monthly bills.
Little Changes To Your Routine
- Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot
- Turn off lights in rooms you’re no longer in.
- Create clean air with some house plants
- Support your local economy and shop at your local farmers market
- Go paperless and pay your bills online, you can also opt for email receipts with some store locations.
- Fix leaky faucets
- Make your own household cleaners
- Let the garden grow! Vegetables, fruits, or even just flowers will make you happy, and help pollinators in your area thrive.
- Reduce your recycling waste and garbage by creating your own composter and drinking from a reusable water bottle.
- Dry your laundry on a clothing line outside
Budgeted Eco-Friendly Changes To Your Home
Creating an eco-friendly home with physical changes to the structure can be costly, but worth it in the long run.
- Solar panels are a renewable energy source that help reduce electricity bills
- Green roofs have great environmental and human health benefits such as; air purification, urban heat island amelioration, lower building energy costs, increased urban biodiversity, reduced storm water runoff and improved stream water quality.
- Try not to use lights in your home and maximize all natural light opportunities in your home, a skylight or sun tunnel can be added to rooms that do not have any room for more windows. Maybe removing a wall for a more open concept can help bring more light in as well.
- Using electricity instead of gas can also reduce your carbon footprint, look into switching your appliances.
- Triple glazing windows, which adds a third pane of glass to double glazing
- Replace appliances to energy efficient models by looking for the “energy star” label.
