13 Jan How to Make Your Home Environmentally Friendly
As the world constantly changes, it’s our job to care for and preserve it. This preservation can come in many different forms, from driving less to removing meat from your diet. But there’s more you can do outside the realm of your individual lifestyle. Whether it’s donating money to earth-saving organizations or updating your home to a greener space, these changes can help you feel better connected to the planet. Below we provide some tips—easy to complex—on how to make your home environmentally friendly. These are more ways to preserve the planet—you won’t regret the reduction it brings to you and your family’s carbon footprint.
Add More Gardens
Greenery is one of the best ways to create an eco-friendlier space. Adding more gardens in and around your home provides the perfect way to do just that. From plant corners blooming with shrubs to vegetable and herb gardens in the backyard, these gardens will give you a greener home. These plants and gardens aren’t just for design—in fact, they’ll help improve the overall air quality for your house as well. Gardens outside are also a great way to reuse water rather than waste it.
Invest in Quality Green Roofing
A lot of people make the mistake of not thinking much about how their roofing plays a role in how green their home is. However, passing up on quality roofing means a dramatic difference in your home’s energy efficiency. If you really want an environmentally friendly home, then you need to choose a product that will reflect the sun’s energy away from the roof, hold the sun’s heat for less time, and cool faster at night. Metal roofing is one of the best choices!
Use Natural Cleaning Products Only
This is one of those easy tips we were talking about. Common household cleaners are quite harmful to the environment, as the chemicals used in them typically don’t have the ability to break down in water. Instead of using those, opt for natural cleaning products instead. They’re good for both the air quality of your home and the rest of the environment as well.
Check and Update Your Insulation
Another smart way to improve your home’s eco-friendliness is by using as little energy as possible. One of the best ways to do so is by checking and updating your home’s insulation. Solid insulation will hold in heat, meaning you’ll get to save more of it rather than burning energy every time you need to reheat the house. Increasing your heating and cooling systems’ efficiency makes a huge impact on your average energy costs as well.
Create a Compost Pile
Food waste makes a huge impact on the environment—the food waste found in landfills is one of the leading causes of methane gas production. Do your part to thwart that by creating a compost bin for your home. Even if you’re the most efficient eater, you’ll still have scraps of food to throw away at the end of the meal. Instead of tossing them, compost them. This will help your gardens flourish as well—this re-use of various items is a key step to a greener lifestyle.
Switch to LED Bulbs
People have been saying this for years—LED lightbulbs are a must for those who hope to improve their home’s eco-friendliness. Especially after the holidays with all those twinkly lights, switching to LED bulbs is the simplest thing you can do. They’ll last longer and use way less electricity. Better yet, set up smart lighting in your home so that lights shut off when not in use.
Decrease Water Usage
Another tip that’s been around for quite some time is using less water. Decreasing water usage has been an idea for so long because it’s such a vital resource. If you truly want to preserve the planet, then reducing your water usage is a must. Though it may seem like a challenge, even a slight reduction can make a difference. Replace all the nozzles in your home to low-flow, high-pressure ones, take shorter showers, and use cold water for your laundry. Once you switch, you’ll hardly notice a difference!
Simply put, this tip asks you to cut down on your electricity use. Your electrical usage makes up a large portion of your home’s utility bill, and this is most often because when the item is plugged in it pulls a current. Sure, there are some appliances that shouldn’t be unplugged when not “in-use,” like a refrigerator, so that’s when you want to invest in energy-efficient appliances. For other day-to-day items, like a hair dryer or toaster, unplug them when not in use. You can also opt for power strips and flip them off when you need to.
Let the Light In
The next tip on our list has to deal with sunlight. If your home is closed off, then you’re not living in a very environmentally friendly home. Instead, a home with more windows and solar panels will let natural light in your home in more ways than one. You create a healthier home and harness the sun’s natural heating and cooling benefits with windows, and solar panels allow you to use the sun’s energy for power. You should also make sure windows are properly insulated in the winter, but they’ll do wonders for warming up your home once the sun shines on them!
Choose Organic Materials
Lastly, if you’re working on a home renovation or simply redecorating, make sure to choose organic materials. Though they may be on the pricier side, it will create a much healthier and eco-friendly space. From the siding to your home to the furniture, table tops, and flooring, these organic materials will keep your home looking clean and preserve the environment. Better yet, shop locally for your furniture and choose reclaimed pieces—the more you can reuse, the better.
Though all of these tips on how to make your home environmentally friendly may seem a little steep in the pocket, they make a massive impact on your home and the environment. Take the step to live a greener lifestyle both individually and for your property. It will make all the difference in the long run!
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