These 10 Tips Will Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly! They are simple yet make a big difference!
There are always new ways to live more sustainably. You may have focused on purchasing local groceries and carpooling whenever possible, but you can also upgrade your home to make it greener on a budget. These 10 tips will make your home more eco-friendly without requiring too much of your time or money to minimize your carbon footprint.
1. Reduce Your Water Usage
People use water every day, so they often forget it’s a limited resource. Cutting back goes a long way in helping the ecosystem. Try grouping your laundry into only a few loads per week, shortening your showers and washing your dishes by hand. Adjusting how often you water your lawn can also make a significant difference in how much water your household uses every week.
2. Change Your Lightbulbs
The lightbulbs currently illuminating your living room and bedroom are likely incandescent. They’re a traditional bulb style that’s economical, but the engineering doesn’t consider the environment. Whenever possible, install light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs instead. They create less heat when turned on, which saves 75% more electricity and makes them last 25 times as long.
3. Install a Smart Thermostat
Traditional thermostats use a single temperature sensor to determine how often your HVAC unit turns on. Even if the rest of your home doesn’t need more air conditioning or warm air, it will still turn the fans on and use electricity if the area around the sensor does. Smart thermostats conserve energy by monitoring your home more efficiently and using your HVAC unit less often.
4. Open Your Garage Manually
Modern garage doors come with electronic remotes and systems that never turn off. It drains your household’s electricity usage and increases your bill, so open the door by hand. It likely already has an exterior handle and an internal locking mechanism.
Opening your garage manually also increases your home’s overall safety because you’ll know exactly what to do in an emergency. Upgrading to a non-electronic model presents another opportunity to go green. You could choose an insulated door that conserves your home’s interior temperature and keeps it stable during extreme weather fluctuations.
5. Wash Clothes With Cold Water
The water heater requires electricity when you set your washing machine to warm or hot. Washing everything with cold water eliminates that usage and will make your home more eco-friendly. Unless you own clothes or other textiles that strictly need hot water, this is a simple green solution that works in any household.
6. Compost Your Waste
Composting is an excellent way for households to reduce how much of their waste becomes landfill pollution. Newspapers, leftovers from meals, and other common trash can naturally break down in a compost bin and become fertilizer for your yard. All you need to do is compare various compost methods to find what’s best for your property. Whether you use a bin, bury your waste or start a community composting center, you’ll help the environment instead of filling up a landfill.
7. Avoid Chemical Fertilizers
Many homes have yards, which require upkeep. Fertilizers can save your plants during tough growing seasons, but most have chemical ingredients. Going organic is a simple way to make your property greener overnight. You can find these options at plant nurseries and home improvement stores if you don’t want to make fertilizer at home with a compost bin.
8. Look Into Solar Panels
Solar panels are more affordable than ever because the technology is easier to mass-produce. Look into installing them on your roof, and you’ll never rely on pollution-creating electric plants again. If the sticker shock of installation makes you wince, focus on the positives. Your house will be significantly more eco-friendly, and you could qualify for certain tax credits.
9. Find a Recycling Plant
Many neighborhoods don’t have door-to-door recycling pickup, so find a recycling plant near your house. Stopping by every other week with your separated recyclables will reduce your carbon footprint. It only takes a few minutes to donate waste and help it turn into future products that don’t require natural resources.
10. Apply Window Glaze
You may never have heard about window glaze before, but it’s a significant way to make your home more sustainable. It applies in just a few minutes and forms an extra barrier against changing weather systems. The glaze blocks heat from transferring into your home when sunlight directly hits the glass. It also prevents cold air from seeping through, forcing your HVAC unit to operate more frequently during the winter.
Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly
Sustainability looks different for everyone, especially when it comes to their homes. These 10 tips will make your house more eco-friendly no matter what you want for your lifestyle. Think about what strategies will work with your budget and property to find the best green path forward.
Ava Roman (she/her) (Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy.
10 Tips Will Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly
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