So far, Earth is the only pace we have to live, so just like our bodies, it makes sense to take care of it. And it can all start at home without sacrificing or interfering with your your loves or lifestyle. Some environmental improvements can even add value to your property when done well. With that in mind, it makes sense to conduct as much research as possible so you can alter your approach and ensure you are doing your bit to protect the planet for future generations. Here's a few ideas help to point you in the right direction to living cleaner and greener at home.
Make use of natural light as much as possible
Most people spend a small fortune on electricity each year unnecessarily because they fail to make the best use of natural light in their homes. If you’re one who turns the lights on at home long before it gets dark outside, it’s possible to make improvements that will save you from having to do that and help to reduce your environmental impact. Removing some of those thick curtains from your windows and replacing with sheers is a good start. If you need privacy when the lights are on, consider installing a simple block out roman blind behind the sheers. You could also add patio doors and install skylights if the room structurally allows. Apart from that, consider decortaing in lighter colours, adding more mirrors, removing paint and furniture that is dark and soaks up light, and using energy efficient bulb task lighting where needed.
"What you do today can improve all of your tomorrows."
Ralph Marston
Limit the amount of waste you produce
The smarties over at Zero Waste Living and similar websites offer lots of suggestions for people who want to limit the amount of trash they produce every month. Sometimes it's a matter of what you buy and how you buy it, other times it's how you store it or dispose, reuse, or recycle it. For instance, adding more shelving units in your kitchen could mean you have enough space to store fresh food from local farmers markets or bulk goods stores that doesn’t come with plastic packaging. You could also install a garbage disposal device in your kitchen for composting suitable food waste to support growing food your own garden. There's beeswax wrap to do away with cling film and aluminum foil as much as possible; straw or string bags and baskets to replace plastic ones; stainless steel straws to never use a throw away one ever again; and built in or stand alone water filters for fresh water without the plastic bottles to name a few more easy to install changes. Make a list with your family and decide to implement a few new habits each month and see what a difference it makes to your amount of waste.
Consider switching to renewable energy sources
Switching to solar energy is not as expensive as most people think, and there are still some government schemes you can use to help reduce the initial cost involved. Installing solar panels on your home will take no longer than a couple of days, and should manage to reduce your power bill dramatically, or altogether, depending on how much power your household demands. If you live on property, have clearance to do so, and whether patterns permit, wind power might be another option to investigate.
Overall, start thinking of your impact every time you flick a switch. Turn electricals off when not in use (minus your UPS of course), or install some home automation to do it all for you. Be thoughtful about your unnecessary use of clothes driers, old style heaters and incandescent lights, or leaving lights, fans, heaters and air conditioners on all day or night or while you're not even home to need them.
Reduce, reuse, recycle, read the labels and shop with a conscience wherever you can.
There's so many beautiful, environmentally friendly and ethically produced options for just about everything we consume these days that we really can all make a series of small but significant changes as our budget and lifestyle changes too. And let's acknowledge and celebrate these changes we each make to create a much more positive movement where more and more individuals, households, communities, companies and governments know their changes make a difference too.
If every reader decided to take the advice from this page, the world would become a much healthier place.
So, feel free to share this post with your friends and encourage them to make some changes too!
x
