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There is so much more focus on greener living and being eco-friendly when it comes to the decisions you make and your home, that it is difficult to avoid it. You can make a big impact, just by changing a few habits with how you live and what you do in your home.
Going through what we have all just been through with the global pandemic, may have highlighted to you that you can make some changes to your home to help you be more eco-friendly. Small changes can have a big impact, and you may find that implementing these changes in habits can help you go on to bigger investments to help your home become more environmentally friendly.
Whether you make personal changes to how you do things, invest in your home, or change your buying habits here are some of the best tips to help you get started.
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Declutter and get rid of the waste properly
One of the first places to start would be inside the four walls of your home, and also the exterior gardens. Your home can be a place that is hoarding items and things that you no longer want or need in your life. There could be a pile of materials that you don’t need for a job that has been completed, the furniture you don’t want but have no clue how to recycle and get rid of it. Start by decluttering the smaller things, maybe selling them online and give it them a new purpose. Then focus on larger things where experts may be needed to ensure they are disposed of effectively.
You might find that you are keeping more stuff than you need, and this can help you to minimise and allow your home to work more effectively. Once you have decluttered you can then implement changes such as specific recycling bins for certain materials, helping you to maintain a clutter-free zone while still ensuring that things are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
Think about food waste, reducing and getting rid of it
Food waste is something that you can start to change your habits with almost straight away. It can often start with the buying process. Many of us buy too much food which then forces us to waste it when it doesn’t get eaten.
Meal planning and only buying what you need can significantly reduce the level of food waste straight away. You then have the choice of trying to make the most of the food that you have and ensuring that you don’t waste it. Freezing it, cooking in batches for another day, chopping, and preparing in advance. It can help. Finally, any food waste you do have can be disposed of in different ways. Some food wastage is great for compositing, for example.
Collect rainwater in your garden
A great way to help you become a little more self-sufficient and environmentally fine would be to install a rainwater tank in your garden or on your grounds. This essentially does what it says, and enables you to have a water supply perfect for watering your garden in the summer. There can be a lot of wasted water, and reservoirs and water sources can grow very low in the summer months. You could even install industrial water tanks if you feel you could have the use of it, or use one for a row of neighbours so that you all get the access.
Reduce the amount of energy you use
Another thing you can do in your home is look at the amount of energy that you use and try and change your habits to use less of it. This could be being more aware of how many lights are on in your home at any one time. It could be switching things off at the wall or by the plug rather than leaving them on standby. We can all find that we are wasting a lot of energy with the appliances that we use daily, such as boiling the kettle with too much water for one cup of tea or having the heating on when we really don’t need it.
Making small changes to reduce your output and the amount of energy you use can make a big difference and even help to reduce your energy bills overall.
Replace bulbs with LED or energy-saving alternatives
There are small and big changes you could consider. You could look at changing the bulbs in your home to LED or energy-saving ones and this can in the long term help with your energy bills and usage of energy in your home. They can work for main lights as well as lamps. You could also try using more candles in the evening, these work especially well in the evening to provide a warm low light and help to save on the amount of energy you are using overall.
Use solar energy instead
You could look at different energy sources such as switching to solar power. This can be an investment at first, but certainly worthwhile in the long term. It may even be things like insulation. Many people install solar panels on the roof of their property and it can offer energy as well as do things such as heat your water supply. Some people think that solar power works better in the summer months due to sun exposure, but solar angels are generated so that they are efficient all year round, so it could be a worthwhile switch. Insulating your home can help you to provide more options for heat staying in your home and reducing drafts.
Personal habit changes
Finally, make sure you take time to think about the personal changes that you could make. It might be that you decide not to use your car for your commute and instead try walking, a bike, or public transport. You may consider reducing your plastic consumption by avoiding plastic packaging for food and making alternative changes such as bamboo toothbrushes, for example. Again it may feel like a small change but it can have a big impact overall.
Let’s hope this has you on your way to a greener home.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
