Making your home eco-friendly doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. You can do numerous things to check your ecological footprint and make your home more sustainable. For example, ensure your home is well insulated and use energy-efficient appliances. Switching to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power will be incredibly helpful. You can reduce water consumption by installing water-saving fixtures like low-flow showerheads and toilets. Nowadays, some households collect rainwater to use for watering plants. Another impact you can create is through waste management. In this, recycling and composting efforts can contribute massively. You can also reduce your consumption of disposable products, such as paper towels and plastic bags.
An eco-friendly home helps protect the environment. You also benefit personally when you make small shifts in your habits or lifestyle toward this. Your utility bills drastically improve, increasing your bank savings. At the same time, natural or recyclable materials are suitable for your overall well-being because they contain zero or fewer chemicals and toxins. If you want to make a difference, here are some more suggestions.
Build a rain garden at home
A rain garden can lend beauty to your home while also helping the environment. Collecting rainwater from your roof and directing it into a specially designed garden can help reduce storm water runoff and the pollution that comes with it. A rain garden is a great way to attract butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects to your yard. If you want to make a rain garden, there are a few things to remember.
Rain gardens are relatively easy to care for and can be a great addition to any home. Choose a location close to a downspout or gutter so you can easily direct the rainwater into the garden. It would be best if you select plants that are native to your area and will thrive in wet conditions. Be sure to leave room for the garden to fill with rainwater, and consider adding mulch to keep the soil damp. Proper planning allows you to design a beautiful and functional rain garden to add value to your home and help the environment. When you do this, you help reduce runoff and erosion while also providing a place for plants to thrive.
Choose to recycle and reuse the items
If you’re searching for ways to be more eco-friendly in your home, one of the best things you can do is choose recyclable materials. Fireclay is an excellent example as one can recycle this multiple times. It is clay material fired in a kiln to make everything from countertops to tiles. In fact, you can also come across a fireclay farmhouse kitchen sink. Once finished using a product, you can dispose of it to be recycled and reused. Then, some things are easy to repair. For example, you can think of a broken chair, sagging shelves, and drawers. Even the paper bag your grocery store uses to pack your order can be reusable. Most of these are DIY projects. Hence, it can be worth exploring them.
Apply safer paint
The smell of the fresh paint can feel soothing or toxic based on your chosen quality. Usually, colors containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) tend to have a pungent stench. When these elements release into the air, they affect people’s health adversely. So choose something that doesn’t contain these toxic elements or has a meager amount.
Treat your windows
Most people think furnishings like blinds and curtains only help filter the harsh sunlight, provide privacy, and add beauty to a house. But they offer much more than this in reality. During winter, they retain heat in the place to keep it sufficiently warm. And they make your summers cooler by deflecting the UV rays.
Change to new AC
Old home appliances consume higher energy to perform their task at the optimum level. You can think about your window or central air conditioning system. A rundown unit will need more power to maintain a comfortable temperature inside your room. However, if you change it at the right time, you can save almost 30-50% of your electricity cost. It can be a good decision for the environment and your bank balance.
Get rid of plastic bags
Most people use plastic bags for grocery shopping because they are easy to carry and lightweight. But all convenient things don’t necessarily remain kind to the environment. These may also harm the wildlife. Hence, it is better to move to cloth bags, which you can reuse. Because they contain natural fibers, they also tend to be easily recyclable. They don’t become a burden on the landfill like those plastic materials that discharge toxic gases into the atmosphere and don’t dissolve easily.
Manage your food waste
Food particles flushed down the plumbing lines can get stuck in the septic tank and primary sewer system, clogging the entire water flow and causing unwanted repercussions. You can avoid this risk to a great degree by installing a sink garbage disposal unit at home. The device grinds the waste food material into tiny bits to remove obstructions to the plumbing lines. Opt for continuous feed if you are a busy family person.
These few changes can make your sweet home green and sustainable. When you start living amidst such an atmosphere, you will feel more encouraged to embrace natural things in your life. Some tweaks can feel expensive at the outset, but they will only be one of your most affordable home improvement decisions down the road. So don’t hesitate to go all green. If you don’t know where to begin, take small steps. Repairing furniture, replacing old kitchen sinks with eco-friendly material, limiting the use of plastic items, and others can be easy to embrace. Once you become comfortable, you can opt for solar energy, high-star rated air conditioning unit, a rain garden, etc.
Anyway, you don’t have to rush to fix everything. You will get tired soon and may not enjoy these little changes as much as you should. So, plan and gradually implement your ideas.
