Therefore, a taller and more compact house is generally more energy-efficient than a low and wide structure with the same number of square feet. Similarly, cubes and spheres are more efficient than more irregular, spread out shapes. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, hardwoods such as Douglas fir, red alder and western juniper are readily available and make excellent building materials. If you cannot find recycled materials, try to go for those that are recyclable, to minimize their long-term impact on the environment.
Reduce clothing and accessory purchases or shop vintage
To make recycling easier, set up separate bins to put your recycled goods into. The following are just a few of the kitchen tools that can help you cook and store food in a more environmentally friendly way. Bulk cooking is a more efficient use of appliance energy and your time, (and a great excuse to throw a party), so cook up a nice big pot of soup and anticipate saving (and eating) lots of leftovers. And plan ahead; planning meals that can feed you and your family for a few days is a great way to shop efficiently and free up your precious leisure time. Pressure cookers are another great way to save energy, reducing cooking time by up to 70%.
Ways to Make Your Smart Home Eco-Friendly
These chemicals are harmful not only to ecosystems and human health but also to pets and wildlife. To keep a healthy garden without using chemicals, use practices like companion planting, frequent crop rotation, and promoting plant health to boost natural pest resistance. Because of bamboo’s high growth rate and sustainability, bamboo-made toilet paper is a greener alternative in the field of personal hygiene. Consider canvas bags or, at the very least, make an effort to reuse plastic bags when shopping to reduce environmental effects. When it comes to outfitting your home or purchasing household products, second-hand purchases can be just as good as, if not better than brand-new items. Purchasing used goods reduces not only production demands but also the amount of waste thrown in landfills.
Say no to plastic toothbrushes
There are restrictions on solar panels to minimise the effect on the appearance of the building and the amenity of the area. Solar panels will typically cut your electricity bills by between 15% and 35% and you can earn extra by selling surplus electricity back to the grid. Solar electric panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), allow you to generate your own renewable electricity.
- A well-chosen site can have a substantial impact on your house’s overall sustainability.
- To make your insulation efforts doubly eco-friendly, choose an insulation made from renewable or recycled materials.
- Then find some inspiration on Pinterest and get started designing a pollinator garden or simply swapping out areas with native plants.
- If you’re an eco-conscious homeowner looking to build a new home, then many of the above factors still apply, but there are a few further considerations.
- Generally, they can convert more electricity into light rather than heat.
- Some electronics need the steady flow of power (your modem and router, for example); others, like printers or video game consoles, only require energy when in use.
A well-designed eco-friendly house can maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact. ‘Insulating your home is also crucial for energy efficiency,’ says How to make your home more environmentally friendly Himadri Shakya, home renovation expert at Architecture. ‘Many older homes lack proper insulation, so a renovation is the perfect opportunity to address this issue.
Water-Based Vs. Oil-Based Paints
Choosing eco-friendly cleaning products that are USDA Biobased and brands with verifications like the B-Corp Certification can help you avoid greenwashing. This encourages companies to use more renewable resources that are better for the environment. This is a “casual term that people use in exchange for any word relating to eco-consciousness,” says Birnur Aral, Ph.D., executive director of the GH Institute’s Health, Beauty and Sustainability Lab. Learn how to transform your home and join the fight against climate change…
Switch Out Lighting
No, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on one—a basic French press will do the trick. Turn some of that CO2 into O2 just by potting a Ficus or Dracaena (and actually caring for it. Honestly, your bras and undies and crop tops will last longer if you let them air-dry anyway.
- It saves energy by making heating and cooling systems more efficient.
- Read on for a guide to steps you can take to make your home more eco-friendly—and your day-to-day life under your own roof— and more greener.
- Thankfully, there are several benefits to transforming your home into an environmentally conscious haven.
- Although a south-facing, unshaded roof is the most effective, others can still benefit.
- This ensures that you get the benefits of your electrical appliances without overusing them and causing wastage.
- The following are just a few of the kitchen tools that can help you cook and store food in a more environmentally friendly way.
- Switching to solar energy can save homeowners over $100 a month, which is more than $35,000 over 20 years.