chroniclinghome The world has a lot of problems and often we feel like we can’t do much about them. But there are lots of little changes we can make to our homes to help do our little bit towards improving the environment and society we live with. Living a more sustainable life with a constant view of our impact on the world is a great approach for this and here are 10 ideas how you can start doing this today to make your home a more sustainable one.
1. Cut back on animal products
This doesn’t mean your household needs to become a vegan (unless you want to) but when cutting back on animal products you keep in your kitchen, you can help make you live a more sustainable life. That’s because it takes a lot of resources to produce those animal products – one gallon of milk uses 2000 gallons of water due to the amount of feed that the cow needs. Plus by eating a more balanced diet you may find yourself generally healthier and less needing of healthcare resources.
2. Filter your tap water and drink it
This doesn’t apply to all parts of the world but if you live somewhere that you can filter the tap water and drink it, then do this. Adding a water filter to your kitchen saves money on buying bottled water and also cuts back on the waste – landfill sites are a huge problem so every item you don’t send to them is good.
3.Unplug unused appliances
Many appliances use small amounts of electricity when they are plugged in, even if they aren’t doing anything. By unplugging them when not in use, you not only save a little money on your electricity bill but help cut back on the demand for fossil fuel-created power resources.
4. Start car sharing
One for leaving the home now. Consider a car-sharing pool in your area as it can be a great way to cut down on costs around travel and can be fun as well. Talk to people in your area to see where they work and if you can share cars with them or them with you ask around on Facebook groups or in your workplace.
5. Turn off the water while brushing teeth
Water waste is a big problem in the home and one of the top causes of wasted water is when we brush our teeth. So when you have used the water and are doing the brushing, turn off the tap. You can even catch some water in the sink if you need to refresh the brush. Then turn it back on to rinse the brush and the sink.
6. Switch to LED light bulbs
Conventional light bulbs waste around 95% of the power that they use. New LED light bulbs are more expensive to buy and also far more energy-efficient. They also last much longer – some as much as 25 years depending on how much you use them. This is a simple way to make some eco-friendly swaps in your home.
7. Try to buy furniture second hand
There are some things we need to buy new (like mattresses) but there are others where a good second-hand option can be more cost-effective. Plus this helps with living a sustainable life because you are saving something from going to the landfill site. Do the same when you are clearing out things – offer them to people on swap sites or Facebook groups rather than send them to the landfill. Look for things like TVs, sofas, and kitchen gadgets on Facebook marketplace,
8. Try a reel lawnmower
A reel lawnmower is one that doesn’t use any electricity or battery and is very simple to use. They may need a little more effort than electric mowers so might not work for everyone but if you can, it can be worth considering it. And they do a great job of cutting the lawn!
These are just a few examples of ways you can help your home be more sustainable and cut back on the resources that you use. If everyone put two into action, the difference on the planet would be huge. So which two could you start with?
