Are you passionate about taking care of the environment for future generations? Recycling, reducing your carbon footprint, and limiting your overall consumption can help to conserve valuable resources and protect the earth. There are also several eco-friendly choices you can make for your home.
1. Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting
Incandescent light bulbs require a large amount of energy to operate, leading to inefficient energy usage. Switching to modern energy-efficient options, such as CFLs or LEDs, can drastically reduce your home’s overall energy consumption. Additionally, these types of bulbs last much longer than incandescent bulbs, so you can further reduce your home’s level of consumption and waste.
2. Upgrade Your Appliances
Appliances, especially the refrigerator, dryer, and dishwasher can be heavy consumers of both water and energy. However, technological advances have enabled new models to be far more efficient and effective. Upgrading to new appliances can cut down on your water and electricity usage without sacrificing performance.
3. Put Kitchen Scraps to Work
Food waste and cooking scraps account for a large amount of waste in the average household. Rather than throwing these away, you can make the eco-friendly choice to begin composting. Repurposing your household scraps into compost cuts down on the amount of trash you send to the landfill. Additionally, compost can drastically improve the quality of your soil for better gardening results and healthier plants.
4. Turn Down the Thermostat
Your heating system generally works hard in the winter to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. However, furnaces can also consume a large amount of energy. You can reduce your home’s energy requirements by lowering your thermostat a few degrees and using blankets to keep warm instead. A programmable thermostat can also be extremely helpful because it allows you to set the temperature even cooler during times when the house is unoccupied.
5. Choose Sustainable Linens
Traditional cotton production is responsible for a large percentage of insecticide use. Choose organic, ethically sourced cotton instead to ensure better treatment of the environment and the humans in the supply chain. If you want to avoid cotton entirely, consider switching to sustainable bamboo linens.
6. Fix Leaks Immediately
A minor drip in your faucet may not seem like a significant source of consumption, but the fact is that a leaky faucet or running toilet can waste a large amount of water in a short period of time. It’s important for both the environment and your utility bill to fix leaks right away.
Water leaks aren’t the only ones you need to find and repair. Cracks around your windows and doors can allow climate-controlled air to leak outside, requiring your HVAC system to work harder to maintain a constant temperature. Drafty attics and crawlspaces are other potential sources of air leakage. You can use caulk and weather stripping to help keep air from escaping through these areas.
7. Install a Clothesline
Clothes dryers consume a large amount of energy when running. You can reduce your home’s energy requirements by putting up a clothesline and using it to dry your laundry instead. When line-drying isn’t possible, such as during winter weather, try using a lower heat setting and adding wool dryer balls to reduce the amount of required operating time.
8. Update Your HVAC System
To make a substantial difference in your home’s eco-friendliness, consider upgrading your heating and cooling equipment to modern energy-efficient models. A local HVAC professional can help you determine which furnace is right for your home and ensure the heating installation process is completed quickly and correctly.
There are many ways to reduce your home’s impact on the environment. Fixing leaks, composting scraps, using energy-efficient light bulbs, and upgrading to modern HVAC are just a few of the ways to make your home better for the environment.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
