Are you passionate about the natural environment and want to find ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle? With climate change going nowhere fast and more citizens becoming aware of the impacts of this environmental problem, living sustainably is a viable solution. There are many ways eco-conscious homeowners can manage their carbon footprint and you can do your bit by going green.
Going green can be as simple as recycling, bringing more natural lighting into your home with skylights or installing solar panels. By reducing your home’s energy costs and water usage, you’re helping the environment by minimising your personal demand on natural resources.
Read on for seven sustainable tips every eco-conscious homeowner can use in their own home and become part of the generation going green.
1. Install Skylights to Reduce Energy Costs
By installing skylights into your home, you’re bringing in natural lighting. Having skylights means using less artificial lighting throughout the day, saving you on costly energy bills. And, you’re placing less demand on natural resources for generating electricity.
Skylights are easy to install, requiring minimal infrastructural changes to your home. They’re designed to capture sunlight, transforming your dull and dark room into a beautiful space. Advanced technology not only improves the amount of daylight captured but also prevent leaks.
2. Tap Into Renewable Energy
More countries are turning to renewable energy to supply power to residential and commercial properties. In 2020, Australia was producing 24% of its electricity from renewable energy sources. By tapping into this source of energy in your own home, you could be saving over 60% on your heating bills.
Consider installing solar panels for your geyser, lighting and other electrical appliances in your home. This way, you’re being environmentally friendly while minimising the amount of toxic greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere.
3. Keep Your Home Properly Insulated
If your home is not well-insulated you could be wasting a lot of energy running heating and cooling systems during the winter and summer months. This will lead to high energy bills plus more coal resources being used to generate electricity.
To reduce the cost of using home climate control systems, make sure all your windows, gaps in ceilings and roofs as well as doorways are filled in. Properly insulated floors will also help with insulation, placing less demand on your heating systems.
4. Collect Water
If you’re living in a country such as Australia that has low or variable rainfall, consider water collection. This can be done by installing rainwater harvesting systems. By capturing rain coming off your roof into a large container, you have access to water for everyday home use.
While not advisable to use as drinking water, rainwater captured this way can be used for watering your garden, washing your car or even flushing the toilet. Water that has been collected can also be used to fill up your pool.
5. Reduce Waste Going to Landfill Sites
One of the problems of dumping waste on landfill sites is the production of methane. And, methane emissions are driving climate change. While projects are undergoing in countries such as Australia to capture this potent greenhouse gas and converting it into electricity, it’s still a threat to our environment.
Individual homeowners can reduce the amount of waste going to landfills by recycling, composting leftovers and not wasting food. Make sure you only buy what you and your family can eat without having to throw away any food.
6. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Many of our household cleaning products contain harmful chemicals detrimental to the environment. By using these products, you’re contributing to the damage of biodiversity. Detergents, foaming agents and preservatives are all chemicals known to cause damage to the ecology of nature.
By switching over to cleaning products made from plant-based ingredients, you’ll cause less damage to the environment. Natural ingredients are biodegradable while having lower volatile organic compounds which are not harmful to fauna and flora.
7. Switch Over to Bamboo Toilet Paper
Experts in the industry will tell you that it takes one tree to produce 100 pounds of toilet paper. If each roll of toilet paper weighs around 0.5 pounds, do the math. That’s 200 rolls from a single tree! It does vary depending on the size of tree being chopped down but whichever way you look at it, a lot of trees are being used to make toilet paper.
What’s the alternative? Bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource. It breaks down easily, making it one of the most eco-friendly materials available. Bamboo is also soft and strong so it has all the good qualities you want in toilet paper.
Final Thoughts
By reducing your personal impact on the environment through implementing sustainable practices at home, you’re doing your bit for a better, healthier world. Everyone can play their role in protecting the natural environment.
If you want to live an eco-friendlier and more sustainable lifestyle, it’s quite simple. You don’t have to spend a fortune either! Simply follow any of the tips mentioned in this article. The bonus is the lower energy and water bills at the end of the month.
