Sustainable Living – Ways to Go Green in Your Home

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Living in the 21st century gives us an array of innovations and offers a much easier life with all the technological advancements, but a modern age has also put a lot of toll on the planet. Instead of using all of our knowledge and opportunities to help our home, we’re making it more polluted day in day out. Well, if you feel the need to give back to the planet and try to help preserve it, here’s a few things you can do and contribute to saving the environment.

Fix Leaks

Don’t let the tiny trickles fool you, because no matter how slow your taps are dripping, they’re making a huge waste of water and increasing your water bill. Not only will you increase the monthly water statement, but water leaks can also increase humidity in the air as well as cause serious damage to your home. An overlooked leak can easily soak through your kitchen floor and in the end causing a $1,000 worth repair job. Therefore, make sure you check all the faucets including your shower. Install a showerhead that sprays 1.5 gallons per minute to save up to 14,600 gallons of water annually. Inspect the toilet tank by pouring food coloring inside the tank when it’s filled with water, and if any color has seeped into the bowl after a couple of hours it means the tank’s flapper needs replacement.

Solar Power

With the use of solar power, you can reduce heating bills by 10 percent if you only let the sun into your home. Open your blinds and let the sun heat up the place for as long as possible. By installing blinds or shade sails you can cut the cooling costs by 30 percent because they will effectively block the sunlight. Companies like Brisbane Shade & Sails make shade sails that will prevent the sun from turning your home into an oven. Furthermore, think about installing solar panels as well, and instead of wasting money on electricity, fuel your home with the power of the sun.

Recycle

Having in mind the fact that most cities pick up and process recyclables nowadays, recycling has never been easier. Therefore, don’t be lazy, but separate recyclable items from the ones that can’t be recycled and contribute even as little as that, to preserving the planet. Every type of paper is recyclable, so make sure you go green when throwing away magazines, junk mail, flyers, and colored paper. However, you should avoid waxy papers. Aluminum cans are accepted for recycling, as well as most glass containers. While plastic is usually recyclable, many disposable utensils aren’t recyclable, because of the low-quality blend of plastics used to make the utensils, so you need to be careful and check before separating the trash.

Switch to CFL or LED Lights

Reduce your environmental footprint by switching to CFL or LED lights. According to some reports, home lighting accounts for approximately 9% of monthly residential electricity consumption. Traditional bulbs use a lot of electricity and are not an affordable lighting solution in the long run. To make sure you’re going green in your home, opt for a much better alternative and invest in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Both of the lamps more cost-effective, and they have a longer lifespan, unlike most traditional bulbs. This can significantly help you conserve energy. What’s more, LED and CFL lights produce less heat, thus saving you the cost of turning your air conditioner during the blazing summer heats.

Reduce water consumption

Upgrading to a low-flow faucet in your home is one of the best ways to conserve water. Not only will low-flow faucets considerably reduce water usage, but save a lot of energy as well. Some of the water reduction methods include washing your clothes in cold water instead of turning on the washing machine and wasting all the water and electricity along the way. Instead of turning on the dryer, think about air-drying your clothing. Don’t let the water running while you’re brushing your teeth, but only turn it on when you need to rinse. If you start collecting rainwater you can end up collecting up to 200 gallons of water during heavy rain. Instead of letting the water run down the street and into the sewer systems, collect it so you can use it in your garden or lawn instead of a sprinkler. Invest in one rainwater barrel, for starters and it won’t take you long to realize just how easy and beneficial collecting rainwater is.

Final thoughts

Having an eco-friendly home is just the first steps you can take to contribute to helping the environment. Taking care of our home should be imperative, so do your best to green your home and take care of our mutual home. Start with the aforementioned tips, and you’ll quickly find out other wonderful ways to sustainable living that will certainly make you go green all the way.

What are your thoughts?  Please share in the comments below. I really would love to know.

Until next time, shine amongst the stars!

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