All of us want to try and do our bit for the planet and reduce the impact we have on the environment. If you’re looking for ideas on how to make more eco-conscious decisions around your home, then take a look at the following post. We’ll be covering a number of ways to make better decisions that will reduce your impact on the environment and make a more eco-friendly home. Keep reading to discover more.
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Changing Energy Sources
A lot of energy companies still currently rely on non-sustainable energy sources to provide power to their customers. Switching to a more sustainable energy source is one of the best ways to make your home more eco-friendly and reduce the impact you have on the environment. More energy providers are becoming involved in producing green energy such as wind turbines and solar panels to create energy for their customers.
Adding Your Own Energy Source
You could also consider having your own green energy systems installed to help power your home. Solar panels are a great way to produce energy to power your home and can help you to save money in the long term as well. When paired with a home battery system, they can provide power day and night, greatly reducing your carbon footprint and energy bill. Wind energy systems can also be installed on the outside of your property to help generate energy for your home. You could also consider heating systems such as log burners which are incredibly efficient at heating homes and produce less harmful emissions than burning fossil fuels for heating. You don’t have to cut out your current energy supply completely as it does have the benefit of being reliable. Just reducing your consumption and implementing other more green options where you can helps to make a difference.
Choosing Eco-Friendly Furniture
The way you choose to fill your home and the products you purchase also have an effect on the planet too. Choosing to purchase more eco-friendly furniture is a good way to make more environmentally responsible decisions. Examples of more eco-friendly furniture include second-hand purchases, furniture made from renewable materials, and furniture made with non-toxic and biodegradable materials. Materials such as metal can be used for scrap or repurposed rather than going to landfills. Wicker and wooden furniture is easily biodegradable and can even be used for fuel after its served its purpose. It’s best to avoid furniture made from materials such as plastic. But if you are going to use it, then choose plastics that have been recycled or could be recycled again when it’s no longer useful. Adding features to your home such as solar screens also helps to reduce the need for using energy from systems such as your air-conditioning. For a range of options to help heat from entering your home, see Marygrove’s solar screens.
Upcycling Existing Pieces
Another option to help reduce the amount of waste occurring in your home is to upcycle current pieces of furniture or second-hand pieces. You don’t have to be an expert to have a go at upcycling, there are some great videos and blogs available online to help guide you through how to upcycle various pieces of furniture. However, if it’s really not your thing, then there are other people out there that will be willing to upcycle furniture for you and it is likely to still work out to be more cost-effective than making a brand-new purchase, as well as being better for the environment.
Changing To Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
The amount of energy we consume in our homes is one of the leading ways we can help reduce our impact on the planet. Making a simple, quick, and cheap change such as switching to LED bulbs is one of the ways to help reduce energy consumption. They also come with the added benefit of being longer-lasting than other bulbs, meaning you don’t have to worry about changing them as often. Because they use less energy, you can also expect to see the cost of energy bills go down too.
Cutting Down On Single-Use Products
In this day and age, it’s all too easy to purchase single-use products without even realizing the impact these kinds of materials have on the planet. Our plastic consumption needs to be drastically reduced to help avoid rising landfills and the impact non-biodegradable products are having on the ocean and sea life. Recycling the plastic you do use in your home is a good way to start helping to reduce the impact your plastic consumption has on the planet, as it can be repurposed rather than going to landfills. You could also try and be more conscious about the products you’re purchasing and the companies you’re choosing to support. Many companies are making a switch to more eco-friendly packaging such as paper, cardboard, and more biodegradable materials. You could also choose to purchase items that can be used time and time again, such as reusable coffee cups, food containers, and drinks bottles to help reduce the need to purchase plastic packaging.
Consider Buying Second Hand
A lot of people are unwilling to buy second-hand, but there are actually a number of benefits. For example, not only can it help to reduce the need for more products to be created and sold, but it also means there is more opportunity for you to own one-off pieces that are more unique than brand new pieces. You also are more likely to be supporting local businesses rather than larger companies when buying second-hand. It can also be more cost-effective to purchase second-hand, whether it’s for furniture, clothing, or vehicles. Despite what people may think, it’s actually likely that you’ll get more high-quality pieces for a lower price when purchasing second-hand rather than through buying mass-produced factory-made pieces.
Reduce Food Wastage
When we have access to so much food and nutrition living in a first-world country, it can be easy to waste food. However, this can have an impact on how eco-friendly we’re being, as it could mean we have to purchase more products to replace the ones wasted. As a lot of food items are shipped from other countries, they can contribute to the emissions and pollutants being added to the atmosphere. Being more conscious about the amount of food we need to purchase and how to make use of food that’s near its sell-by date will help to reduce the amount of food being wasted in our homes.
