Maintaining an Environmentally Friendly Home

It begins with every home. Yes, you can do something about the environment at your own house. You don’t have to wait for your city or state to do something big, like install wind turbines. If every home begins working towards helping the environment, we could slow down the destruction – if not repair – of the atmosphere and the Earth.

Different Ways of Keeping Your Home Environmentally-Friendly

• Invest in an environmentally friendly energy source

You can begin with what is available. If your area receives sufficient sunlight, you can invest in solar panels. You can keep your usual electricity provider, but solar panels will significantly lower your non-renewable energy. They will also reduce your power bills.

• Turn appliances off when not in use

This advice may seem like common sense, and it is. However, people still forget to turn on their appliances when not using them. It is not even just after turning them off, and you must also turn them off from the switch. The only thing that makes sense being on will be your refrigerator and freezer.

Unplug all unused appliances, including chargers (even when no devices are connected to them).

• Do not waste food

Wasting food has effects not only on you but also on the ecosystem, believe it or not. This wasted food may end up in landfills, which will add to all the garbage producing carbon dioxide.

If you don’t have a choice but leave some unfinished portions, use the leftovers as compost. This way, you can use it for something good – a green garden, instead of throwing them in the bin to end spewing carbon dioxide from landfills.

• Recycle and reuse

Whatever you own, you must find a way to recycle and reuse it. Sort your items into wanted and unwanted items. You can recycle the unwanted items by bringing the unusable ones to the recycling center and reusing the others. For example, a plastic bottle can be recycled or reused, depending on your needs.

• Use less plastic

Use less plastic if you can help it. There are different ways to go about it, such as:

• Bringing a reusable shopping bag when going to the supermarket
• Using a reusable plastic or glass bottle for your water
• Requesting a metal or bamboo straw at restaurants (or none at all)
• Buy and install LED bulbs

When picking bulbs for your home, make sure they are LED. Anyway, most shops now recommend these energy-saving bulbs. However, it would not hurt to specifically ask for them to ensure that you got the right ones.

• Use green cleaning agents

Inspect the ingredients of your cleaning agents. Make sure that they are environmentally friendly. Usually, their production methods are also good for the environment, and you also won’t have a harder time disposing of them. So, when you use one to clean your toilet, you won’t be afraid that after you flush the cleaning agents, they will end up harming bodies of water.

• Use environmentally-friendly toiletries

The same goes for toiletries. Choose soap and shampoo that will not do harm after they drain from your bathrooms. You can also pick eco-friendly toilet paper and other accessories. It takes more effort, but it is worth it. You must continue to inspect all your grocery items for clues as to how they are made and what they are made up of.

• Grow plants and trees

You can grow your fruits and vegetables. This way, you know what types of methods have been used to plant and propagate them. You can also contribute more oxygen to the atmosphere this way.

Moreover, plant trees that could provide shelter and protection. Of course, they can also emit more oxygen to the atmosphere.

• Walk, not drive, when the destination is near

If you are going to walk a block or two to buy something from a convenience store, you should not have to drive. The same goes for visiting a friend in the neighborhood. By choosing to leave your vehicle parked in your garage, you not only get some exercise but also reduce emissions from it.

Walking also saves fuel, which is a non-renewable source of energy. Sure, you may have bought an eco-friendly car, but it does not mean to say you can just keep on driving it anytime you want. You will still waste fuel.

• Avoid flying if you can help it

Flying to destinations is one of the most convenient and the fastest way of traveling. Sometimes, you don’t have a choice – especially if you must go to a destination thousand miles away and across oceans.

However, if it is just for recreation, choose some of the nearby attractions first before you decide to fly. There may be several wonderful places to visit in your own country or even your city. Flying emits a lot of carbon and uses a lot of fuel. Therefore, it should be the last resort for environmentalists.

• Continue educating yourself about environmentally-friendly energy sources

No matter what happens, keep on learning about the various non-renewable and renewable sources. Find more information that can guide you in decreasing your carbon footprint and in conserving sources of energy. Keep abreast of the latest news to know what else you can do at home to save energy.

Conclusion

You can make a difference to the environment. You don’t need to be a member of an organization to help in conserving energy. However, you may want to talk to your family members about the goals that you plan to set. It cannot be a one-person team if other people are living in the same house. Everyone must contribute to save energy and lean more towards renewable, green resources.