We live in an age where topics like pollution and climate change are part of our everyday lives. We worry about water and air quality, whether or not the household or yard products we’re using are putting toxins into the environment or our living spaces, and what our actions today will mean for future generations.
Becoming more environmentally aware is a good thing, though, and implementing practices that make the world a healthier and more vibrant place for us and the life around us is a lot easier than you might think. It’s time to start nurturing our world, so get ready to learn and to become inspired with these go green ideas for homes!
Green Building:
Taking a more eco-friendly approach can start before you even have a home. Whether you’re building from scratch or you’re remodeling, take the opportunity to go with an approach that reflects the concepts of sustainability and environmental protection. Purchase lumber or go with a contractor that uses lumber from sustainable forestry programs. These programs help to reduce clear-cutting practices and help to keep our forests intact, thus maintaining key habitat areas and nurturing vital ecosystems.
Look for high-efficiency appliances when you’re putting together your kitchen or laundry space. Such appliances do their work while drawing on less energy – something that’s not only good for the environmental but also really great for your wallet.
Insulation is pretty big when it comes to creating a home that has a more positive impact on the environment. The amount of energy you use to heat and cool your home is translated directly to how much pollution gets put into the atmosphere and our waterways, and how many ecosystems are disturbed in the search for energy resources.
Even if you use natural gas, remember that even though they say it burns cleaner, it’s still not 100% clean, and it’s definitely not renewable or sustainable: Natural gas is a finite fossil fuel – we won’t always have it. With all of this in mind, make sure that your home is well insulated and that you use environmentally friendly products as well. Replace old windows for newer ones that are better insulated and which feature UV protection – something really important for areas that get a lot of sunlight and, therefore, heat.
Installing eco-friendly systems for your home is also a smart idea. Solar panels create clean, renewable energy that doesn’t harm the environment and which can help reduce or even eliminate your electric bill (small wind turbines can do the same).
Water catchment systems are spectacular eco-friendly solutions, especially for areas where water shortages can be a big problem. You can create a system that uses rainwater to feed your toilets, with your home’s standard water supply acting as backup. If this doesn’t seem like an option for you, you can still set up a water catchment system outside using a rain barrel that collects water from your roof via the gutters. This provides you with a supply of water for your garden/yard and helps reduce the amount of groundwater pulled out of aquifers.
Eco-Friendly Solutions – Home Practices:
The things we do in our homes often have an impact on the environment, even if we don’t realize it. Take a moment and really think about how much you might waste in your home regarding water, electricity, and various materials. Do you leave the water running while scrubbing dishes or brushing your teeth? Are you leaving lights on or standing with the fridge open all of the time?
Even how many paper towels, toilet paper, and other disposable items we use ends up having some impact on the environment. Just take a look at your household cleaning products, and you’re sure to find a bevy of chemicals that would certainly be harmful to any ecosystem, and probably aren’t that great for you and your family. Make the switch to cleaning products that don’t use the same harsh chemicals, and find cleaning solutions you can make yourself at home from trustworthy products.
Go green ideas for home can start with storage solutions. They can even have a positive or negative environmental effect. Start paying attention to where products are manufactured, as the greater the distance between the manufacture point and your local store, the more pollution that’s going to be involved.
Purchase used plastic storage containers for your basement, attic, and garage, rather than going out and buying something new. You can find great used plastic containers online: a purchase that means you’re reusing a product and reducing the amount of energy used to create something new, as well as reducing the amount of material likely to end up in a landfill or floating around out in the ocean.