5 Ways To Make Your Home Eco-Friendly
Going green does not mean that you have to make expensive changes to your lifestyle. There are simple changes that you can make around your home to minimize waste and reduce your carbon footprint. Here are simple changes that you can make in your home to ensure that it is eco-friendly.
1. Consider Using LED Bulbs
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a good option if you want to make your home eco-friendly. These bulbs use around seventy-five percent less energy and can last for a longer time than the incandescent lighting. Using these bulbs will not only save energy but will also ensure that you are saving a lot of money spent on energy bills.
2. Get an Eco-Friendly Water Filter
Water is life. It plays an important role and you cannot overlook this. Every activity in your house revolves around water. You use water to clean, shower, cook, drink and even water your plants. It is evident that you cannot go on with your normal daily activities without water. You, therefore, need to pay attention to the source and state of the water in your home to avoid any form of contamination.
Tap water carries many impurities such as excess chlorine and traces of pesticides. Drinking water with these impurities can introduce toxins to your body, which can harm you. You may have opted to use bottled water but recent researches have shown that bottled water is not free from impurities and contamination.
To remove contaminants and impurities from water, you will need to install a water filter. This will ensure that you are drinking filtered tap water that is free from contaminants and that you do not rely on bottled water, which is not 100% safe. It will also ensure that you do not pile up plastic obtained from the use of bottled water. Plastics are a big threat to the environment.
3. Track Your Water Usage
Having an eco-friendly home means reducing any form of waste. You have to get serious about monitoring your water usage and eliminate any waste. To do this, you will need to identify any leaks around your home and fix them. If you do not identify any leaks, you will need to make certain lifestyle changes that will make you save water.
Some of the changes that you can make include taking shorter showers or ensuring that you do not leave the water running when shaving or brushing your teeth. These changes will save you gallons of water monthly if you incorporate them to your daily routines.
4. Install Solar Panels
Solar panels are vital if you want your home to be eco-friendly. Installing a solar panel means that you can generate your electricity, therefore, reducing your electricity bills while operating an eco-friendly home.
Using a solar system is very efficient. It makes you monitor your energy usage. Solar panel systems come with systems that monitor your energy consumption rate, the electricity that the panels produce and how much is going back to the grid. This awareness of energy consumption often results in less energy usage and eco-friendly homes.
Solar panels are also a long-term investment because they last for around twenty years without breaking depending on your area of residence. Solar panels not only save you money in terms of electricity bills but they are also a good opportunity to ensure that you go green. Just start your journey by using a solar panel calculator to estimate your solar potential and savings quickly.
5. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
We buy too much than we need. Think of a time when you bought another pair of shoes because it was cheap but you did not actually need an additional pair. When you impulse buy, you end up with clutter around your home for no reason. Before buying, ask yourself if you really need the item and the purpose that the item will serve. This will save you from harmful carbon emissions that are in some of the packages or the carbon emissions that build up when a lot of trash is in a landfill.
When buying also consider the quality of the items that you are buying. Choose items that will last longer and will take a longer time to get to the landfill. Before throwing away an item, such as a ruined t-shirt think of reusing it first. Recycling should be your last option after you have reduced and reused what you can.
Remember, there are many other things that you can use or do to ensure that you have an eco-friendly home. Changing your lifestyle will also ensure that your home is eco-friendly and you are helping the future generations have a clean environment.
