An eco friendly home is a new hype in the world pushing towards a completely zero-waste lifestyle. New inventions are popping out every day. Implementing green solutions into houses and apartments has become an industry of its own. Looking at the astonishing achievements in this field makes us realize how much humankind can accomplish in such a short period of time if we put our minds to it.
Of course, we realize that most people can’t afford a brand-new eco friendly home. That doesn’t mean you can’t try and make some adjustments to the existing one and this way contribute to a greener future for everyone. To help you get there, we prepared a shortlist of changes that are very easy to adapt.
Invest in better isolation
Good isolation is a crucial feature of every eco friendly home. It represents a big investment, especially for those living in older buildings and many people might not be able to afford it. However, in the long run, this input can save you a lot of money. Before making any decisions, we encourage you also to check out your government’s policy on subsidizing these kinds of investments. Many countries have great eco-programs, making investing in better isolation one of those rare scenarios where everybody is a winner.
DIY isolation
There are still many things you can do by yourself to improve the isolation of your home. For example, you can install curtains and blinds on your windows to block the sunlight in the summer. This way, you can save a lot of money on AC. If you own the ground in front of your window, an even better solution is to plant a tree, which will provide a natural shade and keep your house cooler even in the hotter months of the year.
Use a programmable thermostat
Another way to create a more eco friendly home is by installing a programmable thermostat that will monitor your cooling and heating systems. Nowadays, these devices are often powered by artificial intelligence and can efficiently lower the cost of your electric bill while at the same time making your home more environmentally friendly.
Install LED light bulbs
Investing in efficient light bulbs is another one of those small changes that will not only lower your electricity consumption but also make your home nicer to the environment. No matter how tempting incandescent bulbs are, LED incandescent bulbs are a much better and wiser alternative. They last longer and help you save money in the long run.
Save water and electricity by getting a dishwasher
Getting a dishwasher might - again - seem like a big investment, but in the long run, it can save you money. The amount of water used by the dishwasher is much lower than the amount used by manual washing. Studies have shown that hand-washers use almost 130 million liters of water over the course of 10 years, while a dishwasher uses less than half of that (62 million). Furthermore, the machine proves not to be just more efficient with water savings, but also with electricity. The same study shows that over the period of 10 years, a dishwasher produces only over 2000 kilograms of gas emissions needed to heat the water, while manual washing emits over 5600 kilograms. Who says being lazy doesn’t pay off?
Get sustainable tableware
With growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and oil supplies, the more ecological-orientated industry found a renewable alternative to diversify its raw material sources. In recent years sugar cane has emerged as an important ingredient to substitute for petroleum in plastics production. To support these ecological efforts, you too can get more sustainable tableware for your eco friendly home, and thus, prevent the use of single use plastics.
Hang out your clothes
If you don’t live in a tiny apartment, you should really consider using hangers to dry your clothes. Dryers are known to be great energy consumers, plus they will ruin your textiles much faster. Unless you are really in a hurry to get your clothes dry, there is little excuse not to hang them up and let the sun and fresh air take care of them.
Get yourself a composter
A bio-waste composter, such as Bokashi Organko, will help you get rid of leftovers in an eco-friendlier way and at the same time provide you with an organic fertilizer for your plants and crops. Home composting is an excellent way of leading a sustainable lifestyle and participating in the never-ending cycle of taking from nature and giving it back. To make itself even more helpful, Bokashi Organko comes in two sizes suitable for garden or kitchen.
Grow plants and herbs
To make use of the fertilizer produced by composting your bio-waste, you should really think about getting more plants in your home. They will effectively purify indoor air and instantly create an eco friendly home feel. Along with the decorative plants, you can also grow your herbs in the kitchen since they really don’t take up much space. If you have a balcony or even a yard, you can take your sustainability efforts to a whole new level by growing your own lettuce, tomatoes, and other tasty crops.