Many people want to do their bit for the environment. However, they are clueless as to how they can reduce their carbon footprint in order to help the environment. The best way to help the environment is to start with your home. When you make your home sustainable, you can be sure that the carbon footprint of your home will be reduced drastically. This will help you in leading an eco-friendly life.
Today, we will share with you 7 simple tips which will help you in going green and making your home environmentally sustainable.
1. Opt for Energy-Saving lights
The 1st and foremost thing which you have to keep in mind is that you have to reduce the electricity consumption in your home. The best way to do so is to switch over to energy-efficient lights. Irrespective of the current lights which you use, you should switch over to CFL’s or you should switch over to LEDs. They provide you with a better level of illumination and at the same point in time, help you in reducing electricity consumption by 25% to 75%. This ensures that you are able to not only save on the electricity bills but also make your home much more eco-friendly. Moreover, these lights last for a longer period of time and do not emit any kind of gases like carbon dioxide. This further reduces the carbon footprint of your home.
2. Improve Home insulation
The better insulated your home is, the lesser will be the electricity needed to maintain the temperature inside. You have to concentrate on each and every part of your home in order to get it properly insulated.
When it comes to the flooring and walls, you have to make sure that there are no cracks which let the outside air to come in. Similarly, you have to ensure that the doors are sturdy as well. As for the Windows, you have to not only opt for the double pane windows but you can opt for shutters from Shuttercraft to add an extra layer of insulation to your Windows. When you ensure that the doors, windows, floors, as well as walls, are properly insulated, you can be sure that the outside temperature will not impact the inner temperature as much. This will ensure that the electricity required to maintain the inner temperature will be on the lesser side. The lesser the consumption of electricity, the more eco-friendly your home will be.
3. Go for Eco-friendly flooring
When you search for flooring options for your home, you have to opt for flooring which is made from sustainable materials. You can choose flooring made from reclaimed bamboo, cork, hardwood. When you are able to do that, you can ensure that during the construction of the home, there was no harm done to the environment.
If you’re looking for more options, you can directly go for the green flooring solutions. These are made from materials like recycled rubber, recycled concrete as well as linoleum. Choosing such a flooring option ensures that your home is not only Eco-friendly but also completely sustainable.
4. Use Eco-friendly cleaning products
In order to maintain our homes, we use a wide variety of cleaning products. You need to keep in mind that rather than using the ones which are based on chemicals, it is a pretty good idea to use the cleaning products which have natural ingredients and non-toxic ingredients. These can be disposed off quite easily as well.
If you do not get such products in your vicinity, you can make your own cleaning products with the help of baking soda and vinegar. This will help you in creating eco-friendly cleaning products which can be disposed off without polluting the environment.
5. Work actively to reduce the carbon footprint
Apart from the furnishings as well as the fixtures which you get installed in your home, there are a few other ways in which you can reduce the carbon footprint of your home. You need to change your lifestyle habits in order to do so. Some of the steps which you can undertake include:
- Using more mirrors in your home to reflect light
- Letting the outside light come in
- Unplugging electronic devices when not in use
- Minimizing the bath time when you’re using the shower
- Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth
While these might be very simple steps for some but the truth is that most of us do not follow these. Once you follow these, it will become easier for you to reduce the carbon footprint of your home.
6. Use water judiciously
One of the best ways to make your home fully sustainable is to reduce water usage. We waste a significant amount of water each and every day. Owing to this very reason, it is important to follow a few tips in order to reduce water wastage. These steps include:
- You should install a flush which uses less water.
- You should install shower heads which consume less water.
- You should try to adopt rainwater harvesting.
- You should repair all the pipelines which have a leakage problem.
- You can use the remainder of the water after washing the vegetables to water your lawn.
- You should opt for the grass and plants species for your garden which require less amount of water.
Once you are able to make these changes in your home, it will be easier for you to save at least 20% to 25% water on a daily basis. When you undertake these steps along with making some lifestyle changes, you can easily save up to 40% to 50% of your total water consumption. This will help you in making your home much more sustainable. You will also be able to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your home. Their is one more important part of the water. It must be a soft water which you can use for your daily life. Because if you don’t have the Safe Waters, it can cause you so many health problems.
7. Use solar energy
The last measure which we will discuss now will help you in reducing our reliance on conventional modes of energy. You have to ensure that you are using solar energy as much as possible. These days, it is very easy to install solar panels on your rooftop. Most of the governments as well as authorities provide you with incentives in order to do so. This will help you in generating your own electricity and therefore help you cut down on your electricity bills. Additionally, you can use various solar gadgets like:
- Solar water heater
- Solar cooker
- Solar Charger
When you use these gadgets, you will be able to further reduce your consumption of electricity. With the help of batteries, you can store this electricity for usage during the night. As a result, the overall electricity which you will be consuming from the grid will be significantly reduced. In most of the cases, you will end up consuming the electricity which is produced by your own solar panels. This will help you in drastically reducing your electricity costs. At the same point in time, it will also help you in making your home much more sustainable.
Pro Tip
In some countries, you are allowed to sell the extra electricity which you generate in your home back to the grid. You have to inquire about the same from your utility company.
So, if you’re serious about going green and reducing the carbon footprint of your home, these are the 7 simple steps which you have to follow. Once you incorporate these few tips, it will become easier for you to make your home entirely sustainable.
