We are headed into a climate crisis.
If you’ve paid any attention to the news in the last few years, you’ve heard that climate change is happening and we need to do something fast. Whether you’ve heard that it’s too late to reverse or you’ve already experienced some of the signs yourself, change needs to occur.
The majority of the carbon output is caused by a small handful of companies and the biggest change needs to happen in the corporate world. Still, individually we should endeavor to make more eco-friendly decisions in our homes and our lives.
There are lots of opportunities to make greener choices all around us. From the way that we dispose of our trash to the source of power that makes our lights function, there are significant opportunities to make our homes more eco-friendly every day.
Reduce Consumption, Reuse Everything
Let’s face it, we produce a lot of waste and it shows up in our lives in ways that we may not even notice. Goods are individually packaged, double-wrapped, or even unnecessarily packaged in hilarious ways, and we often don’t think twice about it. But there are no shortages of ideas on the internet to reduce our waste or reuse items that may still be effective.
One of the simplest ways to reduce our waste is to invest in reusable products. Tupperware is one of the most obvious options but there are plenty that are not so obvious. Some of the potential reusable options for you include:
- Reusable ziploc bags instead of disposable
- Reusable shampoo and conditioner bottles
- Reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic
- Rags for cleaning instead of paper towels
Solar Panels
The impact energy consumption has on the environment is well known at this point. Fortunately, renewable energy technology has improved significantly in the last decade and the costs have come down.
The most approachable and widely used form of renewable energy for homes is solar power. With only a few solar panels on your roof, you can generate all the electricity your home needs without any negative environmental impacts. In some cases, you can do more than replace your electricity bill, you can generate so much electricity that you can earn money by selling it back to the grid.
Reduce your energy consumption
Regardless of whether you decide to invest in renewable energy or not, reducing your energy consumption will go a long way. The less electricity we consume, the less we have to produce and that can have a significant impact all around. After all, even a Netflix binge can have a significant energy cost.
Much like renewable energy, technology for high-efficiency products has improved drastically in the last few years as more consumers push for greener options. There are a variety of ways that you can make your home more eco-friendly.
- Purchase energy-efficient appliances – From washers and dryers to refrigerators and dishwashers, just about every appliance in your home has an energy-efficient option.
- Start a smart home – smart technology can go a long way towards reducing your energy use. Smart thermostats, smart water sensors, and smart outlets can all learn your habits and reduce your draw when you don’t need it.
- Switch to LED light bulbs – One of the most revolutionary options that have come out lately, LED light bulbs, utilize 20% of the energy than a normal light bulb while lasting 25x longer.
Rainwater Harvesting
Another one of the earth’s precious resources we are straining through over-consumption is the freshwater supply. Nearly everyone is taught in school that only 1% of the world’s water is drinkable and that there is an impending water crisis. Still, our municipalities work to continuously provide fresh water, sometimes draining the source.
So what can you do to help? Collect rainwater off of your roof!
This is known as rainwater harvesting and has many benefits, but in this case you can replace much of your draw on the municipal system by collecting the water that falls on your roof. While you’ll still need a filter and to hook up your water system to your plumbing, it’s worth it. Look into it! The amount of rain you can collect from your roof might surprise you.
Compost
Composting is another great way to make your home more eco-friendly. Composting is a simple process that converts organic waste that can be decomposed by microorganisms into a nutrient-rich compound so effective for plants that it’s often referred to as “black gold”. More importantly, it helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
You can easily start composting if you have a composting bin at home. Some people even just use bags! All you really need is a safe container to put your compostable material into so that it can decompose over time.
If you’re looking for one of the most cost-effective ways to be more eco-friendly, this is it. Composting can be done with materials you probably have around the house, can dramatically reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill, and will leave you with one of the best plant fertilizers you can buy (but you’ll get it for free).
There’s no shortage of ways that you can make your house and lifestyle more sustainable. You don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a solar array for your roof, you can start with reusing the things you already have, composting instead of wasting, or capturing water in a rain barrel. We need to make sustainable choices in our lives, and while the corporate world needs to follow suit, you have the tools that you can use to make a difference.
Jeff is the author of Harvesting Aqua and an environmentally-friendly DIYer who focuses on home projects and lifestyle changes that improve our sustainability and the world around us. When he isn’t writing about or tinkering with his latest project, you can find him spending time with his kids and reading top-notch fiction.