The average home has the potential to be extremely damaging to the environment. Wasted energy, pollution, and waste that’s sent to landfill or incinerators are just a few of the surrounding issues. But with a bit of care and planning, we can make our homes much more eco-friendly, and without even making any major changes. Here are a few of the ways it can be done.
Recycle
Recycling is one of the most environmentally friendly things you can do at home. A few years ago, recycling would mean driving to a recycling bank with bags of glass bottles and papers. These days, every property is issued a recycling bin from the council. Each week it’s taken away and dealt with, which involves no hassle to you whatsoever. All you have to do is put recyclable materials into the correct bin; it couldn’t be easier! There are still too many people who don’t bother or don’t make enough of an effort. If this sounds like you, scribble down ‘recycle more’ onto your new year’s resolutions for 2017.
Compost
Composting is a fantastic eco-friendly practice that anyone with a garden can do. If everyone got on board, we could dramatically reduce what we send to landfill. But just take responsibility for yourself and do what you can, every small bit does make a difference. You can compost fruits and vegetables, cardboard, egg shells and cuttings from your garden. Don’t add meat, dairy or cooked food to the pile as you’re likely to attract pests, plus it doesn’t break down in the same way and can affect the aeration of the pile. This can result in fungus which can prevent the proper rotting of the compost. As a bonus it gives you free, high quality compost to use on your garden too!
Consider Eco-Friendly Renovations
If you’re having any renovations or building work done to your home, you could look into reusing materials rather than buying new. Bricks and wood can often be salvaged and reused, and these could be a part of your project. Do some research online and find out what kind of things you can get your hands on. You could also make sure that any waste and rubble created by you is reused rather than sent to landfill. There are companies these days who work to make sure building materials such as aggregates and soil is reused. Bristol and Avon Group is one example.
Switch to Energy Saving Bulbs
Standard light bulbs are expensive to buy and don’t last for very long. Plus they use a ridiculous amount of energy, powered by electricity companies that burn fossil fuels. Bad for the environment, bad for your bank balance. Thankfully there are plenty of energy-saving varieties on the market. They can last up to twenty-five years and use significantly less energy. Once you’ve fitted these bulbs in your ceiling lights and lamps, you don’t have to think about them again for potentially two decades or more. So why wouldn’t you?!
What do you do to ensure your home is as eco-friendly as possible?
-Dana
Carry on Beautiful! 