5 Ways to Live More Sustainably

It’s important to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible because the state of the environment could use some improvement. That said, while there may not be a lot of education on sustainable living, you can find some tips online to improve your sustainability. Read on to see five ways in which you can live more sustainably and get the most out of your life while teaching your family the same important lessons.

1. Use Sustainable Materials In Construction

When constructing a new part of your home or making alterations to the existing elements, always look for sustainable options to use. These should ideally be recyclable materials or those that don’t have a massive effect on the environment either in production or in use. These alternative materials may also prove to be a bargain over the long term. According to This Old House, while timber can last for up to 40 years, a concrete or masonry wall that’s been properly installed practically has no limit on its lifespan.

2. Plant a Native Lawn

Next, all homeowners want to have a lawn that’s neat and well-maintained. This means that you should either be willing to spend time and money on maintaining your property yourself or hire an expert to do so. Alternatively, you can plant native shrubs and grasses around your yard and do away with lawn grass, which generally needs a lot of care to thrive. Native greenery will be a lot easier to maintain and it won’t need as much time, money, and resources to keep in a good state.

3. Improve Your Home’s Efficiency

You can also take measures to ensure that your home is generally efficient in different ways. This includes ensuring that there are no leaks in your plumbing for one. You should also make sure that the treated indoor air doesn’t leak outdoors and leave you needing to spend more energy on keeping the house warm. One way to do this is to seal your doors and windows. This is because, according to the United States Department of Energy, heat gain and heat loss through windows alone are responsible for 20% to 35% of the energy used in residential areas.

4. Always Unplug

You may believe that when your appliances have been turned off, they don’t use any energy around the house. This isn’t the case, however, because most of them stay idle in standby mode. This is so that they can respond to the remote control commands when they get used. That said, you should go a step further and either unplug your appliances after turning them off or buy power strips, which you can easily turn off from the power source once you’re done using them. This will prove to be a good call since you won’t have to unplug each individual unit from a different point.

5. Switch to Solar Power

Last but not least, if you can afford to do so, it’s a good idea to switch to solar power. Making this switch may cost a tidy sum at the beginning, but it’s a cost that will be well worth it over time. That’s because you can enjoy living off the grid and being in total control of your home’s power supply. This means that you won’t be affected by power outages that may affect your area for one reason or another. It’s important to note that a field of solar panels covering an area of 22,000 square miles, or the size of Lake Michigan, could provide electrical power for the whole of America, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This shows that a solar installation could comfortably power your home if you have it done the right way.

In these five ways, you can live a life that’s much more sustainable. You’ll enjoy saving money in terms of the energy you use in your home and also have a smaller impact on the environment. Give them some thought and you may be able to share some crucial education with your family on how to keep the environment green, leading by example.