How You Can Participate in Green Home Trends

Climate change is becoming more apparent as an issue that needs drastic action to be taken. As such, it’s not surprising that more and more folks are looking for ways to make their homes more eco-friendly. If you’re looking for ways to change your house without having to drastically alter your normal routine, here are a few suggestions to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Where Is Your Energy Going?

Lots of energy usage in the home is wasted. You probably don’t even realize how much of your energy bill is spent on wasted energy. In fact, one-third of heating and cooling in a home leaks out through cracks in windows and doors. Replacing doors and investing in eco-friendly window models is the best way to ensure that the energy in your home is being used efficiently. This will not only save you money on your energy bill, but it is also good for the environment.

Similarly, according to the Department of Energy, the average American home spends 5-10% of its budget solely on lighting. That’s a significant amount of the total bill spent simply on lighting. If you’re hoping to decrease this number and save some money, consider switching to LED bulbs. They last longer and are better for the environment than traditional incandescent bulbs. Additionally, becoming more intentional about turning lights off and unplugging lamps when you’re not using them is a good way to cut energy costs.

How Much Water Are You Using?

Something most families don’t consider is how much water they’re using. Limiting your water usage is a big way you can help positively impact the environment. For example, a leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. That’s the amount of water needed to take more than 180 showers. If you have leaky faucets or plumbing, be sure to get them fixed as soon as possible. You may think it’s only a little water, but it adds up.

Similarly, consider reusing water wherever you can in the home. While you wait for the shower to warm up, gather up the cold water and use that for drinking, making food, or watering the plants. Do you keep the sink running while you brush your teeth? Be sure to turn it off! These are all areas where you can be just a bit more intentional and it can make a big difference.

What Cleaning Products Do You Use?

Many people don’t know about the impact that regular cleaning supplies have on the environment. However, the truth of the matter is that these chemicals can lead to a number of issues, especially contaminating groundwater. However, the added pollution is unnecessary and avoidable, seeing as sales of green cleaning products have skyrocketed by 35% recently. This is a really simple switch and one that doesn’t change your typical routine almost at all.

You should also consider the waste you contribute when using countless sheets of paper towel to clean. Try reusing old rags instead, or designate a few solely for cleaning so they don’t get mixed up with clean towels. This will help reduce your paper consumption and save you money in the long run.

Overall, you want to be able to use as little resources as possible. Start to achieve a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle by considering how much you waste. Whether it be water, energy, or paper and plastic products, limiting how much you waste by reducing and reusing items is the first step to creating a more eco-friendly home. These are just a few ideas, but there are a lot of things you can do to limit your carbon footprint every day.