Consider using an old-fashioned push mower, especially if you have a small garden. Sick of receiving endless letters through your mailbox and stashing bills, important documents and files in a drawer under the stairs? If you consider how many bottles, tubes and tubs you use every day during your morning routine, I bet that the number is around 5-10. 32. Listen to the Vegan Food & Living Podcast. The solution is simple: keep a glass or reusable water bottle with you at all times, that way you’re sure to never use another plastic water bottle again. Now, times are changing, and we are seeing a shift in consumer patterns towards sustainability and responsibility. While many people associate going green with inconvenient and expensive lifestyle changes, there are actually several cheap and easy adjustments you can make around the house to significantly shrink your carbon footprint. The solution is simple: go paperless. Going green doesn’t only benefit the environment – your family and your wallet benefit as well! Charlotte Willis provides her top 15 tips towards a mindful, responsible and green lifestyle. Take a look at these simple ways to make a big impact on your carbon footprint. Going GREEN isn't only for the environmentally friendly; it’s also a great way to save money on energy costs and keep your home and family happy and healthy. Take your own Tupperware box for the restaurant to use. Sounds simple, but this seemingly unassuming swap could end up saving you a lot of money, and a lot of energy. Buy responsibly-produced fashion from retailers such as H&M, People Tree and ASOS Africa. Every home is different and there’s usually a great deal that a homeowner can do to improve the green credentials of their property. LED and lower energy lightbulbs typically use between 25-80% less electricity and will last anywhere between 10-25 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb would. Swap in some LED bulbs. You can make your home a healthier, safer, and greener place by making just a few simple changes for an environment-friendly lifestyle. Everything from coffee cups to plastic cutlery, disposable razors and straws – you name it, there will most likely be a wasteful, single-use plastic derivative invading your green-seeking lifestyle. The average household will throw away a third of its food shop every week. While it is always easy to toss out an old, tatty chair and replace it with a new one, upcycling your old furniture is now a unique, thrifty reinvention opportunity. We strive to protect the planet and reduce our collective carbon footprint. What can you do? 6. Planting a few strategic trees on the windward side of your house can reduce heat loss by up to 20%. Try Regulating Your Body Temp with Clothes Rather Than Your HVAC. Houseplants help filter the air and remove toxins. It never ceases to amaze me how out of touch the majority of us are with our environment. Switch to shade-grown coffee with the “Fair Trade” label. This is a way to add a little decor while improving the quality of the air your family breathes. This way, you’re using much less energy for the time that the product is on, saving money, and reducing your energy output. Toxic chemicals sprayed on genetically engineered cotton; harmful polluting dyes and chemical run-off from factories in our waterways and oceans; and thousands of people trapped in the middle of a tiny profit margin battle between consumers and producers. Do you know how to live in a “greener” house?There are many things you can do to make your house more environment friendly and sustainable. Recycle all you can, compost your kitchen and garden waste, refuse to buy and use single-use items and reduce your burden upon plastic. You could set up an online filing system using the Cloud and opt to go paperless for your significant documents, such as bank statements and phone bills. Your efforts to going green will be undermined if your other family members don’t strive to do the same. Home electricity is one of the major energy drains on the planet, so this infographic gives you 10 ways to make your home greener. There’s no doubt that our spending habits have become accustomed to £3 T-shirts and bargain basement clothing, but at what cost? Switching to natural cleaning products, which have minimal impact upon the ecosystem (such as Waitrose’s Ecological Range or Ecozone), promotes environmental harmony and helps reduce our dependence upon animal testing. Just ask your providers to opt you into paperless, and away you go – saving lots of trees and transport costs along the way. You can solve many problems by taking small steps towards converting your non-green home into an eco-friendly home. ... 10 Ways to Make Your Garden More Green ... so if you don't have … Make sure that the tech you have got is as energy-efficient as possible. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to the use of cookies as set in our Cookie Policy. The post 15 Tips to Make Your Home More Green appeared first on Redfin Real Estate Blog. Seal gaps around doors and windows. A scary fact. 33. Not only do trees soak up lots of carbon dioxide and produce lovely oxygen they also help green up your home. Search. 10 easy ways to make your home green - Please browse through our blog section for more information on Real Estate News. The very planet that gives us life, we actively abuse and mistreat daily, without so much as a passing thought. Love to be warm and toasty during the winter and nice and cool during the summer? 5. Checking out local farmer’s markets, produce shops and community gardens yields great environmental benefits. Another way to support farmers is to buy ‘wonky’ veg, which is usually only slightly malformed fruit and veg, at a lower price. One of the best ways to do this is to speak to sustainability consultants, who will be able to provide you with analysis and ideas for how best to make changes to your home. Clean the fridge coils. Embrace natural cleaning products Insulate your home. Set your refrigerator to 37 degrees, and keep your thermostat at about 68 degrees during the day. Basic models allow you to create a temperature schedule. Recent Posts. Charlotte is a freelance journalist and health writer who has worked with the Vegan Society and other online vegan publications. Every time you go to make a purchase, think to yourself, ‘Do I really need this?’, ‘Can I wholeheartedly say that this product or item will enhance my life?’ Adopting this minimalist attitude will help declutter your life, reduce your monthly outgoings and help to conserve environmental resources. Speak to an insulation expert or check out ways to insulate your home to keep the heat in during the winter months. Get your family involved . Minimalism is an emerging movement among the environmentally-conscious global community. There are economical and easy ways to save energy by making minor changes in your energy use. The only energy expended is yours. At home, we can all make decisions to be more environmentally conscious. Wrapped in plastic and plastic-enforced packaging, most options on the high street are either non-recyclable or difficult to process in common recycling plants. I make my own bath oils, face oils, face wash, body wash, shampoos and conditioners – and they don’t require too much effort or time, I promise! Becoming environmentally conscious is as easy as 1, 2, 3… 15! Powered by WordPress. Use compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. Now that’s one hell of an incentive! Besides the damage to your wallet, food wastage contributes a significant strain on environmental resources, producing needless crops that could have been salvaged if thoughtful planning was applied. Tags:Earth Day, Eco-friendly Homes, featured, Green Homes, make your home more green, redfin, Tips & Advice, tips to go green. To make your shopping easy, look for a purifier labeled as a "true" HEPA, which can remove more of the smallest particles faster -- or 99.97% of … The average household will throw away a third of its food shop every week. Keep your hot water heater set between 120 and 140 degrees. We use cookies to give you a better experience on veganfoodandliving.com. Reduce the amount of clothes you buy and throw away, re-work and re-style your clothing, donate and recycle wherever possible. From a simple re-upholster of a cushion to sanding down and painting old wooden tables, chests and stools, a bit of DIY here and there creates some interesting and alternative styles that you can’t find on the high street. You don’t have to convert to solar energy or grow all of your own food – MSN offers some great, easy tips on going green and making a big difference! (For more information visit goingzerowaste.com). Easy Ways You Can Become More Organised In Your Life. But what if I told you I know people who can fit their entire year’s worth of rubbish into a single mason jar. Lighting accounts for about 9 percent of a typical home’s energy... 2. Greener Ideal helps you live in more sustainable ways with green living tips, commentary on the latest environment news, green product reviews, healthy recipes, and more. Minimalism encourages us to live within our means in an uncluttered and simple manner, making conscious decisions regarding each purchase we make and decision we take. Stop Food Waste. In fact, it can even save you money. Just think about how many resources could be saved. Insulation requires a small investment on your part, but you’ll soon recover those costs over time. Forking out half your year's salary for a Prius isn't the only way to make your life more eco-friendly. 10 Ways to Make Your Home More Green. These farmers might also use a more sustainable and smaller-scale method of farming, which helps conserve natural wildlife and soil preservation. There’s no doubt about it, we have become a throw-away society. VEGAN FOOD & LIVING IS THE FASTEST GROWING UK VEGAN MAGAZINE, SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER Change your light bulbs: The following tips can help you be more green at home and often save a little money in the process. Instead of relying upon these products, whip out your essential oils and make your own! 3 million, and it’s increasing year on year. Sustainable Living: 10 Tips for a Greener Home 1. As energy costs grow and the environment continues to be put under pressure, there are a number of things we can do as individuals to make our homes more green and save energy and money while simultaneously contributing to … 13) Keep your garden green in every sense possible. Reducing the amount of resources you use daily is as easy as keeping a bottle with you! Why not take your own food to work instead? If I had a penny for every time I pass a commuter on a lunch-break carrying a Pret sandwich or a Boots meal deal… While the odd lunch out is good for the soul, regular commuter lunches all too often come served with a hefty side of environmental damage. Collect rainwater, and use it to water your houseplants and garden. What Are The Essentials When Preparing For A New Baby? Transforming to a paperless lifestyle entails being pretty computer savvy. It's tempting to spring for the dinky incandescents at the corner store, but that $17... 2. Single-use plastics are the scourge of modern society. Doing your part for the planet doesn’t need to cost extra time or money. Buying locally produced fruit and veg supports farmers in your area and gives them more of a direct source of income. Switch to cloth diapers – or at least combine with disposables (even one cloth diaper per day means 365 fewer disposables in the landfill annually). Are you grabbing a coffee before work? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The combined impact we can make together is as important as those made on a governmental scale, and all it takes is these 15 easy switches. In the summer they provide welcome shade but most importantly in the winter they help reduce heat loss from wind. Individually, we can all choose to make a difference to the fate of our planet. Not solar panels on a house (although that would be quite a great addition if you have the resources and the house on which to erect them), I’m talking about using solar energy to charge your phone, smart watch and tech equipment. Be mindful and plan ahead. Take your own cup. Adding a variety of plants to your home will improve the indoor air quality. Older homes tend to have gaps around doors and windows that let in outside air or... 3. Green Living: How to Make Your Home More Eco-friendly by Just Energy | Electricity , Sustainable Energy Mankind’s increased emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide cause global temperatures to increase, oceans to warm, ice sheets to shrink, glaciers to retreat, sea levels to rise, ocean acidification, and an strengthens extreme natural disasters. When it comes to making your home more green, recycling is kind of a no-brainer; but according to … Use short cycles for washing clothes: Modern washing machines have an … There’s no escape from the fact that we all use items and produce waste. You get a better price and can freeze, refrigerate, juice and sauce to your heart’s content. Somewhere between the hustle and bustle of a 9-5, while we preoccupy our thoughts with lusting after the latest and greatest trend, consuming at an alarmingly exponential rate, it seems we have become grossly out of touch with where resources come from. Talk about a win-win! Changing your energy supplier to one that’s 100% renewable is a great eco-friendly tip for any home. I am a great lover of a long soak in a bathtub full of aromatic oils and bath salts; even better when I’ve made them myself using organic and natural ingredients, without the need to resort to plastic packaging. Here are 5 super easy but effective ways to greenify your home and by extension, your life. Potted plants Tips on how to make your Home a Green Home Make your home more green with these tips Save This living wall and green roof were planted by ANS Credit: ... Buying a home close to a London park … These nifty inventions can be found online, and don’t cost too much (a decent phone charger is about £35). This will also make your home a pleasant place to live in -- for you, and for future generations. Most energy companies suggest you set your thermostat to 68 degrees in cold weather and 78 degrees in warm weather. If you are looking to make your home more energy efficient or are just trying to cut back on expenses, a programmable thermostat is a great tool to help you manage the temperature of your home. Her fields of expertise and interest include vegan nutrition, holistic healthcare, mindfulness and fitness. She is currently researching and studying the various links between food and psychological health while pursuing a doctorate degree in counselling. What’s not to like? Going Green: How to Make Your Home More Sustainable . Heating and cooling costs make up the biggest portion on your energy bill. Let’s look at some ways to make your home more sustainable by going green. Part of living includes wasting. Recent statistics suggest the number of people cycling at least five times per week in Britain has reached almost Common plants like Chinese evergreen, English ivy, and bamboo are good choices for enhancing the air quality of your home. Save Water. Win Win! That’s 5-10 plastic containers that will require replacing in a month’s time. You don’t have to go out of your way much to make a big difference and go green. After all, half of your energy bill goes toward heating and cooling your home [source: Archer ]. Add Plants to your Home. Open your blinds to allow rays of sunlight to warm up your home. (Turn to page 66 to find details of how to make your own bodywash. Some of the most popular methods for going green include recycling and using less-harsh cleaning materials, but here are some more tips for making your home more green. Recycle. Are You Taking Care of Your Family’s Dental Health Needs? Toronto Blog / Advice 10 easy ways to make your home green By Jackie Marchildon June 25, 2015 There are many ways to make your home green. Let The Light In Feeling chilly? 5 Tips To Make Your Home More Green Of all the energy consumed in the United States every year, 40 percent is consumed by homes and businesses and most of that is from fossil fuels. Besides the damage to... 2. Top 10 tips for making sure your garden is chemical free and growing strong. Not to mention the vast array of harmful and polluting agents concealed behind warning labels. Staggeringly, it is estimated that 1 million plastic bottles are bought and used every single minute across the globe. Impressive, huh? SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR EXCLUSIVE FEATURES, RECIPES AND COMPETITIONS, SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE Ditching the regular four-wheel morning commute in favour of two-wheeled transport will cut your carbon emissions, burn through some extra calories and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 46%. The fashion industry is the second most heavily polluting industry on a global scale. One of my favourite items to bulk-buy are tomatoes. Saving water around the home is another way to reduce the environmental impact of your lifestyle and, as with reducing energy usage, can save you plenty of money. So if you’re keen to increase your home’s efficiency, here are our top 10 steps: 1. Eventually, you’ll be able to pick up a bargain or two when you become a regular customer, even more so if you buy in bulk. Other ways to keep heating costs … According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy , the average American will spend $2,000 each year on electric alone. For sustainable living, switch to LED or CFL lights. We're not saying no paper towels—that move takes serious commitment—we're saying... 3. Living a zero-waste life doesn’t entail a complete cessation of garbage production, it simply requires you to waste well and waste efficiently. Having a green home does not mean you have to cover your roof in solar panels or install a whirling wind turbine in your backyard. Step 3: Switch to renewables. 1. One of the simplest ways to green your home, save energy and cut utility bills is to install programmable thermostats. What’s more, these changes can be quite simple and affordable. Always remember to opt for paper straws where available and refuse plastic alternatives. via Redfin. 1. Upgrade your home’s insulation. FOR EXCLUSIVE FEATURES, RECIPES AND COMPETITIONS. A staggeringly high proportion of commercial cleaning products contain ingredients that are either derived from animals or are tested on animals. Switch Your Lightbulbs. To make your home even more of an insulated fortress, you may want to upgrade your weather stripping and sealant around the doors and windows. Green in 15: 15 top tips to help you live a greener lifestyle 1. Find out why sustainable living is basically just another way of saying “smart living”. Use more rags, fewer paper towels. Fancy a take away? Five Tips to Make Your Home Greener and More Stylish December 7, 2017 If you are long overdue a home improvement, you might want to implement some green ideas in your design, to show your appreciation for the planet, and make your house more energy-efficient. The most effective form of “green heat” comes from the sun! Wrapped in tin foil or in a Tupperware box, you’ll save yourself a fortune and most likely make responsible, healthier meal decisions. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. You might not believe the efforts of one person can help reduce environmental pollution, but what if every reader of this feature made five changes to their lifestyle? [1] The Green Deal helps you make energy-saving improvements to your home and to find the best way to pay for them. Attaching renewables to your home is pointless if it’s so poorly insulated that heat flows straight out. Insulating your home is an easy way to conserve heat so that you can reduce your bills, while also making your home greener. Buy smaller amounts of perishable items, little and often, to maximise freshness, and freeze vegetables, herbs and fruits that are over-ripe to use at a later date. 13. Family Friendly Experiences on Google Assistant », Choosing The Right Materials For Your Kitchen, MECO Eleverde Dental Oral Irrigator Review, The Different Types of Damp and How to Manage It. 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