Incorporating Eco-Friendly Practices Into Your Home

Green homes are defined as sustainable living environments that reduce environmental impact. Utilizing low-flow fixtures and switching to natural cleaning products are just two small ways you can make your property more environmentally-friendly.

Green homes utilize energy-efficient windows and insulation that prevent air leakage during the summer and warm air loss during winter, saving buyers money in utility costs. Furthermore, these homes utilize organic or plant-based fertilizers instead of pesticides as fertilizer options.

Sustainable living

Sustainable living involves reducing your ecological impact through using renewable energy sources, decreasing waste output and adopting plant-based diets. Additionally, it may involve purchasing goods made using sustainable practices.

Make homemade cleaning products made of natural ingredients instead of harsh chemicals; switch to energy efficient appliances; use eco-friendly lighting. Also, growing food at home reduces reliance on store-bought produce which consumes fossil fuel during transport.

Sustainable living means choosing energy efficient small homes, consuming less meat as this requires many resources for production, supporting local producers by buying goods directly from them instead of big supermarkets, carpooling when running errands, cycling or walking where possible and carpooling when driving to work; all this will reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Plants

Plants play an essential role in every ecosystem on Earth, from their oxygen production through photosynthesis to providing food and medicine. Plants also play an integral part in human existence by providing us with wood and building materials, paper products, chewing gum, fibers and rubber for human use.

Homeowners can reduce their environmental impact by selecting plants that require less watering, planting an energy-efficient garden and installing drip irrigation systems with drippers to minimize water waste. Installing rainwater collection systems reduce water waste while replacing gasoline-powered lawn mowers with manual push mowers helps cut back energy usage; eco-paints with reduced levels of toxins improve indoor air quality while cutting waste production costs.

Opting for organic food keeps harmful pesticides out of our soil and water sources, safeguarding farm workers, wildlife and your family. When buying locally produced goods when possible or Fair Trade coffee sourced from companies paying their workers a living wage is also beneficial. Lighting your home using energy-efficient bulbs that use less electricity to operate may help focus attention on specific areas. Furthermore, open curtains or blinds to maximize natural lighting is another method.

Textiles

Textiles play an integral part in our daily lives – from clothing and bedding, curtains, cushions and furniture – yet not all fabrics are created equal when it comes to sustainability; some man-made textiles take decades before biodegrading completely while naturally grown fibers leave far less impactful footprints behind.

Eco-friendly fabrics that best reflect today’s environmental awareness include those crafted from organic natural fibres like wool (like this alpaca blanket from The Haines Collection), cotton, hemp and jute. You should also look out for fabrics certified as Cradle to Cradle(r), Made in Green(r) or GOTS(r) as these organizations offer certification and screening throughout a product’s entire life cycle from raw material selection, manufacture and packaging through to shipping stages.

Lyocell fabric has become increasingly popular since its introduction by Austrian brand Lenzing; technically a type of rayon but produced without using harmful chemicals for its manufacturing process. Made of cellulose fiber derived from wood pulp of Eucalyptus trees.

Reduce, reuse and recycle

Recently, “going green” and “eco-friendly” have become more frequently heard phrases; often used as hashtags or points of differentiation on product packaging. While marketing often distorts these terms’ true meanings, knowing what these phrases stand for can help make more eco-friendly choices that lead to a healthier planet.

Reducing waste production is one of the key steps you can take towards being eco-friendly. Manufacturing new products requires energy and raw materials that produce greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change; by cutting waste production you can conserve these natural resources while decreasing air, water, and land pollution.

Swapping from plastic shopping bags to cloth ones will reduce waste and pollution, while purchasing reusable food storage jars like glass jars from stores like Aldi can further help the environment. Furthermore, installing energy efficient compact fluorescent lights such as those offered by ENERGY STAR(r) will save both money and energy consumption.