5 ways to make your home greener today
We all want a greener home. But who has the time to rush out and and buy everything you need to start. Well, the good news is that you don’t need to buy a single thing!
Let’s make your home greener today with these simple changes that you can do right now!
Zero-waste, low-waste, low-impact, or none of the above! Wherever you are on your journey to reduce your environmental footprint, we can all do with a refresher on the basics. Whether you are a total beginner or green guru, let’s look at what you can do today to help you live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Here are 5 quick (and free!) changes you can implement to make your home greener today.
Energy, water and money
Obvious and simple? Exactly. But it’s easy to forget or get out of the habit of being conscious of how we use energy and water.
Turn off lights and appliances when not in use. A classic approach that works!
Be aware of power vampires. Most appliances drain power even when on stand-by mode (especially TVs and computers, but also chargers, plugged in but not charging). So make sure to turn them off at the wall or powerboard when not in use.
Wash your clothes with cold water. Get to know your washing machine settings. Some presets wash with warm but can be modified to choose a cold option. Even better, use a short cycle whenever possible to save both energy and water.
Let your clothes dry naturally rather than using a clothes dryer. Clearly this is not always possible, especially if you live in a cold or wet climate, but be aware and use sparingly. A small change is better than nothing at all! Dryers are one of the biggest energy consumers in the house. One way to reduce the amount of drying time is to use dryer balls. There are lots of eco-friendly options out there, or you could try making your own.
Switch to green energy - ok, not technically an energy saving tip, but it’s definitely a way to make your home significantly greener. Check with your energy provider as to their renewable energy plans.
Not only will these tips save you energy and water, they'll also save you money! For other frugal ideas, see our other post.
Lose the clutter
Decluttering is the best way to remember what you own and start using what you have! And what better time to do it while we're all spending so much time at home.
Declutter mindfully - Commit to using what you have (or even upcycling items into something new). A coat of paint can give new life to an old item. Old towels make great upcycled cleaning cloths or instead of paper towels! Resist the urge to purge duplicates of anything that you may be able to store and use in future.
Sell vs Gift vs Donate - Selling or gifting might give your items a better chance for a second life. Try Carousell, eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or the best platform in your area.
When donating, only donate items in very good or excellent condition. Otherwise, they'll likely be disposed of and end up in landfill anyway. Sheets and towels that are past their best can be donated to animal shelters, or textile recycling programs such Greensquare or H&M’s clothing recycling collection.
Be conscious about food wastage
You may know that around 30% of the food we buy ends up in landfill?! And that almost HALF of the rubbish in landfill is food...
In landfill, food waste isn't able to break down easily without sufficient sunlight and oxygen, so it rots and releases greenhouse gases which are very harmful to the environment.
The simplest ways to reduce food wastage in your home are to:
Shop mindfully - meal plans are a great way to shop and avoid waste (more on that here)
Cook just enough
Eat your leftovers
Compost your scraps
Think before you buy
From household appliances to clothing, and everything in between, we can very easily reduce waste by being more mindful in how we buy.
Before you make a purchase, ask yourself:
Do you need it? (do you already own something else that could serve this purpose?)
Could you borrow or rent (rather than buying)? This can also help you decide whether you are ready to make a purchase
Could you buy secondhand? Check Facebook Marketplace or the best platform in your area
Is it the most sustainable option? (eg. for appliances, check the energy rating, and for other items check the packaging and composition)
We really “auto” drive less
Puns aside, it’s not really a joking matter. Emissions from everyday car usage significantly contribute to climate change. If all of us reduced car usage by just 10%, this would have a big impact.
Consider:
How often do you use your car?
Instead, could you choose to:
take public transport
cycle
walk
carpool
rideshare?
Using an app like Capture can be super helpful to measure your carbon footprint.
Small, consistent changes make big impacts
The best part is that you don’t need to buy a single thing to start living a greener life. Remember, small actions completed daily really add up and can have a huge positive impact on the planet.
What’s your best green living tip? Let us know in the comments!
What can you put in place today to live a greener life?