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More and more people are getting into a more conscious and intentional lifestyle. Their mindful and purposeful choices and actions tend to reflect in their homes. Sustainable living no longer only exists in the videos and posts of eco-conscious influencers but in the homes of ordinary people. This movement will exponentially mean a reduced carbon footprint and more eco-friendly communities. If you want to get started on your own journey to a more eco-friendly and sustainable home, here are some of the simplest yet most impactful ideas to contribute to a healthier planet.
Incorporate Energy-conscious Technology
Alt-text: renewable energy technology
Reducing our energy consumption is one of the biggest ways we can help our home to be more sufficient. One way to a smarter and greener energy consumption is to replace lead acid battery with LifePO4. There are many custom sizes, designs, and capacities to choose from to meet any energy requirement. Trying out smart and energy-efficient appliances, switching to smart and LED lights, and having them scheduled to turn off when not in use are also great ways to conserve energy.
Using renewable energy like solar and wind are also greener ways to access energy. A solar generator can power house. They can power home devices and appliances for hours and are great investments to look into for a greener home.
Practice Water Conservation
Alt-text: water conservation rainwater harvesting
Water is one of the most important resources but it is so often neglected. However, losing access to water – even just for a few hours – is one of the biggest inconveniences. Water conservation may be done through rainwater harvesting. Big containers or cisterns collect rainwater that can be used to irrigate your gardens, clean your house and car, wash clothes and dishes, and may even be purified for drinking and cooking. Greywater, or water from sinks, tubs, and washing machines, can also be properly filtered and repurposed for watering plants, washing outdoor areas, and flushing the toilet.
Grow Your Own Food
Alt-text: homegrown food
During the pandemic lockdown, people have learned how to grow their own food in their yards, balconies, and even on their windowsills. The lockdown has made them realize just how important growing your own food is, and how easy and rewarding it could be. One good feature to have in a sustainable home is your own garden. Vegetables, herbs, and spices that are staples in the kitchen can easily be grown even with limited real estate. Even with just a few pots in your home, you can grow ingredients for a salad or a pasta dish.
Seeds, gardening materials, and some simple gardening guides are now so easily available from local stores and even online. By growing your own food, you are sure about what things you put or spray on it and you are certain of its quality. Plus, there will be no additional cost for transportation. There is nothing more locally sourced than what is grown in your very home.
Alt-text: food preservation to reduce food waste
Reduce Food Waste
One other food-related sustainable practice is preserving food to prolong its shelf-life and reduce food waste. There are many ways to preserve food. There is canning, bottling, drying, freezing, fermenting, pickling, and many more.
If you have a lot of fruits, fruit processing machineries can help you preserve them in bulk since trees tend to produce a lot of fruits all at once. They can be made into jams, jellies, and dried candies. If you are dealing with herbs and spices, drying and infusing oils and butter with them is a good way to prolong their usefulness. Pickling vegetables and even turning some into kimchi, a Korean fermented dish, is a delicious and easy way to have them preserved.
You may also use peels and other kitchen refuse from your food preservation processes to make vegetable broth and ultimately compost so that the nutrients are given back to the soil for future use.
Exercise Green Cleaning
Alt-text: green cleaning tools and products
If you’re not familiar with the term yet, green cleaning refers to the use of products and practices that are environment-friendly and minimizes the negative effects on the environment and human health. It involves cleaning products that are non-toxic, biodegradable, and renewable.
Some green cleaning tools are natural fiber eco-friendly cleaning cloths, compostable sponges, loofah scrubbers, natural bristle brushes with wooden handles, washable mop heads, glass spray bottles, and others. Green cleaning products are often those which you can find in your home, like white vinegar, baking soda, lemon, castile soap, and, essential oils. There are also processed or commercial green cleaning products available.
Eco-friendly packaging and storage also play a big part in keeping your cleaning products green. Using glass bottles and jars is one of the best ways to store them. There are also stores that have refilling stations, not only for cleaning products, but for hygiene products like bath soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. These refilling stations help its patrons to minimize waste. They also tend to have cheaper products due to the absence of additional packaging.
Reduce Transportation Waste and Cost
Alt-text: carpooling
In the aspect of transportation, your home can reduce its gas cost and emissions by walking or biking to nearby places and practicing commuting or carpooling for locations that are a bit farther away. Walking and biking can improve your mental and physical health while carpooling not only helps you reduce your emissions and gas consumption but also allows you to have more time with friends and family which you don’t tend to get when driving in separate cars.
Conclusion
Sustainable living may pose some big changes at first but the changes have positive changes that not only benefit the earth’s health but also your own.