September 03, 2019

7 Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

 eco home

 

For many, making eco-friendly changes may seem like a daunting task.  Some may think that living a more eco-friendly life is more expensive, but this is not the case. In fact, there are many small changes you can make that can help you start living more sustainably and even help save you money.  Check out our list of 7 quick and easy ways you can make your home more eco-friendly.   

 

 1. Replace single-use items.  Sometimes we don't realize how many single-use items we use that can be replaced. Single-use items create more trash, especially if they aren't recycled.  One specific example is using rags instead of paper towels to clean up messes.  You can even re-use old shirts by cutting them up to create rags.

2. Use power strips. Many times we leave appliances and electronics plugged into the outlets and these appliances are sometimes using energy even when they aren't on.  If you get power strips you can plug in these appliances into the strips and simply flip the switch off on the power strips when not in use.  This will help save energy in your home.

3. Hang-dry Your Clothes. This one is pretty self explanatory. Using a dryer to dry your clothes constantly can waste energy over time. Hang drying your clothes can not only save energy but can give your clothing a longer life.

4. Buy a Water Filter.  We all know (or should know) the dangers of plastic pollution; plastic water bottles are a huge part of it. Instead of going to the grocery store and buying gigantic packs of water bottles, buy a water filter instead to filter your tap water.  Not only will you be helping the environment but you'll be saving money in the long run.

5. Switch to Paper-less Bills. It's 2019, if you haven't gone paperless by now what are you waiting for?  Chances are, most of the bills or receipts you receive have a paper-less option. Why not save the paper?

6. Save Tote Bags.  If you don't have one already, create a dedicated space where you hold all your tote-bags and reusable bags.  Be sure to grab one (or a few) before you leave the house to do shopping.  This will ensure you don't need to get a plastic bag at the store. Plastic bags are also a huge contributor to plastic pollution.

7. Switch to LED Bulbs According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED's use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.  They also last 25 times longer.  Not only will you be saving energy, you'll also be saving money on your electric bill.