When you hear the term “eco-friendly,” your mind might jump to advancements like solar panels, electric cars, and walls that keep heat inside. And, while these certainly fit the bill, they aren’t always the most budget-conscious options for everyday individuals who simply want to minimize their negative effects on the Earth.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make your home a greener place without spending a ton of green. We’ve gathered ten tips for making your dwelling as eco-friendly as possible, even on the smallest of budgets.
- Turn Everything Off — Really Off
You already turn the lights off when you leave a room and power down the television when you’re not watching. But did you know that these and other items can still draw electricity from the socket even when they’re not on?
That’s because they’re still plugged into the wall and able to drain a bit of power from your sockets. The best way to avoid this — and cut down on your power usage and bills, to boot — is to plug everything into a UL-certified power strip that you can switch on and off.
- Pass the Pasta
Or salad. Or veggie burger. Even if you’re a meat-lover, it’s a good idea to make at least one meal meat-free per week. This is an especially important change if you’re feeding more mouths than your own: A family of four that participates in meatless Mondays can save as much energy as one that invests in a hybrid car. That’s because raising, transporting and shipping meat uses an exorbitant amount of resources.
- Change Your Cleaning Supplies
Eco-friendly household cleaners exist, and they have their merits. They reduce air pollution both inside and outside of your home so that you can breathe easier, especially if you have asthma. They also typically ditch any chemicals that might be toxic for you and your family, making your home safer, too.
- Cold Wash, Air Dry
Laundry day will require less energy if you start washing your clothes at colder temperatures. Without heating the water, you could cut down on washing-machine energy usage by as much as 40 percent. When you’re finished, hang as many clothes to dry as you can. Dryers produce carbon emissions every hour they’re in use.
- Purchase Furniture Responsibly
Particle-board or otherwise mass-produced furniture may have appealing price tags, but that’s typically where their positive selling points start and end. They break easily and often, which means you’ll have to replace them, use more resources, and so on. Particleboard also emits formaldehyde into your home, reducing your indoor air quality significantly.
Bamboo or solid wood furniture might be more expensive, but it has many merits. It lasts a lifetime, for one, and many artisans take care to ensure that they’ve sourced their wood responsibly. Next time you’re shopping for furniture, be mindful of its potential effects on your indoor air quality and on the environment.
- Save Your Scraps
Green thumbs, listen up: Your leftovers from dinner last night can make a rich soil for tomorrow. The secret is to start a compost pile in which you gather organic waste that you routinely mix and shake to create a natural fertilizer. It’ll also reduce the need for watering and pesticides because it’s so effective.
- Insulate More Effectively
Old homes are notorious for being drafty and cold during winter, and for good reason: They have thinner insulation that can’t hold a candle to the more scientifically advanced insulation of today. If you’re willing to make the investment, new insulation can cut down on your home’s energy losses by up to 30 percent. This means the heat or chilled air you use will stay inside and the uncomfortable temperatures will stay outside.
- Cultivate an Indoor Garden
Even if your house doesn’t come with green space of its own, you can grow an indoor garden. And, aside from the decorative benefits to greenery that’s kept indoors, it also works as it does outdoors to keep air cleaner and more purified. Even a tiny spider plant in the bathroom, for example, can maintain your airspace.
- Take Your Shoes Off
Many households already have this rule, though many implement it in order to maintain a dirt-free aesthetic. Even more notable is the fact that our shoes can often track in unsavory outdoor pollutants, chemicals and pesticides that we don’t want hanging out indoors, especially not in the places where we hang out, play, eat and sleep. Avoid it by kicking your shoes off in the garage or as soon as you step inside.
- Say Goodbye to Bath Time
A long bath might be relaxing, but have you ever noticed how much water you’re using? You can greatly cut down on the water you use by standing up and taking a shower. Up the ante by installing an efficient showerhead that uses less water while still providing all of the water pressure and heat you need to still feel relaxed, even if you can’t lie down in the tub.
Main image credit: F.D. Richards on Flickr