7 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly 
With a growing trend towards more sustainable and conscious living, there are several things you can do to make your home eco-friendly.
But why should you care about living sustainably? Well, the thing is, without a conscious effort to preserve our environment, we will soon run out of resources to sustain our way of life.
By living sustainably, you contribute to improving the future of the environment. So how do you make your home eco-friendly?
Compost your waste
According to the Australian department of energy, in 2016-17 Australians collectively generated about 67 million tons of garbage, and this figure is increasing.
During the same time frame, 6.7 million tons of organic waste was sent to landfill. When this organic waste decomposes, they release hazardous gas, including 55% of methane – a more damaging greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
A better way to dispose of organic waste is to compost them. If you have a garden, composting is an effective way to enrich the soil with nutrients.
You can also offer organic waste as composting material to individuals with gardens in your community if you are without one.
Use toxin-free cleaning products
Most of the off-the-shelf cleaning products are made from synthetic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Some of these elements, when released into the atmosphere, takes several years to breakdown.
Instead of using these products, consider swapping them for natural, non-toxic ones, or you make your own. There are several organic ingredients available you can use to make a DIY cleaning solution.
Vinegar, lemons and baking soda are some of the toxin-free cleaning products you can use.
Switch to a cleaner energy source
From the recent quarterly emission update by the National Greenhouse Gas Accounts, 35% of the total CO2 emitted by Australians are from the energy companies.
Consider switching to sustainable alternative sources like the residential solar installation to harness the sun energy to power your home or choose an environmentally friendly energy provider.
Reuse and recycle items
Consider swapping single-use items in your home with products you can reuse. Instead of using plastic bags and disposable coffee cups, go for things you can use multiple times.
Instead of paper towels and paper napkins, you can use dish towels and rags. This way, not only are you saving the trees, but you are also cutting back on home maintenance expense.
Use greener mode of transportation
In 2017, the Australian government estimated over 50 million tons of emission was from transportation, construction and commercial activities.
And, when you consider Australians are less likely to carpool, use public transport or walk – greener alternatives which could add up to reducing carbon emission – it becomes imperative to use eco-friendly transportation.
Use energy-efficient products
The less energy your appliances consume, the smaller the resources required to generate the power in the first place.
As well as helping the environment, you also get a lower energy bill at the month-end.
Plant trees
Introducing greenery into your home not only helps purify the indoor air, but it also adds ambiance to your home.
Also, green plants remove greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide – a major contributing gas to global warming – from the atmosphere, which means you’d be doing your bit to conserve the environment.
By planting trees or growing a garden in your neighborhood, you help reduce ozone levels while also preventing urban runoff. Plants prevent erosion by breaking the force of rain and holding soils compact.
If you are closer to a highway, planting trees around your home can help absorb sound and reduce noise pollution.
With a growing trend towards more sustainable and conscious living, there are several things you can do to make your home eco-friendly.
But why should you care about living sustainably? Well, the thing is, without a conscious effort to preserve our environment, we will soon run out of resources to sustain our way of life.
By living sustainably, you contribute to improving the future of the environment. So how do you make your home eco-friendly?
Compost your waste
According to the Australian department of energy, in 2016-17 Australians collectively generated about 67 million tons of garbage, and this figure is increasing.
During the same time frame, 6.7 million tons of organic waste was sent to landfill. When this organic waste decomposes, they release hazardous gas, including 55% of methane – a more damaging greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
A better way to dispose of organic waste is to compost them. If you have a garden, composting is an effective way to enrich the soil with nutrients.
You can also offer organic waste as composting material to individuals with gardens in your community if you are without one.
Use toxin-free cleaning products
Most of the off-the-shelf cleaning products are made from synthetic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Some of these elements, when released into the atmosphere, takes several years to breakdown.
Instead of using these products, consider swapping them for natural, non-toxic ones, or you make your own. There are several organic ingredients available you can use to make a DIY cleaning solution.
Vinegar, lemons and baking soda are some of the toxin-free cleaning products you can use.
Switch to a cleaner energy source
From the recent quarterly emission update by the National Greenhouse Gas Accounts, 35% of the total CO2 emitted by Australians are from the energy companies.
Consider switching to sustainable alternative sources like the residential solar installation to harness the sun energy to power your home or choose an environmentally friendly energy provider.
Reuse and recycle items
Consider swapping single-use items in your home with products you can reuse. Instead of using plastic bags and disposable coffee cups, go for things you can use multiple times.
Instead of paper towels and paper napkins, you can use dish towels and rags. This way, not only are you saving the trees, but you are also cutting back on home maintenance expense.
Use greener mode of transportation
In 2017, the Australian government estimated over 50 million tons of emission was from transportation, construction and commercial activities.
And, when you consider Australians are less likely to carpool, use public transport or walk – greener alternatives which could add up to reducing carbon emission – it becomes imperative to use eco-friendly transportation.
Use energy-efficient products
The less energy your appliances consume, the smaller the resources required to generate the power in the first place.
As well as helping the environment, you also get a lower energy bill at the month-end.
Plant trees
Introducing greenery into your home not only helps purify the indoor air, but it also adds ambiance to your home.
Also, green plants remove greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide – a major contributing gas to global warming – from the atmosphere, which means you’d be doing your bit to conserve the environment.
By planting trees or growing a garden in your neighborhood, you help reduce ozone levels while also preventing urban runoff. Plants prevent erosion by breaking the force of rain and holding soils compact.
If you are closer to a highway, planting trees around your home can help absorb sound and reduce noise pollution.
