This is a collaborative post.
The world is rapidly changing but you can make your home more environmentally friendly today. Plastics are flooding our oceans, wildlife species are facing extinction, and pollution is affecting everything from lung development to quality of life in our big towns and cities.
Fortunately, global initiatives, governments and businesses are stepping up to the challenge to reduce carbon emissions, single-use plastics and more.
But one of the most significant changes starts with you at home. It means living in a way that is not harmful to the environment and helps to protect our planet from manufactured damage, you could even consider chicken keeping?
With a few small changes in your daily life, sustainable, environmentally friendly living is possible. Here are a few pointers to get you started:
Recycle, recycle, recycle
One of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to stop loading up your refuse bins with recyclable waste.
According to DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), 26 million tonnes of waste is made each year in the UK. That’s the same weight as 260 large cruise ships!
On average, 14m of that is poured directly into landfills, and 12m is recycled. On the surface, that doesn’t look too bad. It’s nearly a 50/50 split, after all. But, within that 14m, the recycling potential is huge. Think plastics, aluminium, cardboard, batteries, glass. How much of that are you honestly recycling each day?
Now you might be moving house or having a clearout, and time is not on your hands. But there is still an opportunity to dispose of all your waste the right way by hiring a rubbish removal company in London. They will ensure all of your unwanted goods are disposed of correctly and in the most environmentally friendly way.
Whether you are renovating your home, having an office clearout or removing garden waste, the professionals are invested in recycling the right way.
Reuse culture
We live in an instant culture. In some places, you can get food delivered to your door within minutes, fill your wardrobe with a few small clicks and kit out your whole home with the latest trends in the furniture industry from the comfort of your sofa. But what if you don’t have to?
Upcycling your old furniture, breathing life into vintage clothes and snapping up beautiful antiques from your local charity shop is fast becoming the staple of eco-living. It might go against fast fashion and get your instant fix of goods, but embracing reuse culture minimises your impact on the environment around you.
But if the table you’ve had for the last five years or more isn’t quite going to make the cut, give it away. Make use of your local charity shops, and recycling centres or try and make some cash off of local social selling pages. Your unwanted jumper, pair of skis or rocking horse might be the perfect addition to someone else’s home.
Let there be light
Making simple swaps in your home can make all the difference when it comes to living in a more environmentally friendly home, and one of the first places to start is your light bulbs.
LED lightbulbs are not a new phenomenon. They first made an appearance back in the 1960s, and ever since then, they have been leading the way in energy efficiency. What’s more, you can get a whole host of on-trend designs, such as the classic Edison, for all the cafe vibes in your home.
Why choose LED lightbulbs?
- They last longer
- Eco friendly
- A cost-efficient way to light your home
Consider switching to renewable energy
The UK government is clamping down on emissions, and by 2030 the PM’s “Green Industrial Revolution” will be in full swing. The ten-point plan aims to protect the natural environment by investing in greener energy such as low-carbon hydrogen, nuclear power and investing in carbon capture.
Although some of these changes may feel beyond what you can do at home, switching to a renewable energy source for your electricity is quickly becoming the norm. Unlike traditional power from oil, gas or coal sources mostly found in households on the national grid, renewable energy is here to stay.
Whether you invest in solar panels or thermal energy stores, renewable energy is the most sustainable way to power your home without burning more fossil fuels.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Despite their effectiveness and price appeal, most mainstream cleaning products contain several ingredients that are harmful to the environment. The most damaging chemicals are often found in foaming agents, detergents and preservatives that you’ll likely use every day.
By simply switching to products that contain sustainably grown or raised ingredients will ensure that each time you wash your clothes, dishes or even give your kitchen surfaces a once over, your cleaning materials won’t deplete the ecosystem or cause any harm when dispersed back into the atmosphere. A simple way to make your home more environmentally friendly.
Most supermarkets now stock a good range of eco-friendly products for all of your household cleaning needs. However, if you want to support smaller, local businesses, you’ll find some of the best eco-friendly products around in your nearby farm shops, health shops and greengrocers.
Mindful loo roll
Like paper, traditional toilet roll is made from trees and water. But like many other features on this list, your average 100 rolls a year are not a sustainable way to carry on your toileting habits!
Here are some facts you need to know about toilet roll:
- 27,000 trees are felled for toilet roll production every day
- The average tonne of paper rolls uses 90,921 litres of water
- Bamboo toilet roll is a popular sustainable alternative as it is fast-growing, uses little water and doesn’t require pesticides to grow
- UK based recycled toilet paper is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative
Despite the growing market for sustainable loo roll, you’ll find that many of the products are still wrapped in LDPE plastic which is currently hard to recycle in the UK. But, if it means reducing the number of trees felled for your personal use and comfort, then the payoff is worth it!
Are you ready to embrace environmentally friendly living? With a few simple swaps, you can reduce your carbon footprint almost instantly from the comfort of your own home. Will you make your home more environmentally friendly now?
