Making Your Home More Sustainable

You hear the word “Sustainable” often but what does it mean in terms of your home? Sustainability is meeting your own needs while thinking of the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sometimes that seems a daunting task but you have to start somewhere and making small changes in your surroundings can begin to make a big difference.

Avoid Disposable Products. Once use products such as disposable razors, disposable diapers, plastic cutlery – even tin foil or cling wrap if possible. All of these products have alternatives which allow you to use it over many times before chucking it in the bin. These alternatives may cost more in the short term but often they save money in the long run and they are certainly better for the planet. One small thing with a big impact: Quite Smoking! Think of all those butts that wind up in the trash or worse, on the street and the waterways. Added benefit – it immediately and directly benefits your health and the health of those around you.

Use fewer cleaning chemicals. Many of the ingredients in common cleansers are caustic for the surfaces in your home and bad for your health. Often natural products such as baking soda, vinegar and pumice stones can clean as well! Try dumping a bit of baking soda down a drain and add vinegar and close it up and watch what happens. Better than Drano!

Unplug devices when not in use. “Zombie” devices are a true energy waste and they are expense! So many of our devices continue to use energy when not in use. Electronics are a big culprit. Smart speakers and plugs, timers – all are devices that continue to draw nearly as much energy when not in use as when they are. Save energy and save money – use a strip plug with an on and off switch and you can turn all the devices plugged into it off at once and then easily turn them back on!

Buy the right size house. Do three or even four people really need a 4500 square foot house? Will vast areas of your home go unused on a daily basis? Will you have to turn around and downsize in a few years? Plan ahead.

Sound daunting? Try just one and stick to it. Baby steps! There are lots of little things we can do in our homes to play our small part in reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape.