In the past, all we had to think about was survival by any means necessary. But in the 21st century, this simply isn’t the case anymore. Technological and organisational advances in society allow us to live more comfortably than ever before.
With this elevated level of comfort comes plenty of time to think. And plenty of people are thinking about how their habits impact the environment. According to research by Statista, over half of consumers are more likely to buy from ethical and sustainable brands.
Despite this, there still remain barriers to people living in a more eco-friendly manner. According to a consumer survey conducted by Deloitte, 38% of UK adults don’t adopt sustainable practices because they’re “too difficult”.
With this in mind, we’ve put together this short article. Below, we’ll discuss some simple and easy ways that you can make your home more eco-friendly.
Improve insulation
A significant proportion of your home’s heating energy leaks out and is wasted. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to plug the gaps and conserve energy. This will reduce the amount of fuel you need to consume to heat your home – thereby reducing your carbon footprint – and even save you money in the process.
As you’ll remember from science class, heat rises. This can result in energy escaping through your roof. You can reduce this, however, if you lay roof insulation to trap heat in the house below.
Throughout the seasons, the wood in your floorboards expands and contracts. When this happens, you’re often left with gaps in your floor that leak heat. You can use standard DIY-store dust, resin or acrylic fillers to stop these gaps, save energy and make your home more sustainable.
Use renewable energy sources
Fortunately, we no longer have to rely solely on non-renewable energy sources. There are many ways for us to produce energy from natural sources that replenish over time. These sources are called aptly named renewable.
A simple way to incorporate renewable energy in your home is to install solar photovoltaic panels on your roof, which let you generate your own reliable and low-maintenance power.
If you’re worried about the cost of such a change, don’t! You can even get government Green Deal grants to make the process more affordable for you.
Only wash dirty clothes
Washing clothes is bad for the environment on multiple fronts.
Firstly, it releases microplastics from synthetic materials, which eventually find their way into the ocean. When washed at high temperatures, your clothes degrade faster, meaning that you’ll soon be sending them to sit in a landfill. And of course, washing uses lots of water and energy.
Only wash clothes that a genuinely dirty and, when you do so, use a cold wash and a low water setting. This is one of the easiest changes you can implement to make your home more eco-friendly.
There are plenty of changes that will make your way of living more sustainable. Which steps are you thinking of taking? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.