Creating an environmentally friendly home can seem like a daunting task. There is always something more we can do to decrease our home’s footprint and lower our damage to the environment. How do we start down the path to green living without being intimidated by all that needs changing? At our house, we make one simple change at a time. Today I’m sharing a few simple and easy ways you can start to green your home in honor of Earth Month. Join in the conversation in the comments section or on my Facebook page here.
Easy Ways to Green Your Home
Recycling Bins – This may seem like a no-brainer for folks with city recycling programs, but not every community is blessed with that resource. Setting up a recycling bin to reduce the waste you are sending to the land fill is a HUGE step towards making your home more eco friendly. All you need is trash can or tub. Paper, cardboard, aluminum, plastic, and glass can all be recycled (among other things). Search for recycling stations in your community if your area doesn’t have a pick up service. It is a little bit of added work for you, but it can have a big impact. You’ll be surprised how quickly you get used to it and recycling will become a habit.
Reusable Cloth – Take a look at what you throw away most often and think about how you can replace that with something reusable. Most of the disposable paper products we use can be easily replaced with cloth. For us, we made the choice to use cloth diapers
Essential Oils – We recently made the switch to using essential oils around our home instead of harsh chemicals and unnecessary medications. We use them for skin care, cleaning, home fragrance, sleep, and so much more. They don’t have side effects, don’t harm the environment, and are helpful to breathe in instead of harmful like so many products we had before. Click here to find out more about why we made the switch to essential oils.
Live Plants – Not only are live plants a beautiful addition to your home decor, they also help purify the air. They can absorb chemicals in the air, leading to cleaner air for you and your family to breathe.
Low Flow & HE Appliances & Fixtures – Reducing your energy waste by making the switch to low flow and high effiency appliances and fixtures can save you money in the long run and reduce your environmental footprint. Switching to LED lights will reduce your electricity bill, and they last a LONG time. Like 20 years. I’m not even joking. HE appliances can help reduce water and electricity bills and save on the waste of both. Low flow toilets and shower heads reduce the amount of water you are flushing down the drain and the water bill. We’ve switched over lots of our stuff and plan to do more as we can.
Collect Rainwater – Our area has been in severe drought for years, so we deal with water restrictions. Because of this, we hope to set up a rainwater collection
Reducing Waste – This theme has been mentioned throughout many of the ideas above, but how can you take it even further? Before you throw something away, think about how else it could be used, recycled, or how another person could use it. Your old clothes should go to thrift store donations or be turned in to cleaning rags if too worn for someone else’s wardrobe. Furniture, toys, home goods, and even toiletries, can be sold or donated. Think outside the trashcan.
How do you green your home?
Be sure to check out the Every Parent’s Guide to Natural Parenting and Earth Month Blog Hop at ALLterNATIVElearning for the best green living tips and information to help you celebrate Earth Month. Enter our awesome Earth Month giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below to win one of three awesome green prize packages.