Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Eco Friendly: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

Doing our part to help protect the environment may seem difficult and hard. But, if we just take it in small steps it’s really easy. These small steps can add up to make a big difference! Not only will we help the environment, we will save money and it’s better for us! Here are a few ways we can make our homes more eco friendly.

Use less water

Small steps in saving water will help save in a big way. Here are a few ways you can start:

• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
• Shorten your shower time by a minute or two.
• Flush the toilet only when you need to.
• Make sure the dishwasher is full before you run it.
• Wait until you have a full load of laundry to run the washing machine.
• Catch rainwater to water your garden and flowers.

Use less energy

Make small changes that will add up over time. It may not seem like much at first, but over time it will add up.

• Purchase energy efficient appliances. Energy efficient appliances may cost a bit more on the front end, but will make up for it in lower energy bills.
• These days we have a lot of items using what I call ghost energy. Items like cell phone and other chargers use power just by being plugged in, regardless if you have anything attached to them!
• Use a power strip that you can turn on and off for devices with remotes like T.V.s, VCRs, and stereos. You would be amazed at the juice these things use to run the remote receiver, even if it is turned off!
• For short trips, walk or ride your bike. The fresh air and exercise will be good for you also.
• When possible, buy local products. When you buy local, it supports your local community and economy and uses less energy compared to the energy need to transport products across the country.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

While most of us know the three R’s of reducing, reusing, recycling, we often leave out the reusing. All it takes is a little creativity. Actually, it can be fun to come up with creative ways to reuse what you have. It doesn’t have to be elaborate! It can be as simple as reusing toilet paper holders to sow seeds for the vegetable garden. Or what about cutting up an old butter, or yogurt, container to make plant labels? Jars can be reused to fill with homemade foods. I have even spray painted jars with different colored spray paint to create some pretty nifty flower vases and knick-knack items!

We also need to get use to using environmentally friendly products. When shopping, look for “natural” or “eco friendly” products. We are starting to see these options on just about everything these days. However, you do need to be aware, there are a couple of issues when shopping for these products. Just because they are labeled as ‘more natural’, doesn’t mean they are entirely natural. The second, and an important point is, they are usually more expensive.

The best way to get inexpensive, natural and safe products is to make them yourself. Using vinegar to clean and disinfect glass and other surfaces is a lot cheaper than their chemical laden counterparts! If you need to remove stubborn stains, use baking soda added to the vinegar cleaner. There are literally hundreds of natural and safe homemade cleaning products. Just do a quick search online to fine what you need.

Going green is not only better for the environment, it’s also better for us. It’s better for our health by reducing our exposure to chemicals. It’s better for the environment and by conserving reusing and recycling everyday items, we save money. That should be something that makes everyone happy! Why not try a few of these baby steps to make your home more more eco friendly?