In this day and age, helping good old Mother Earth is a great priority for many and, let’s face it, it doesn’t have to be hard.
Instead of solar-paneling every inch of your house or getting rid of every electronic appliance in existence, why not try these easy-peasy, small changes to help become that little bit greener in your very own home?
High-fives all round!
- Make the switch to energy saving light bulbs (or at least a few!) Trading your incandescent light bulbs to compact florescent will save on 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions! Say watt!
- Don’t leave your TV on standby. After your Bravo marathon sesh, get up and turn the entire box off before retreating to your slumber!
- Sunny day? Open them blinds and curtains people! Letting in the natural sunlight is not only pretty, it will also help heat your home that little bit more.
- Pop rugs down on wooden flooring. Not only will it jazz up the place and make you feel as if you’re walking on clouds, it can also save on around 4-6% on energy bills!
- Alternatively, and perhaps a more fun and fluffy option, get yourself a dog/cat/hair companion. Cuddling up will instantly make you warmer and save on turning up that thermostat!
- Muster up that macho strength, because if your fridge is in direct sunlight, you may wanna move it into a shadier spot. The warmth will force your fridge to work harder in order to stay cool, therefore using more energy than it needs to!
- Also, gawping into the fridge in the hopes that a chilled treat will eventually appear isn’t so good on the old bills either. Simply decide on what you want before opening the fridge to help save those pennies!
- Compost, compost, compost! It’s all the range at the mo and we couldn’t be happier! Simply start your very own compost heap in a sealed container—indoors or outdoors—and watch your very own fertiliser come to life! Not only will it make your garden happier, it will also save on landfill space too.
- Don’t just stick the dishwasher on for that one, stubbornly-stained bowl that was hiding under your bed. Instead, wait for a full load before using.
- Grow houseplants! They are everywhere at the minute and not only will they make your house look like a tropical oasis, they will also improve the air quality in your home.
- Repurpose old furniture. Old crates left over from Crate Day? Transform them into ‘rustic’ stools, turn them into ‘hipster’ storage solutions or use them for vintage-esque shelving. Easy, peasy!
- Are you guilty of leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth? STOP! Simply stopping the flow of water will save around six litres of water being wasted per minute!
- Shower instead of running a bath. Showering uses just 14% of the water used in a bath, so save those soaks for a special occasion, people! Wink, wink.
- The sun’s out, you’ve done your washing (go you!) and there’s only one option of drying that you should be thinking of— hang it up! Save on wasting unnecessary power and energy and get those clothes feeling all au-naturel!
- Speaking of washing, wash your clothes at 30c. This temperature not only uses around 40% less electricity; the colder water is actually better for your fabrics.
- This one’s an easy one. Turn off the lights! So, so simple, yet so many of us forget. If you’re not in the room, turn them off. You’re not really scared of the dark, are you?
- Without sounding like your grandma, why not pop a jumper on before reaching for the thermostat?
- Grow a vegetable garden! Fun, fruitful and it takes the place of paying for expensive and imported goods. Hello ratatouille!
- Forget sitting in traffic on your five kilometre commute to work. Why not take a more adventurous and fun method of transport?! Skate, cycle, roller-blade or skip, the possibilities are endless!
- If you know that you live close to a work colleague, why not share lifts? Carpooling will save on emissions and save you those pennies on fuel too!
- Unsubscribe from junk mail and get your bank statements emailed to you. It’s time to get with the kids.
- Give old magazines to health practices. Patients will be so thankful that they don’t have to read a copy of Woman’s Weekly from eight years ago and you’ll be recycling, too!
- Better yet, donate old newspapers to animal shelters. Expect thanks and maybe some cuddles and pats from the fluffy residents!
- Speaking of recycling, use recycled products when you can.
- Invest in a cloth tote bag when making shopping trips. Carrier bags are bad on the environment and they also take up so much space in our own homes! Who needs that many plastic bags!?
- Forget using a conventional, power-sucking lawn-mower. Instead, invest in a goat for a natural and hella cute way to maintain your grass!
- Left-over glass jars? Don’t throw them out so hastily. Think candle holder, small tid-bit container or spice pot to get your recycling brain buzzing!
- Look for the energy star rating on appliances. They are there for a reason and tell you how energy efficient they are.
- Invest in a plastic, re-usable coffee cup. Take it to your go-to coffee joint and ask your lovely barista to switch out the paper cups in the place of your own.