A sustainable home is one that aims to optimise energy efficiency, minimise waste and use as few toxins as possible. Sustainability has become more important than ever in the modern world. Not only does being more sustainable help to reduce our impact on the environment, but it can also save costs, both in terms and energy and excess usage. Not only that, but creating a more sustainable home may help your mental well-being too.
*Collaborative Post
If you want to upgrade your home and live more sustainably, it’s actually a lot easier than you might think to get started. There are a number of different steps you can take, and you don’t have to commit to anything big or expensive unless you’re able to. You’d be surprised at how much of a difference small changes can make to your overall sustainability.
Buy to Last
One of the most significant things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment is to minimise the amount of waste you produce. We all create waste throughout our lives, and it’s completely unavoidable. However, by being more conscious of what we buy and how we use things, we can definitely reduce the level of waste.
When you buy, you should always be aiming to buy things that last. Too often, we buy cheap, mass-produced items for our homes, and these end up falling apart and needing to be replaced very quickly. If you want to produce less waste while also saving money, it’s important to buy quality. This goes for everything from clothing to built in wardrobes.
Shop Local
Another habit relating to consumption that can dramatically affect your environmental footprint is buying locally. When you buy goods from other countries, your carbon footprint increases, as each item needs to be shipped to you. Not only is the shipping industry responsible for a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions, but it can also damage marine ecosystems and lead to a lot of waste ending up in oceans all over the world.
When you next go to buy something, check to see where it’s manufactured and where it’s shipped from. These days, it’s very difficult to avoid products that are manufactured outside the UK, but there are still lots of options available to you, especially if you buy from local markets.
Improve Your Insulation
This often gets overlooked, but insulation is incredibly important if you’re trying to be sustainable. Insulation effectively helps prevent the outside temperature from affecting the inside temperature. For example, if you’re trying to stay warm in the winter, you’d put the heating on. If your home is poorly insulated, a lot of the heat will escape, meaning you’ll need the heating on for longer.
The same thing happens in reverse when you’re trying to keep cool in the summer, and this can lead to higher energy bill costs as well as wasted fuel. You should look to add cavity wall insulation as well as attic insulation, and improving the glazing and frames of your windows can also help keep your home insulated.
Install Rainwater Harvesting
In the UK, it rains a lot of the year, and this is a valuable resource if harvested and used correctly. Rather than taking water out of the taps and the reservoir, you can use a rainwater system to collect it instead. This will help to reduce total energy costs as well as save you money on your water bill.
All you need is a water butt that connects to your drainpipe. You can find different sizes available, though it’s best to choose one based on both your water usage and the level of rain you normally get.