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A 5-2 model lets you set a weekday program and a weekend program. If your schedule is particularly finicky, you can purchase a seven-day model that allows for a unique program each day of the week. You can purchase a seven-day programmable thermostat for as little as $40. Curtains and blinds not only allow you some privacy, as well as keep the light out when it’s shining in your eyes or you need a nap on the couch, but they also help save energy! To ensure you get the right kind, be sure you look for the ones that specifically prevent heat loss in the winter and deflect the suns rays to keep your home cooler in the summer.
To reduce your trips to the grocery store and dependence on chemical-intensive mass-produced food items, consider growing your own vegetables. Start small, and with easy ones like spinach and other greens, so you can learn while you go and avoid getting overwhelmed. Chemicals not only affect native plants and animals in general, but most also leave the ground poisoned for a long time to come. Avoid damaging the natural state of your garden by using fewer chemical fertilizers and pest control. Making your home and garden eco-friendly is a great way to take care of the environment while doing something you enjoy, like gardening. If you’re wondering how you could do this, have a look at the five tips below.
WaterSmart makeover: Welcoming a sense of whimsy
Solar energy produces no emissions as it uses sunlight to create electricity. If you can afford to, installing solar panels will help reduce the amount of electricity you have to buy from the grid. A vegetable garden is just one component of an environmentally friendly exterior. You can go the extra mile by adding landscaping touches that are wildlife-friendly. For example, bees are notoriously threatened by environmental changes.
Up to 90% of the energy used by a washing machine goes toward heating water, according to Energy Star. So skip the heating and just use your washing machine on the cold water setting. This way, you reduce carbon dioxide emission but you also keep your clothes in top condition for longer, as hot water can deteriorate the fabric and make your colorful clothes less vibrant. As real estate insights by agents and industry researchers reveal, many homeowners are nowadays looking for ways they can make their homes more environmentally friendly.
Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water
If your electrical appliance really is beyond repair, Rhoads suggests you “call the manufacturer or company of purchase to see if they will take back items or packaging for reuse or recycling”. Not all charity shops accept electrical items, but the homelessness charity Emmaus accepts working items. These are tested before being resold, which makes it a good place to purchase secondhand electrical goods, too.
But if youdo want to splurge on something new (and one piece won't hurt), try these15 Killer Style Accessories You Never Knew You Needed. Even the most efficient eaters are going to end up with scraps of food to throw away at the end of a meal. But instead of throwing them into the trash, the more eco-friendly thing to do is to store them in a bin for composting. To make it as easy as possible for you to transform your house into a clean energy haven, we've rounded up a list of the easiest eco-friendly changes right here. So read on, and soak in the satisfaction that comes with being a do-gooder! And for more ways to start living a more responsible lifestyle, check out the40 Ways to Make Your 40s Your Healthiest Decade.
Collect rainwater to water your plants
The toxic chemicals found in appliances and furniture may start leaching into the soil and water. To protect the environment, consider donating furniture and electronics you no longer use. The changes you make to ensure a more environmentally friendly household also extend to the property’s exterior. Planting a sustainable garden is one great way to improve sustainability. You won’t have to rely on produce sold in supermarkets, which is often shipped long distances.
If you or others in your household are forgetful, install movement sensors so lights only activate when needed. Another way to save energy is to install automatic timers for lights frequently left blazing in empty rooms. To protect the environment, as well as keep the land in your yard lush and lively, you can create a rain garden. This DIY project works to channel the rain water and runoff from gutters into a sweet space rooted deeply into the earth, and flourishing with native plants.
When you try your best, you will feel better about yourself and how you are doing. Replace an appliance, it’s best to choose an energy-efficient version if you want to achieve sustainable living. Since heat rises and our roofs are known for absorbing the sun’s heat, your attic tends to be much warmer than the rest of your home during the summer months. If your attic is properly insulated, it will act as a tight seal for the air in your house, keeping conditioned air from escaping so your HVAC systems don’t have to work extra hard. The level of insulation that you need depends on where you live. You’ll need to hire a contractor to insulate your attic properly using a variety of materials.
When you are lucky enough to have space, you should make use of that space. Orange County reverse osmosis companies who will install it for you. Think about how much plastic you will save by eliminating water bottles from your life. One great way to be more green and do what’s right for yourself and the environment at the same time is to install a reverse osmosis filtration system. Not only do these water filters provide cleaner water than the bottled stuff you are used to drinking, but they are also small and can fit under most faucets.
TerraCycle rescues hard-to-recycle waste that is not processed by councils. It has free national recycling programmes and also sells zero-waste boxes, which you can fill with most non-hazardous, non-recyclable and non-organic waste, and return for recycling. Use to garnish pies, in risottos and soups; wear gloves to avoid stings and wash thoroughly in salted water. Ensure foraged ingredients are identifiable before eating – check woodlandtrust.org or wildfooduk.com.
Any action you take to make your home more green will certainly help reduce your environmental impact. Did you know that 50% of trash that homes produce is composed of food scrap? When these scraps of food go to the dump, they serve no purpose. But if you have a compost bin in your home, you can use those scraps to make fertilizer for your garden. Most outdoor composters cost between $100 and $600, depending on how large and secure they are.
EPA.gov, showering accounts for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use for the average family. Low-flow showerheads, such as those with the WaterSense label, use less than two gallons per minute, conserving more water and cutting down your water bill. Because these shower heads use less water they reduce demands on water heaters which saves energy as well.
For example, buy produce from a farmer’s market instead of prepackaged at a store. Another way to enhance energy efficiency is to swap out your windows. Old windows may be more prone to drafts, allowing cold air in and hot air out. These have two panes of glass with an insulating gas between the panes. Further, reduce drafts and safe energy with window coverings like curtains and blinds.
If you turn it down a few degrees, from 110 to 105, and put an insulating wrap around it, you will save a lot of energy. Installing a tankless water heater is even a better option. It only heats water when you need it, using electricity only when it’s engaged. And because it’s electric, it will work well with solar panels.
The big benefit of a sustainable garden is that it will allow you to grow your own fruit and veg. Now, you might have no idea how to do this and that’s okay. There are plenty of guides you can follow to get you started here. You can also explore fruit and veg that will grow in a wide range of environments, climates and soil types.
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