Introduction

If you’re anything like me, you make a concerted effort to live consciously and treat the environment with respect. That’s why we recycle, use reusable bags at the grocery store, and try our best not to leave behind too much of an environmental footprint. So it makes sense that when it comes to molding our homes into an oasis of eco-consciousness, we’d have some ideas about what works and what doesn’t. Whether you’re looking to buy your first home or are considering ways to make your current living space more environmentally friendly, here are 10 tips on how I’ve helped my house achieve its full sustainable potential:

Use energy efficient lightbulbs

Before you buy any lightbulbs, make sure you check the packaging to see if they are energy efficient. The most important thing is to look for an Energy Star label on the box. If you don’t see one, don’t bother buying it! Energy Star means that the bulb has been tested by the EPA to make sure that it lasts longer than average and uses less energy than other bulbs of its kind. The other factor to consider when choosing a lightbulb is how bright it is—brightness levels are measured in lumens per watt (lm/W). A high number will mean more brightness for fewer watts of electricity!

If your house doesn’t have enough natural sunlight coming through windows during winter months (or at night), then an eco-friendly alternative would be fluorescent lighting. These bulbs use up half as much power as incandescent bulbs; plus they last up to 10 times longer! Another benefit? They come in all sorts of colors—you can even get them tinted blue or pink! A downside though: these types tend not last as long as incandescent ones so if used too often might need replacing sooner rather than later.”

Switch to green energy

Switching to green energy is one of the simplest ways you can help protect the environment.

If you are on a standard tariff, it will not cost you any more money to switch to a renewable energy supplier. You may even find that your bill is reduced by doing so!

Not only will this reduce your carbon footprint, it also means that when you do decide to move home and rent or sell your property, your eco-friendly choices will be taken into account by potential buyers.

There are a number of different types of green energy available: solar panels for generating electricity from sunlight; wind turbines for generating power through wind; small-scale hydroelectricity (using water turbines); biomass (using plant matter such as wood pellets or wood chips). Each type has its own pros and cons but generally speaking all forms are better than fossil fuels in terms of their environmental impact – so choose whichever one best suits your circumstances!

Make your home more energy efficient

How do you make your home more energy efficient?

• Switch to LED light bulbs. LED light bulbs are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, and they last longer, too.
• If you live in a home that uses natural gas for heat and hot water, consider switching to an electric water heater instead; that way, if there’s a power outage in the winter, you won’t freeze to death (or at least not as quickly).
• Make sure all of your appliances are Energy Star rated—it can save money on utility bills in the long run!

Eat meat-free days (MM.DD.YY)

There are many health and environmental benefits to eating vegetarian or vegan. However, if you’re not ready to go 100% vegan, it’s possible to reduce your meat consumption by taking a “meat-free day” each week.

This can be as simple as removing the meat from one meal each week or following one day without consuming any animal products at all (for example, Monday). If you’re a meat lover and have difficulty finding alternatives for your favorite dishes, add more vegetables into your cooking repertoire instead of trying out entirely new recipes every time you cook.

Compost

Composting is one of the easiest ways to reduce your household waste. Composting can be as simple as putting your food scraps in a bucket, and then periodically emptying that bucket into the garden. Not only does this cut down on garbage, but it also reduces your carbon footprint by reusing the compost you make and enriching soil with nutrients that would have otherwise been thrown away.

Composting can be done indoors or outdoors, depending on what type of system works for you. To start composting at home, look for instructions online or check out local gardening centers for advice on how to set up an indoor or outdoor system based on your needs (i.e., space availability). Even if you don’t want to invest in buying any new products from stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s (where most people buy their materials), there are plenty of resources available online about how exactly these systems work!

Get rid of single-use plastic, and opt for reusable alternatives

One of the simplest ways to reduce your impact on the environment is by using reusable alternatives to single-use plastic. Did you know that Americans use over 500 million plastic bags every day? That’s mind-blowing! But if you want to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle, it’s time for you to commit yourself to reducing the amount of single-use plastics in your life. Here are some tips:

• Buy a reusable shopping bag for grocery trips and other outings
• Use glass bottles instead of plastic ones
• Give up disposable coffee cups by bringing your own cup with you (this will save money too!)
• Get rid of straws – they’re not necessary!

Reduce food waste and stop overbuying things you don’t need

• If you are anything like me, then you’ve probably been guilty of walking into the grocery store with a list and coming home with bags full of food that were not on your list. This is an easy way to waste money and food!
• To avoid this scenario, write down what meals you want to make in advance and then shop accordingly. You’ll be able to see how much your family will need per meal, so there won’t be any overbuying or leftovers going bad in the fridge.
• Learn how to cook from scratch: The process is simple once you get started; it just takes time and practice! There are lots of recipes available online if you’re interested in learning more about cooking from scratch—I recommend trying out some recipes before committing yourself fully (you can always ask friends for advice). It’s also important that we learn how our own bodies work so we know what foods they need most; this will help us make better decisions when shopping at grocery stores too!

Buy furniture and household appliances second-hand, or upcycle old items

• Buy furniture and household appliances second-hand, or upcycle old items
• Upcycling is the process of transforming by using waste materials in a new form. Not only does upcycling help the environment, it can save you money as well! If you are looking for something new that doesn’t cost a lot of money, check out Craigslist or Kijiji (a Canadian version of Craigslist). You might be able to find exactly what you’re looking for at half the price. If not, try some creative thinking: maybe your dining table needs some painting; perhaps your nightstand could use some new knobs or handles?

Buying used items also helps prevent unnecessary environmental damage caused by manufacturing processes and transportation.

…and recycle the things you can’t reuse!

Recycling the things you can’t reuse is an important part of living an environmentally friendly lifestyle. There are two main types of recycling:

• Active recycling involves taking the time to sort your waste and sending it to a processing center for reprocessing into new items, like glass bottles that are melted down and turned into new glass bottles.
• Passive recycling is when people buy products made from recycled materials instead of buying new ones from factories, which helps reduce our overall waste production. Some examples include choosing paper over plastic bags at the grocery store, choosing reusable water bottles rather than disposable ones from vending machines on campus or in your office building, buying milk cartons instead of milk jugs (which have more packaging), etc…

Invest in eco-friendly cleaning products, detergents, and personal care products.

• Make sure that the products you are buying are biodegradable, free from harsh chemicals, and do not contain any animal testing.
• Be aware of what ingredients are in your cleaning products, detergents and personal care items. If there is a word or phrase that you don’t recognize, then do some research about the product to see if it is harmful to your health or the environment.
• Choose environmentally friendly cleaning products such as vinegar or baking soda instead of chemical based ones whenever possible. These natural alternatives work just as well without putting harmful chemicals into the environment that can harm marine life and pollute waterways by washing down drains into lakes or oceans where they end up harming marine life when it comes time for them to reproduce.

Living an environmentally friendly life is an important goal for many people.

Living an environmentally friendly life is an important goal for many people. While it may require some lifestyle changes, the benefits of doing so are numerous and can make a big difference in your life.

The first step to living an eco-friendly lifestyle is recycling. You can recycle paper and plastic bags at home, but if you want to go that extra mile, consider recycling old cell phones and computers as well. Recycling will not only help reduce waste buildup in landfills (and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions), but it also saves resources like water and energy that would otherwise be needed for creating new products from scratch.

Next up: composting! Composting allows you to turn food scraps into nutrient-rich fertilizer for plants or gardens instead of letting them collect in landfills where they might pollute groundwater supplies with hazardous chemicals like pesticides or heavy metals from industrial processing plants nearby (which could also lead to groundwater contamination).

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has been helpful in your journey towards living an eco-friendly life. By following these tips, you will be saving money, protecting natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Remember that every step counts when it comes to taking action or making changes in our lives. You can start small with simple changes such as eating vegan once a week or switching off lights when not using them – but over time those small steps will add up to something bigger!