Hey friends! Making my home a beautiful place is definitely my favorite thing. But what I don’t talk about much is that I also try to do little things to be environmentally conscious at home! So today I want to share with you 100 ways to make your house eco friendly, too.
100 Ways to Make Your House Eco Friendly
To start off, I’m really excited to talk about being eco friendly at home with you! I’ve been trying really hard to make small changes that will help my house be more earth friendly.
For me, it started with switching over to reusable grocery bags and slowly, I’ve continued to make changes around my house. I’m not perfect, but I care and am trying to get better and teach Don the importance of caring for the Earth.
Side note- when we first moved into our house a year ago, I talked to Don about how we were going to compost (now that we finally have a backyard). I showed him a YouTube video for kids about the benefits of composting and how good it is for the environment. He started crying at the end because he saw the effects of not composting (he’s a sensitive soul). Since then, he’s been the best composter in our house!
Last week on my Instagram story, I asked my followers what they do to be more eco friendly at home. And I got such a great response! Everyone shared some great ideas and tips for being more environmentally friendly. So, I thought I would share those with you here.
Going Green While Out and About
1. Replace plastic shopping bags with your own reusable bags
2. Get mesh produce bags instead of using plastic ones
3. Get a reusable coffee cup and keep it in your car
4. Buy a reusable water bottle and stop using plastic disposable ones
5. Travel with your own reusable utensils, cups and straws
6. Choose biodegradable dog poop bags
7. Shop for produce at the farmers market or join your local CSA (community supported agriculture)
8. When buying plastic or packaged products, check to see if it’s recyclable first
9. Try to pick-up your take-out orders since deliveries usually have a lot of packaging
10. Bring your own containers for takeout food
11. Eat at restaurants who source their ingredients locally
12. Choose bamboo products since bamboo grows quickly, so it’s more eco friendly than most other woods
13. Drive the speed limit to save fuel
14. Combine as many errands as you can in one trip
15. Support companies that have ethical practices
16. Buy quality items that will last
Tips for Kids
17. Use compartmented lunch boxes to eliminate plastic sandwich bags
18. Reusable snack containers for kids
19. Switch to no-plastic sandwich bags
20. Buy diapers and wipes made from recycled material
21. Or switch to cloth diapers and wipes
22. Make your baby food at home
Cleaning at Home
23. Refill laundry detergent containers
24. Fabric cleaning towels can replace paper towels
25. Repurpose old t-shirts or clothes for cleaning rags
26. Refill soap and shampoo containers
27. Biodegradable poop bags can be used for cleaning out litter boxes
28. Dryer balls can replace the packaging and chemicals of dryer sheets
29. Use plant-based or natural household cleaners
30. Dry your clothes on a clothesline
31. Use separate cloths for cleaning and for food
32. Clean with vinegar. It’s a natural way to kill bacteria
33. Wash clothes on the cold setting to save electricity
A Greener Kitchen
34. Use glass instead of plastic food containers
35. Buy compostable trash bags
36. Beeswax wrap is all-natural and can replace both Saran wrap and aluminum foil
37. Use reusable silicon baggies instead of plastic sandwich bags
38. Use real plates and silverware instead of paper
39. Buy sponges that are non-plastic, washable and reusable
40. Move your fridge to a shady spot since it uses more energy to stay cool in the sun
41. Decide what you want before opening your fridge to conserve energy instead of just staring into it
42. Choose appliances that are energy efficient
43. Use the microwave when possible since it uses less energy than the oven
44. Repurpose glass jars for leftover containers, storage or vases
45. Write down what you need before you get groceries to avoid over-buying
46. Get a water filter to avoid buying water bottles
47. Buy larger quantities of food instead of single servings to reduce packaging
48. Make sure to actually eat your leftovers
Personal Care
49. Use bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic ones because they are biodegradable
50. All-natural shampoo and conditioner bars reduce plastic bottles
51. Use handkerchiefs instead of tissues to reduce waste
52. Menstrual cups reduce waste and packaging from tampons and pads
53. Switch to reusable cotton rounds for makeup and washing your face
54. Try making your own toothpaste, soap or lotion
55. Turn off water while you’re shaving or brushing your teeth
56. Buy recycled toilet paper
57. Be conscious of how much toilet paper you use
58. Take shorter showers to save water
59. Choose taking a shower instead of baths and save water
60. Opt for natural fragrances or essential oils to avoid chemicals and synthetic fragrances
61. Look for non-toxic mattresses that haven’t been treated with chemicals
62. Choose organic or bamboo sheets since they require less insecticide than cotton sheets
63. Go for wool over polyester since it’s much more ecofriendly
64. Use a safety or electric razor instead of disposables
65. Choose a bar of soap instead of body wash
Repairs and Upgrades
66. Repair things instead of buying new items
67. Use rugs on wood floors to help conserve heat
68. Install a dual flush system on your toilet
69. Fix a leaky toilet to save water
70. Install a low-flow showerhead
71. Get a smart thermostat to help keep energy consumption low
72. Replace incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs to use 66% less energy
73. Use power strips for multiple cords so you can turn them off when you’re not using them
74. Installing energy efficient windows will give you better insulation year-round
75. Seal all your windows around the edges to make them more energy efficient
76. Buy rechargeable batteries and lighters
Simple Solutions Around the House
77. Turn off the lights when you leave the room
78. Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater
79. Conserve heating and air conditioning
80. Open the blinds to let the sun in to heat up the room when it’s cold out
81. See if there’s a local Buy Nothing Facebook group you can join where you gift neighbors with things you no longer need
82. Purchase what you can secondhand on Craigslist or at thrift shops
83. Check with your electric utility to see if there are off-peak hours where people use less electricity (for example, run your pool pump at night)
84. Read online instead of buying a paper book or magazines
85. When possible, borrow items from other people
86. Walk, bike and use public transportation
87. Print double-sided to reduce paper waste
88. TVs can sometimes run overtime so unplug them when you’re not watching it and save electricity
89. Having houseplants will help improve the air quality in your house
90. Choose eco-paints over others
91. Pay your bills and file your taxes online to save paper
92. Reuse scrap paper
Going Green in the Garden
93. Compost! Use your city’s compost program or put compost in your garden
94. A worm box is another way to compost, where the worms eat all the plant matter
95. Plant a small garden
96. Have a container for rain water that you can use to water your garden
97. If you buy a Christmas tree that still has its roots, you can replant it afterward
98. Have a small bee bath in your garden to attract honeybees so they can rest and drink water
99. Burn logs made from recycled sawdust or other alternative options since they pollute much less than regular logs
100. Make your own pesticides from chopped tomato leaf or garlic oil
1 Bees Wrap Food Wrap / 2 Reusable Bamboo Paper Towels / 3 Clear Glass Bottles / 4 Ethique Shampoo Bar / 5 Bamboo Straws / 6 Reusable Produce Bags / 7 Bamboo Toothbrushes / 8 Bamboo Kitchen Sponges / 9 Nostalgia Vintage Compost / 10 Glass Containers with Bamboo Tops / 11 Organic Wool Dryer Balls / 12 Envirogen Reusable Bags
To sum up, making your home more eco friendly definitely takes time and effort. But if you add things in little by little, they’ll become habits that stick!
If you’re looking for some simple ways to start being more eco friendly at your house, I’ve rounded up 12 products for you! I think #12, the reusable sandwich bags are so smart! Are you thinking about doing something greener at your house? Tell me in the comments!
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