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Going green is no longer a fad – it’s an absolute necessity in today’s world. Treating nature and our resources respectfully is the need of the hour. Being eco-friendly isn’t that difficult either – you can start off right from within the four walls of your home. A few steps here and a few lifestyle changes there and you can play your part in saving the environment.
1. Conserve Energy
The first step to going green is to conserve energy. Simple things as switching off lights/TV/fans when they are are not in use will save so much energy. Encourage your family members to spend their free time in one room. They could be doing their own thing or engaging in general bonding. Alternatively, you could also invest in smart lighting and home automation solutions to ensure that electrical appliances are automatically turned off when not in use. Your contribution to the carbon foot print takes a dip and so do your electricity bills.
2. Switch to CFLs and LEDs
CFL or compact Fluorescent Lamps are probably the best eco–friendly alternative to sunlight itself. The incandescent lights are going to be obsolete in a while, as the world is now switching to CFLs and LEDs. You can choose from a vast array of sizes and shapes available. Both of these options add aesthetic value from décor point of view too.
3. Install skylights in your roof
If there is a dearth of natural light in your room, a skylight is the perfect solution to your predicament. It will stream the light across the room and reduce the need for artificial lighting. When the sun goes down, you’ll also have a beautiful view of the night sky. If you are planning to renovate your home, make sure you insist on having skylights to your architect.
4. Recycle waste
Get into the habit of segregating the waste generated from your home, starting with your kitchen. Make space for a compost pit in your backyard or even a pot in your balcony, where you can recycle your organic waste into manure and use it to enrich shrubs and plants.
5. Solar Panels
At first, the idea might come across as expensive. But the good news is that solar panels will reduce your energy consumption considerably. With regular usage, you will break even in a couple of years. Here’s everything you need to know about installing solar panels in India.
6. Golden Rule
The golden rule of reduce, reuse and recycle is to be taken to heart. Use your old clothes as cleaning or dusting cloth; reuse old curtains in a patchwork quilt and spray paint empty bottles to repurpose them into vases or decorative pieces. DIYs can become your go-to hobby!
7. Go Organic
Slowly but gradually, adapt more organic and natural fabrics in your house – for curtains, covers, sheets, rugs and others. More environment-friendly, they are also easy on your skin and hair when compared to synthetic fabrics.
And there you have it! With a little conscious effort, you can have a more environment-friendly house and do your bit to protect mother nature.
