When it comes to sustainability, we can all play our part to waste less, go greener and prioritise ethical habits. Building a sustainable lifestyle takes a little time, but it’s just about making little changes gradually.
One thing we all have more of right now, is time.
So here are some ways you and your family can create a more sustainable home, while staying home.
1 . Improve Insulation
A poorly insulated home wastes both energy and money. If you want a more sustainable house, it’s an excellent plan to update the insulation in your roof and walls. New build homes are unlikely to need these updates, but if you have an older home, it’s worth looking into. According to the Australian Statistics Bureau, ‘Roof and ceiling insulation can save up to 45% on energy consumption for heating and cooling.’
2. Upgrade Electrical Appliances
To improve the sustainability of your home, it’s important to ensure that you have modern and energy-efficient electrical appliances. Shop for energy star rated appliances and have your wiring and fixtures updated. To help you to do this, Smillie Electrical offers some great house electrical wiring services. When it comes to your wiring, it’s best to call in the professionals instead of attempting to do it yourself.
You can also invest in smart socket outlet plugs which monitor energy use and allow you to control your home appliances remotely.
3. Upcycle For Decor
We all want to make our homes look nice, but that doesn’t mean every decor item we own has to be new. Set yourself a creative project or two and try upcycling. There are plenty of ways to turn old objects into repurposed decor items for your home. Take a look at the app ‘Recyclart’ for some ideas to get you started. The app allows you to browse thousands of upcycling ideas and share your own projects. Fancy turning old bottles into vases or clothing into bunting? Recyclart has plenty of unique designs! Decorating your home doesn’t have to cost the earth, you can save some money this way too.
4. Grow Your Own Food
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is just about the most sustainable way to live. First things first, you’ve got to create some great compost. The trick is to achieve the perfect balance between green and brown materials. Green materials like grass trimmings or old vegetables will help the compost to produce nitrogen. Brown materials like paper and wood chips will help to produce carbon. With the perfect compost, you’ll improve your garden and grow some delicious food!
5. Shop In Season
To practice sustainable shopping habits, make sure you always buy foods that are in season. These foods have less impact on the earth, as they are more likely to be locally grown and chemical-free. Get yourself a chart of seasonal fruits and veggies and put it up on your fridge to help you out.
When you're shopping sustainably, don’t stop at food! From your clothing to your interior design items, there are many ways to shop responsibly.
Look out for brands that use earth-friendly and ethical practices throughout their production. The more that consumers favour these companies, the more likely that others will follow suit.