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Ideas to make your life and home greener

The term sustainability relates to a lifestyle that enables you to meet current needs while ensuring that your actions do not have negative impact on future generations and their needs. In short, it requires you to make eco-friendly choices both inside your home and outside so that your home and life become more sustainable. Here are 7 of those choices that would have a positive impact on your life as well the lives of those who come after you.

Use less and better energy

Using less energy means you would be leaving future generations with more energy for their needs. A simple way to do this it to opt for energy efficient devices and reduce air leaks wherever found in the house.

Another way to achieve this would be to switch to alternative energy sources like solar, hydro, wind and geothermal to heat and cool your home. Switching to biomass, natural gas or electric heaters also pays. Not only would you be saving on energy costs this way, but you would also be doing the environment a great favor in reducing emissions related to fossil fuels.

Adopt sustainable landscaping practices

Sustainable landscaping starts with the creation of a compost pile in your own backyard. Anything from dead leaves and yard trimmings to egg shells, vegetable scrapings and even coffee grounds can be added to the pile to create a nutrient rich soil that would help the plants in your garden grow better without the need for pesticides or fertilizers.

Opt for edible and drought tolerant plants that need only low levels of water for growth. Plant large trees around your home for shade and to shield you from noise. Planting an organic garden to grow your own vegetables and fruits, thereby cutting down on the carbon footprint related to packaging and transport. Anything that would help you give back to the environment will help you enjoy a sustainable life.

Recycle and reuse

An important part of sustainability is learning to reuse and recycle certain items in your home instead of throwing them away. Broken tools can be repaired using just duct tape while the blank side of used printer papers can be reused for writing or printing. Plastic bags can be used as storage bags to store knick-knacks while old cardboard boxes can double as storage compartments underneath the bed or in a closet. There really is not a set rule as to what you can recycle and what you cannot. If you see something that can possibly be reused as something else, don’t throw it away.

Set up a rainwater harvesting system

In order to ensure that future generations get their share of water, reduce your water usage by setting up a rain water harvesting system in your backyard. The water collected in the system can be used for multiple purposes, including gardening, washing the laundry or flushing the toilet.

Choose non-toxic cleaners

The majority of household cleaning products contain ingredients that can be harmful to the environment. Your decision to choose non-toxic cleaners would have a profound impact on the environment’s safety in the long run. Opt for natural household items like vinegar, baking soda and lemon, etc. that can double as an effective cleaning agent for the floors, windows, mirrors, walls and even the toilets.

Purchase eco-friendly products

Your decision to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle would most definitely need to be followed by the goal to purchase only the products that are certified as eco-friendly. In addition to reducing your carbon footprint drastically, this move would ensure that the earth’s non renewable sources are not wasted in the long run.

Consume less meat

It is a known fact that foods like eggs, meat and dairy products need more water, land and other resources to flourish when compared to plants. A more sustainable lifestyle would require you to cut down on your intake of these foods in order to give way for other options like vegetables and fruits that give back the same in food value.

Summary

If you are thinking of jumping on the bandwagon to adopt a lifestyle that is eco-friendly and sustainable, consider the pointers mentioned here. These tips would help you achieve your sustainability goals in the most efficient manner possible.

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