I was watching a show on the “green” channel that was very inspiring. It showed one family in each episode their environmental impact. Their impact was based on the amount of trash they disposed annually, their use of electricity in their house, use of the appliances they own, and other miscellaneous habits. It was a very eye opening show to watch. It made me wonder about the impact my household is having. There are many things that we have been doing lately to help decrease our environmental impact, but there is always more that can be done.
One thing that is very resourceful is a compost pile/bucket. Instead of throwing away food and some biodegradable products you can place them in a pile or bucket (I believe trash cans can work) of dirt and worms and reduce your waste. This is a great way to recycle leftovers and even paper towels. The compost is great for gardens. It becomes a perfect fertilizer, but be weary of using a compost that has any sort of manure in it for your gardens. Make sure that it is well aged (a year or more) because E. coli can live in the manure of some animals and if you use fertilizer with ripe manure that bacteria can grow in your plants. This is especially bad for vegetable gardens.
Appliances can be big inhibitor to eco-renovations. Energy star certified appliances are all more energy efficient than others and will save you money in terms of electricity and water. It’s important to know whether you have these certifications on your appliances. If you don’t you could be wasting water and energy let alone money.
Something that is not stressed enough and is something that makes a big impact is recycling. Just recycling bottles and cans alone saves the environment. Now take it a step further and figure out what other things you can put in the recycling bins. Paper is another huge product that pays to be recycled. Call the company that you recycle with and figure out what all you can put in the pins. It really pays off in the long run.
These are just simple, but cost effective ways to renovate your home for a more cost efficient and environmentally friendly atmosphere. These are important but one of the most important things to do and sometimes the hardest is to reduce. Reduce the amount of food you eat, reduce the amount of water you use, reduce the amount of paper you throw out. Reducing is a huge money saver! Remember these tips and please keep adding more! Comment on this article and add your own thoughts on how you can be more ecolonomic in your home.
