How Can I Make My Home More Environmentally Friendly? [Beyond Earth Day]
Though news about rising worldwide temperatures and increasingly frequent natural disasters may make you feel powerless, creating a greener household is within your control.
Learning how to be more environmentally friendly at home can seem daunting if you don’t know where to start. Fortunately, adopting sustainability through upgrades and behavioral changes is much easier than you think.
Why Create an Ecologically Friendly Home?
While a cleaner, healthier environment may be your primary objective, several other factors may inspire green improvements:
Conserving water and other natural resources will help create:
> Lower utility bills
> Better air quality and indoor comfort
> Decreased exposure to harmful pollutants
> Lower maintenance needs
> Deeper connection to nature
> Higher property values
According to a 2023 National Association of Realtors report, 63% of respondents found mentioning energy efficiency in listings was effective, while 48% said their clients were at least somewhat interested in these upgrades when searching for a home.
Even if you don’t plan to sell your house, your efforts can significantly benefit you and the planet.
How to Make Your Home More Sustainable
Sustainable home improvements are better for your health and Mother Nature, which should be the only incentives you need to go green. Here’s how to create an eco-friendly household with new habits.
Integrate Renewable Energy
Many homeowners use renewable solutions like solar power and geothermal heat to decrease their reliance on fossil fuels and alleviate pressure on the national electricity grid. The Solar Energy Industries Association predicts 10 million solar panel installations across the United States by 2030, double today’s amount.
Though these technologies require an initial upfront investment, you can offset the costs with government-issued tax relief, state incentives and manufacturer rebates. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, you might be eligible for a 30% federal tax credit for qualifying clean energy projects until 2032.
Buy Eco-Friendly Products
A sustainable home is as much about lifestyle changes as it is about making household improvements. Buy eco-friendly products to counter negative impacts on the planet.
Read labels to find greener, safer alternatives — or, better yet, make them yourself with everyday pantry items like white vinegar and baking soda. Ecologically friendly laundry detergent often uses fewer ingredients with just as much cleaning power as conventional liquid detergents.
Renewable and biodegradable products also reduce waste. Some environmentally friendly examples might include reusable mugs and water bottles, makeup remover pads, food storage containers and recycled paper towels.
Insulate Your Home
When was the last time you revisited your home’s insulation? If it’s been a while, you might consider adding new insulation to your walls, floors, attic and basement. According to one study, thermal insulation in walls and roofs resulted in a 54.8% and 53.5% reduction in heat loss, with maximum energy savings during the summer and winter.
Another option is to replace windows with energy-efficient models. These usually have low-emissivity coatings for optimal insulation. HomeAdvisor’s Expert Home Building & Sustainability Contributor Cati O’Keefe says high-quality windows could be a worthwhile investment for promoting even heating and cooling, especially since older ones may account for 25% to 30% of heat loss in your household.
Invest in Solar Shades and Screens
In addition to insulation, you can make your home more comfortable by installing solar shades and screens. These solutions deflect sunlight to avoid overpowering your air conditioner and reduce energy consumption. They also help prolong your HVAC system’s lifespan and even make your outdoor space more enjoyable.
You might hang solar shades and screens on your windows to prevent excess heat from entering your house during peak sunlight hours. Installing retractable shades from your patio overhang will also deliver shade and privacy.
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Replacing household appliances with energy-efficient models will significantly decrease your carbon footprint and energy bills. For example, Energy Star-certified electric cooking appliances are 18% more efficient than conventional models, saving you nearly $385 over its lifetime.
Likewise, Energy Star clothes washers use 35% less water and 25% less energy, while more efficient clothes dryers use 20% less energy. Some even have moisture sensors to automatically shut the dryer off when your clothes are dry. Of course, you can be even more environmentally friendly at home by only running your laundry machine, dryers and dishwashers with a full load.
Switch to LED Bulbs
Swapping incandescent light bulbs to light-emitting diodes is one of the easiest ways to create an ecologically friendly household. LEDs come in various light temperatures for finer control over a room’s brightness, while others allow you to adjust the temperature from warm to cool with a switch or remote.
The U.S. Department of Energy says Energy Star LEDs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They also last 25 times longer, which reduces waste. Though they are more expensive than conventional lighting, long-term efficiency and savings make them worthwhile options.
Install Water-Saving Fixtures
Toilets account for 30% of your home’s water consumption. While inefficient models use up to 6 gallons per flush, updated designs use only 1.28 gallons, 20% less than federal standards. Even more impressive, toilets with the WaterSense label can save you almost 13,000 gallons of water annually.
In addition to low-flow toilets, you might consider replacing showerheads and sink faucets with water-conserving alternatives. Some sink faucets even come with sensors that automatically shut off when you’re not using them.
Compost Leftovers for the Garden
Avid gardeners may want to start a compost bin for leftovers. You can then use the nutrient-rich dirt in your garden. Composting diverts organic matter from landfills, decreasing methane emissions. It also improves soil health and retains moisture for healthier plants and less irrigation needs.
Collect food waste and yard trimmings in a large vessel. You must be able to control temperature, moisture and oxygen levels for optimal decomposition. Wood chips will aerate the soil until the material fully cures.
The process requires a temperature of about 150 degrees Fahrenheit with 50% to 60% moisture content. Curing takes about two to six months when the compost temperature stabilizes at 105 degrees or below.
Contribute to a Clean Earth at Home
Minor home upgrades and simple green lifestyle changes tremendously impact the environment’s health. You’ll also discover how eco-friendly home improvements enhance your well-being. Make gradual changes to embrace sustainability from the inside out.