10 Easy Things to Help the Environment

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you watch news reports about climate change? I do. What can we do to help, even if our small changes feel insignificant? Here is a list of 10 easy things to do at home to help the environment.

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment

Downsizing your home seems like a huge sacrifice and a difficult task to some. New US homes today are 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973 and living space per person has nearly doubled. Do we really need this extra space? Or..is it really more space to put our stuff?

There are so many benefits to sizing down. Less clutter, less cleaning, less maintenance and most importantly a reduction in our carbon footprint. Our carbon footprint starts in the home. Less electric, less heating and less water is used in a smaller home. 

#2 How to Buy Clothes that Help the Environment

How about resale, thrift, consignment, upcycle, recycle and second hand?  Have you ever tried any of these methods of reusing clothing? 

There are many ways to purchase second hand clothing. Wearing second hand clothing is amazing for the environment. In addition to purchasing second hand clothing, consider making a commitment to NOT purchase fast fashion (think Amazon, H&M, Forever 21, and many other larger low quality retailers).

 If you do decide to buy a new piece of clothing, choose quality, sustainability and utility over quantity. Think Patagonia, Everlane, and other manufacturers who have included these elements in the manufacturing of their clothing.

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

Reselling has become popular among Millennials and Gen Z for its sustainability, affordability and creativity. Gen X and Baby Boomers should follow suit. No pun intended.

Places to Sell and Purchase Second Hand Clothing

According to a news report by the BBC, around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the US are either dumped into landfill or burned.

The BBC report goes onto say, “the average American has been estimated to throw away around 37kg of clothes every year. 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, with textile production alone is estimated to release 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year.”

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

#3 Switch to One Electric Automobile to help the Environment

Okay..this one might not sound like a simple option to help the environment. But…the impact can be huge. Electric cars give us cleaner streets making our towns and cities a better place to be for pedestrians and cyclists. In over a year, just one electric car on the roads can save an average 1.5 million grams of CO2 (according to edfenergy.org). That’s the equivalent of four return flights from London to Barcelona.

Making the switch to an electric vehicle works well for families or couples who reside near public transportation. One person uses the electric vehicle and the other an alternate form of transport. A great alternative to public transportation is to invest in a electric bike. Electric bikes are smart for commuting to work or school in a community with safe bike lanes and within 3-5 miles of home.

Alternate forms of Transportation to Help the Environment

A great option to travel near home. Pick up the groceries, run errands, and many other activities that are close to home. An investment of about $1000 gives you approximately 2-3 years of transportation. An extra investment of a replacement battery happens after that time frame. 

Scooters are not just for kids. Check out this Segway electric scooter. Perfect for going to the gym, commuting to work and anytime you don’t want to deal with parking and traffic. 

Accessories for Bikes and Scooters

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

#4 Adjust your Thermostat to Help the Environment

During the winter turn the thermostat to 68 degrees while you’re at home, and reduce that setting lower when you leave for the day. According to the Department of Energy, by regularly turning down the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees before leaving the house for an eight-hour span, you can save between 5% and 15% a year on your heating bill. Heating and cooling your home makes up about half of your energy bill, using more energy and costing more money than any other system in the house. It will help the environment too!

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

#5 Always Carry a Reusable Water Bottle to Help the Environment

We have watched the scary documentaries about plastic pollution yet 35 BILLION water bottles are thrown out a year. Next time you are at the grocery store, and reach to pick up a mega pack of beverages (or any product) that are packaged in plastic bottles think of these stats below.

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

#6 Look for "Safer Choice" Cleaning Products or Make your Own

Remember to look for the EPA’s safer choice label on cleaning products.

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

Home Cleaning Product Recipes

 
  • Empty dish soap bottle.
  • Small funnel.
  • 1 1/2 cups baking soda.
  • 1/2 cup liquid Castile soap.
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar.
  • 2 tablespoons water.
  • Tea tree essential oil.

Utilize this U.S. government website search tool to find safer and green cleaning products.

#7 Use Reusable Bags for Grocery Shopping to Help the Environment

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

The reusable shopping bag has become fairly mainstream in the past 10-15 years….thankfully. Considering taking the next step, and use reusable produce bags and buying products in bulk at the grocery store. You can place food products such as nuts, pasta, rice, oatmeal, flour, beans and legumes in glass jars after purchasing them at the store. 

#8 Turn off the Lights and Use LED Bulbs to Help the Environment

Turning off the lights when you leave your room can help save energy. It can also help reduce carbon emission and other harmful greenhouse gases. Hence, turning off your lights is a simple way to help protect the environment and save the planet.

10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

LEDs use much less energy than incandescent bulbs because diode light is much more efficient, power-wise, than filament light. LED bulbs use more than 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. At low power levels, the difference is even larger

Turning off your lights will also help reduce the use of non-renewable resources that are harmful to the environment. You can turn off the lights during the day especially if you don’t need them. You can also turn off your appliances to help reduce your carbon footprint and help save the planet.

#9 Unplug Electriconic Devices when on Vacation to Help the Environment

  • Electronics with external power supplies or “power bricks”: Laptops, video game consoles, stereos, smartphone chargers, and other similar devices constantly draw power into their power supplies. Unplug all of your chargers, whether it’s for a tablet or a toothbrush.
  • Electronics with standby or “sleep” modes: Desktop PCs, televisions, cable boxes, DVD/Blu-ray players, alarm clocks, radios, and anything with a remote control is never truly “off.” If the item has an “instant on” feature or has LED lights glowing when it’s off, it’s always draining small amounts of power. If items like this are all plugged into a surge protector—which they should be—you can just turn off the surge protector itself.
  • Modems and routers: These are literally always on and using power. Unplug them and you’ll not only save some energy cost, but you’ll avoid having your Wi-Fi hacked into while you’re gone.
  • Small appliances: Toasters, blenders, rice cookers, coffee machines, food processors, microwaves, etc. Anything with a clock is a culprit. Space heaters and fans should be unplugged as well.
  • New washers and dryers: If you have a fancy new washer/dryer set with lights, digital timers, and the like, they’ll drain power while they’re “off” just like a computer or TV will.
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment
10 Easy Things to Do at Home to Help the Environment things you can do at home to save the environment

#10 Use a Drying Rack to Dry your Clothes to Help the Environment

Have you ever been to Italy and noticed the cute clothes drying racks out every window? Sure there are times when you need to throw a few pieces into the dryer. Most of the time a drying rack will suffice. 

Air drying your clothes is less damaging to the clothes, they do not shrink, and they often have that fresh air-dried scent. There are many options on the market that blend well inside your home and can be stored when not in use. 

These wall-mounted dryer racks were made famous by HGTV and Fixer Upper. They are a wooden rack that folds up agains the wall when finished

You can go old-school with a heavy duty retractable clothes line that will hold many items.

If you are enjoying this post, check out this other post about “How to Use Antiques in a Modern Way”

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Share:

Facebook
Pinterest
Email
Print
Judy Hughes

Judy Hughes

Hi there..I’m Judy. I am a Mom, Wife, Dog Mom and Realtor. My posts are a potpourri of my favorite activities in life. I will dabble in home design & staging (specifically small spaces), real estate tips, plant-based eating, pickle ball, camping and adventure travel. ​Hoping you join me …....Thanks for stopping in! Judy

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top

Get The Newsletter

By subscribing you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Laird Bunch

Laird is our B&C local expert agent for Delaware, Maryland and Southern PA.

Will Flannigan

Will covers the East Los Angeles Market for Bungalows Cottages. 

Expert Agent Connect

Connect with your local B&C expert to find, understand, and secure your next dream home. We’re here!

Or Call our Call Center at 941-275-2630

*By proceeding, you consent to receive communication at the
number you provided, and email, from bungalowsandcottages.com and
real estate professionals and their network of service providers about
your inquiry and other home-related matters. Msg/data rates may
apply. This consent applies even if you are on a do not call list and is not
a condition of any purchase.

Dakota Feroleto

Dakota covers the Southern California Desert Region for Bungalows and Cottages which includes Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta.

Ken Riel

Ken covers the Charlotte North Carolina Market for Bungalows and Cottages which includes Plaza Midwood, Elizabeth, Chantilly, Wesley Heights, Dilworth, NoDa, and Wilmore.

Karen Barks

Karen covers the Portland Oregon Market for Bungalows and Cottages from Beaverton and West Portland to the North and Northeast neighborhoods.

Chris Zoller

Chris covers the Tamp Florida Market for Bungalows and Cottages from Hyde Park, to Ybor, Seminole Heights, Historic Kenwood, and all around town.

Contact Chris:
941-275-2630
chris@whttampa.com
or Send A Note:

By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Jen Berbas

Jen covers the Austin Texas Market for Bungalows and Cottages from Downtown, to Old West Austin, Chestnut, Travis Heights, Rosedale, and all around town.

Mark Hughes

Mark covers the Los Angeles Market for Bungalows Cottages. Mark also serves as the liaison to the B&C Expert Partner Agent Network.  He loves Bungalows and Cottages!

Contact Mark: Call Center
818-480-2864
mark@bungalowsandcottages.com
or Send A Note...

By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Peggy Graef

Peggy covers the Orlando Florida Market for Bungalows and Cottages from Colonialtown, and College Park to Winterpark, and Thornton, and all around town.

Mike Dobbs

Mike covers the West Side Los Angeles Market for Bungalows and Cottages.

Steven Lambert

Steven is our B&C local expert agent for the Tri-Cities in Washington.

Amanda Rose

GA Lic#243859

Amanda covers the Atlanta Market for Bungalows & Cottages. 

Thomson Meeks

Thomson covers the Asheville Market for Bungalows Cottages.

Contact Thomson: Call Center
818-480-2864
or Send A Note...

By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Submit Your BnB

Fill in your BnB details and we’ll review it for addition to our growing map of Bungalow and Cottages BnB’s.

*By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.

Shannon Praetorius

Shannon covers the Seattle Market for Bungalows Cottages. Connect with Shannon here to find your best B&C Market guidance.

Contact Shannon: Call Center
941-275-2630
or Send A Note...

By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Anne Jensen

Anne covers the Los Angeles Market for Bungalows and Cottages along the south city side and LA’s southern coastal areas.

Contact Anne:
Call Center 818-480-2864
or Send A Note...

By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Judy Hughes

Judy Hughes is a Orange County, CA sales expert and accomplished renovation consultant.

Call or text Judy at 562-972-0491
or send a note...

By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy

Kathy Engen

Kathy is our B&C local expert agent for Edina MN.

John Staab

John is the Managing Broker and accomplished real estate consultant for Motive Real Estate Fort Worth Texas. Lic #0525982

Ken Farah

Ken covers the San Diego County Region for Bungalows and Cottages.

Alex Fotouhi

Alex is our B&C local expert agent for Seattle Washington.

Agent Lead and Referral Network

Realtors® Fill in your details to join our growing exclusive B&C Lead and Referral Network and we’ll get back to right away.

*By sending you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy.