It may sound a cliché, but to make the earth greener and for a better tomorrow, we need to start recycling what we use, we need to keep a close watch on what we consume and how much we consume, so as to keep in sync with environmental factors. We humans have almost gone adrift when it comes to balancing environment along with satisfying our needs.
But as the old saying conveys, “Charity begins at home”, we need to start being eco-friendly and green right from the place we reside- Our Home. Although many people disregard this fact to more or less extent, there are many ways of making your home more environmentally friendly or as we call it- “The Green Home”.
These are some of the ways of making your home a better place to live in and an even better place on Earth:
1) Get rid of your old appliances: Get rid of all the old, worn out appliances in your home. Reportedly, old appliances such as a refrigerator or geyser consume more electricity if they are not being replaced over a span of 10 years. Buying new appliances would help you in reducing your electricity bill by at least 10-15%. However, make sure that you purchase only those appliances which are high on the “Energy Rating”.
2) Save Water: There are a lot of ways in which you can save water. Remember that only 2% of the total water on earth is fresh so do not overhype the picture of world map and think that you can do away with wasting gallons of water. Turn the tap down when it’s not needed, use rain water harvesting techniques and encourage reuse of water whenever possible. Putting down an aerator in the faucets of your home, installing a low flow toilet and using a groom instead of a garden hose to clear away the garbage can help in saving water.
3) Use energy efficient light, or CFLs: CFL(Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs use 66% less energy than a standard bulb and last up to 10 times longer, so a great way to convert your home to a green home.
4) Reduce the use of plastic: Every year people throw away millions of polythene bags which affect the environment adversely. Plastic is suggested to be responsible for the global warming phenomenon. Hence it is advisable to use paper bags and recycle the plastic waste whenever possible.
5) Use Healthier paint: Conventional paints contain harmful solvents, toxic materials and VOC (volatile organic compounds) which can lead to ozone depletion, smog and air pollution. It can also lead to a deprecated health level. Hence opt for zero VOC paints only.
