If you’re looking for an eco-friendly home, we’ve got good news for you. Balmoral builders include tons of environmental, sustainable features in their homes. Everything from smart thermostats and Energy Star appliances to LED lightbulbs and kitchen faucets that reduce water usage. Once you move in, you can continue what they’ve started by following these tips for more sustainable living.
Buy Some Bins
Glass, paper, metal and plastic can all be recycled, but you can’t always put everything in one container. Purchase at least three containers to keep your recyclable items separated.
Hit the Thrift Store
Cheap clothes and furniture are good for your wallet but bad for the environment. Thrift stores are the solution. You can find fantastic clothes, books, furniture and more at second-hand stores. Purchasing them reduces waste and often costs less than what you find at big box stores. If you shop at stores run by non-profits, you can do good for your community.
Donate Used Goods
Don’t just shop at thrift stores, donate to them. Donating used items keeps them out of landfills. You can donate almost anything from clothes to cars. Check with your favorite local charity to see if they hold donation drives.
Upcycle
Upcycling is a new word for a time-honored tradition — repurposing items in your home. Anytime you choose to turn old wine bottles into candle holders, old bottles into planters or ice cube trays into snack plates for your toddler you are upcycling. HGTV offers lots of creative ways to get more use out of items you might be thinking of tossing.
Reduce E-waste
Apple, Best Buy and other electronic stores will often give you credit toward new tech if you bring in your old electronics. Best Buy allows you to drop off old electronics for recycling. They will even wipe your old devices for you. When you purchase a new computer, make sure it has an Energy Star label.
Change Your Laundry Practices
Did you know that 90 percent of the energy used by a washer goes toward heating water? Hot water doesn’t always get clothes cleaner either. In fact, it can degrade fabric and dull colors. Switch to cold water to save energy. After washing your clothes, skip the dryer and hang them up to dry.
Use Natural Cleaning Products
Brand-name cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can be bad for your health. The plastic bottles they come in make up a large portion of landfill waste. The solution is to make your own cleaning products. These can be kept in reusable containers. There are also competitively priced eco-friendly products on your grocery store shelves.
Eat Healthy and Local
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, animal-based agriculture is responsible for approximately 15 percent of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Save the planet by reducing your consumption of meat. For your vegetables, hit the farmers market because eating local reduces the number of trucks on the road.
Leave Your Car in the Garage
Do you need to drive everywhere? Carpool, use public transportation, walk or ride your bike whenever possible. Using alternative transportation reduces carbon dioxide emissions and keeps you fit (bonus!).
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