It’s easy to live an eco-friendly lifestyle! You don’t need to spend extra to reduce your environmental footprint, it’s just a matter of changing a few things in your daily routine. Here are some simple eco-friendly changes you can make to help you live more sustainably.
1. Swap Household Cleaners
Choose plant-based products from manufacturers that have a complete list of ingredients on their product labels. Switching to green cleaners reduces air pollution, minimizing exposure to harmful chemicals and helps to avoid asthma and other allergy triggers.
2. Upgrade Your Window Coverings
Adding thermal shades to windows and patio doors is a great way to insulate your home. Thermal shades block the sun in the summer and retain heat in the winter helping you save money on your heating and cooling bills!
3. Donate, Don’t Dump
It is estimated that for every item of clothing donated, 25 pounds of carbon emissions are reduced. Donating clothes meets great social needs and prevents the unused clothes from ending up in the landfill. Take items to a thrift store, or other charitable organizations that accept donations.
4. B.Y.O.B(ag)
When you’re out shopping, skip the plastic bag! You’ve probably noticed several stores have started to charge for plastic bags to encourage shoppers to bring their own eco-friendly reusable shopping bags.
5. Water-to-go
Carry a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. Not only is it economical for you, it also saves plastic bottles ending up in landfills and oceans.
6. Save Energy
A very direct step you can take to control your impact on the environment is to reduce the consumption of energy in your home. Some energy-saving home improvements to consider:
- Switch off lights and appliances when they are not in use
- Use low energy light bulbs
- Wash clothes in low (cold) water
- Use a washing line or a drying deck to dry your clothes more naturally
7. Choose a home with eco-friendly finishes*
Get eco-friendly finishes at a standard price point when you buy a Rohit home finished in the Green Living Designer Interior. For example, the Green Living design comes standard with durable concrete-look, low VOC, cork-backing TORLYS Smart Floors luxury vinyl tile flooring. You’ll also get durable and long-lasting graphite quartz countertops, and FSC certified banana wood grain cabinetry made from 100% recycled wood fibers.
If you can get an organic apple for the same cost as a regular apple, wouldn’t you choose the greener option?
8. Measure your Impact
There are online calculators available that measure how you are impacting the environment. Try these calculators: Eco Foot Print or, Water Foot Print.
*The Green Living Designer Interior is available with Rohit Communities only in Calgary and Edmonton.
