It’s never a bad time to start living a greener lifestyle, and the tools for doing so are easy to come by. Being more eco-friendly goes beyond recycling, though that’s obviously important, too. Below, we’ll dive into three ways to be more eco-friendly that can positively affect the environment and your energy bills.
Buy Reusable Products
Many of the materials we use throughout the day have reusable alternatives. For example, instead of drinking from a water bottle, pick up a reusable bottle you can simply use, wash, and reuse as you’d like. Likewise, metal straws are reusable and easy to attain; they’re convenient and eco-friendly alternatives to plastic straws. Even refillable soap bottles are available to consumers, ensuring they can always replenish their soap supply without creating waste.
Use Sustainable Home-Building Materials
Out of these three ways to be more eco-friendly, one of the most gratifying is investing in the right building materials, such as for roofing. For instance, high-quality metal roofing can contain as much as 95% recycled content. Plus, if your metal roof has the right reflective coating, it won’t absorb radiant heat. As a result, you won’t have to frequently mess with your heating and cooling system, improving energy efficiency immensely.
There are many ways to design an energy-efficient home, with a metal roof being only one of the many components. Opt for recycled materials when you’re choosing materials for your flooring, walls, and ceilings, too. Even your light bulb of choice has an effect on your environmental friendliness.
Buy the Right Home Appliances
As we mentioned above, the materials you use for building and powering your home greatly affects its eco-friendliness. That said, paying more attention to your everyday home appliances is crucial, too.
Thankfully, there’s a convenient and reliable way to purchase energy-efficient home appliances. On the Energy Star website, you can find a full library of certified appliances. Through Energy Star certification, consumers can easily identify the most energy-efficient appliances for their homes.
Such appliances include refrigerators, clothes dryers, and air conditioners. Using energy-efficient appliances can not only minimize your energy bills but also make your home more environmentally friendly.
Author
