Have you watched the new Blue Planet movie? It’s really a touching story that already encouraged people all over the world to take initiative and do something to help our seas and oceans recover and flourish. So, if you too want to join the eco-friendly movement and do something to help our suffering planet and ensure a healthier tomorrow for yourself and your kids, here’s what you can do.

Use sustainable materials

 

No matter if you’re just constructing your house today or if you’re doing some structural renovations, make sure to invest in eco-friendly building materials. For instance, sustainably sourced wood is highly renewable and leaves a minimal carbon footprint. While bricks and concrete are natural, they do require massive carbon production that harms the environment. Today, some engineers and designers are even trying to replace concrete and steel with sustainable wood in larger structures as well!

Make use of renewable sources

 

Instead of choosing mass-produced electricity without thinking, you can make your home more grid-independent and energy-efficient by opting for renewable sources of energy. There are four that produce great results today: heat pumps that can be used to heat and cool your home, photovoltaic solar panels to power your home, solar thermal panels to heat the interior and water, and wind power for electricity. You can start small with any of these renewable energy sources and see what benefits you and the planet can reap.

Save water

 

If you have old fixtures in your home, you are wasting hundreds of liters of water every day even though the water shortage is a real issue all over the world. Draughts are affecting many nations, especially those in developing parts of the world, but you can help! If you upgrade your fixture to newer models (low-flow toilets, low-flow faucets and showerheads) you can conserve a lot of water. There are even revolutionary sinks that connect to the flush system of your toilet, so you can reuse dirty water for flushing. Additionally, rainwater harvesting systems will allow you to save rainwater for future use. This water might not be suitable for consumption or bathing, but it’s perfect for watering flowers and lawns and washing your car.

Improve air quality

 

Modern people spend more than 50% of their day inside. And if you consider that indoor air pollution can be many times more toxic than the outdoor air, that’s not something to be proud of. Aside from air fresheners, candles, poor ventilation, cooking gases, cigarette smoke and radon, there’s also the danger of asbestos. For instance, if you happen to live in a house built before the 1980s in Australia, there’s a good possibility there’s asbesto-frs hiding somewhere in your home which can cause irreparable health issues.

The best thing you can do is test your home for pollution and toxins. While there are ways you can do that yourself (certain kits you can buy online) it’s best to call professionals who will not only do a more thorough job but also do it faster and safer. Find a good company for air quality testing in Brisbane and you’ll get accurate results in record times. After that, you’ll know exactly what steps to take in order to make your interior healthier, ecoiendlier and safer for living. You can also ditch toxic chemicals, improve natural ventilation and use organic candles.

Insulate your home

 

One of the best ways to boost the energy-efficiency of your home (especially in existing buildings) and also improve the comfort of the home is to give it good insulation. A good envelope of your building will ensure all the heat that needs to stay inside stays inside and all the cool air that needs to stay outside stays outside (and vice versa in the summer). This will allow you to keep your thermostat lower and reduce the energy waste in your home. And your insulation can also be eco-friendly with recycled materials (recycled paper also adds great sound insulation) and green walls.

Use smart technology

 

Indoor heating is one of the biggest energy users in the household. And, it can be very easy to overuse the heating and leave it on longer than needed, especially in the winter months. This move leads both to energy and money waste, so try to invest in smart tech that will reduce that energy loss to a minimum. Today, there are various smart thermostats that are easy to program and can be remotely managed. Your thermostat will know when you’re at home, when you’re at work and when you’re sleeping and will manage temperature accordingly reducing precious energy waste. Plus, they look pretty modern and can be even fit perfectly with your other wall art.

Get energy-efficient light bulbs

 

One of the most effective and by far the easiest things you can do is invest in energy-efficient light bulbs. These LEDs or CFLs are compatible with everything from your table lamps to your crystal chandeliers so you can switch to them without any issues. Not only do these bulbs use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, but they also have a longer life span, which means you won’t have to spend tons of money replacing them every month and create a ton of waste dumping your burn out bulbs in the garbage.

It’s more than possible to reduce your waste and become a more eco-friendly household. These little changes will not affect your lifestyle in the least but they will definitely make a change when it comes to your health, the health of our planet and the weight of your wallet! So, go forward and go green!

 

Derek Lotts is a writer and researcher, a regular contributor at Smooth Decorator blog. He writes about décor, gardening, recycling, ecology and business. He thinks all of these topics fall under the self-improvement category. He believes in the power of sharing ideas and communicating via the internet to achieve betterment.