As the effects of climate change become more visible in the world – more erratic temperatures, increased flooding, more hurricanes – people are beginning to realise the tangible effect their lifestyles can have on the environment and on future generations. It may not be possible to fix all at once, but there is the possibility of adapting our habits and behaviors to support a more planetary-friendly way of life.
In the home, this might include things such as monitoring electricity usage carefully and shutting down computers when not in use. It could mean using less water by cutting down on showers or tea drinking and flushing the toilet less often. Perhaps you’re concerned about the runaway greenhouse effect after reading about what happened to the planet Venus and want to ditch your carbon-emitting car in favour of an EV. Below are some more ideas to make your lifestyle super sustainable.
Water Sustainability
Most people don’t realise the importance of water conservation or their responsibility to fellow humans and the planet. In some parts of the world, water is plentiful; it rains all the time in the UK, so why would people living there need to conserve water; but actually, water is a finite resource that needs to be distributed to more arid areas in times of need. Also, due to the water cycle, drinking water may not be drinking water for some time after it is used, so it makes sense to conserve it if possible.
Conserving water in your home is not as difficult or inconvenient as it sounds – even though most people estimate they use far less than they do in reality. Make sure you turn the faucet off when you’re brushing your teeth, for instance, flush the toilet less often, and take fewer showers. You can also save water by using the eco settings on your dishwasher and washing machine or improving their performance with westinghouse fridge parts.
Smart Meters
Water isn’t the only resource that needs to be sustainably used in order to protect the planet for future generations. Energy of all kinds, including gas and electricity, needs to be used wisely by individuals and corporations. The production and use of electricity produces greenhouse gases that contribute to the warming of the planet. By accelerating the greenhouse effect, we risk destabilising the climate and in the short term and in the long term turning the planet into a dead rock.
Smart meters are not the sole answer to the task at hand, but they can help you make your energy usage more efficient. A smart meter can tell you what devices and appliances are drawing the most power and at what times of the day your usage is higher. By monitoring these readings, it’s possible to optimise your habits and save energy. Helping to save the planet is not the only benefit of saving energy; you will also get a pleasant surprise when it comes to paying the bills.
Energy-Efficient Lights
Improvements in technology may well be our saving grace when it comes to finding solutions to our planetary problems. EV cars are becoming more popular on the roads, sustainable fashion trends are on the rise, and energy-efficient lighting for the home is widely available. It’s estimated that 15% of a typical household’s electricity bill is made up of lighting, and this can be dramatically cut by using energy-efficient LEDs.
LEDs have been around for a while, but they are quickly growing in popularity – the same as electric vehicles – as people become more conscious of their habits and the effect of their lifestyles on the planet. LEDs use small, powerful sources of light that shine only in one direction. They produce a fraction of the heat of incandescent bulbs and last far longer. It’s estimated that replacing a traditional light bulb with an LED will save you around £2 per year for one light.
Natural Cleaning Products
Maybe it’s a generational thing! The products you grow up around become the products you naturally choose when you have your own house; after all, they’re familiar and practical. If no one has ever pointed out the harmful chemicals they contain and the effect of you using them might be on the environment, you can’t be expected to know. However, more and more natural cleaning products are appearing on the shelves next to the old trusted favourites, so it might be time to try them out.
Environmentally friendly dishwashing soap, toilet cleaners, floor cleaners, and multi-surface cleaners do not contain toxic chemicals that make their way into rivers and lakes whenever flushed down the toilet. Such toxic chemicals eventually get into the food and water supply and affect your community’s health: just consider how many people are not using the natural products. This is not the only threat to the environment posed by these products; they also contribute greenhouse gases to the atmosphere through the packaging and chemical content – this further increases the risk of starting a runaway greenhouse effect.
Composting
Sustainability doesn’t stop with water and electricity; our waste is also a big issue going forwards. Since the industrial revolution, we have slipped into a habit of consumption, followed by destruction. Only in recent years has reuse, recycling, and upcycling become an acceptable economic model. These days politicians talk about the circular economy, in which the landfill waste is minimal instead of maximal, and most of the items we use are reused repeatedly. It sounds delightful, but we don’t have to wait for the gears of politics to change.
Composting is one way that we can act now within our own households to make sure that our waste is put to good use. Firstly, we can consider how much we need to use initially. Is there really a need to cook extra food, and if so, can it be saved for another day, frozen in tupperware, for instance. If not, and it simply has to go in the food bin, consider composting it in your garden instead. The enzymes and bacteria will break down your leftovers and turn it into nutrient-rich compost for your garden.