Moving this fall? Why not set up your new place for eco friendly living? A new place provides a great opportunity to change your lifestyle and implement greener practices in your daily habits.
Some steps can be implemented simply, while others may play a factor in the choice of your new home. From the moving process to setting up your new place, tiny changes allow you to reduce your carbon footprint.
When looking for a new place, check out the major appliances. This step applies to whole houses as well as apartments. An ancient stove or a fridge from the eighties is probably not ideal for eco-friendly living. If you happen to be purchasing your own home, you can deal with these later. Energy star ratings can help you easily identify appliances that comply with energy efficiency and are often proudly displayed on the appliance itself.
Even if your perfect new home lacks ideal appliances, you can take a few steps when setting up your house for eco friendly living. Replace standard bulbs with energy efficient ones to save energy and money on your electric bill. Stock your home with eco-friendly small appliances and be sure to turn everything off when not in use.
Decoration provides another avenue for eco friendly living. If you happen to be setting up your new home with new furniture, look for companies that use environmentally friendly fibers or recycled materials. These companies often have greener practices overall than their competitors. Antiques are a great way to re-use old things, while giving your home a unique feel. Hit up a few estate sales for sturdy furniture and beautiful wall hangings.
Finally, make the process of moving itself fit for eco friendly living. Boxes are a necessity for any move whether across town or across the country. Procure boxes from local grocers and re-use them as often as possible. If you need to purchase boxes, look for post-consumer content. After the move, recycle the boxes or ‘gift’ them to acquaintances that are also in the moving process.
Once you’re settled into your new place, keep up habits of eco friendly living. Select products from companies that care about the environment for everything from food to cleaners. Moving is always a difficult task, but it can also be an opportunity to make a few changes in your lifestyle that makes living more environmentally friendly!
