Eco-Friendly Household: 5 Sustainable Swaps for Your Home

More and more homeowners look into sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions they can implement into their homes, ranging from using eco-friendly building materials to installing solar panels. However, going green doesn’t necessarily have to start with an expensive home renovation project, as you can do a lot more by making some changes in your housekeeping habits. After all, it’s small but consistent steps that make a difference.

In this article, you will find a list of several sustainable yet straightforward swaps you can incorporate into your household to reduce waste and make your home greener. They include but are not limited to using reusable containers and water bottles instead of plastic ones, cleaning with white vinegar and baking soda instead of chemicals, composting, recycling old furniture pieces, and more. Continue reading to learn more about how to create an eco-friendly home.

Recycle Old Furniture Pieces

If you plan on getting rid of your weared-down furniture, think about giving them a new life instead. Old furniture pieces can be recycled into new ones, and you might even earn some additional cash in the process.

Many eco-friendly restorers are looking for old wooden furniture pieces that they can turn into something more valuable. If you have an old wooden table or chair, you may want to give it a second life by selling it to someone who can use it for their own home.

Alternatively, suppose you don’t want to deal with the hassle of selling your broken down furniture. In that case, you may want to consider donating your leather sofa to a charity organization that can use it to create something useful. Or, if you have some DIY experience, you can transform your tattered furniture pieces into something else you can use. If this seems to be too challenging, you can always check out some contemporary bedroom furniture pieces instead.

Opt For Plastic-Free Storage Containers

Plastic storage containers are among the most commonly used home gadgets, but they’re some of the most wasteful ones as well. Not only are plastic storage containers bad for your health, but they also cause a lot of harm to the environment.

Plastics can leach chemicals into your food, making them taste and smell weird. Additionally, they’re incredibly challenging to recycle, as they often get mixed up with all other types of plastics, usually ending up in landfills.

One plastic container can take hundreds of years to break down. In fact, plastics have become so ubiquitous that they’re now found in the deepest parts of the ocean. This is why they pose a severe threat not only to our health but also to the environment.

If you want to be more eco-friendly, you can make a switch to stainless steel or glass food storage containers, as they’re much safer. Besides, you can even find reusable freezer storage bags, which are just as convenient as plastic food storage containers. They’re also straightforward to wash without worrying about spoiling your food.

Purchase a Reusable Water Bottle

Many people still use plastic water bottles that are unhealthy for our bodies and the environment. There are several reasons why we should stop using plastic water bottles, including their highly long lifecycle — one plastic water bottle can stick around for up to 450 years.

It’s much better to use reusable water bottles made out of glass or stainless steel that can be easily washed in the dishwasher. Not only will this help you avoid putting toxins into your body and in the environment, but it will also save you money. You’ll be able to refill these reusable bottles with tap water instead of buying water from the store every day. You can even add fruits and vegetables to your water to make it taste better and get beneficial nutrients.

Switch To Baking Soda and White Vinegar Cleaners

If you want to live a greener life, you should seriously consider switching to cleaning solutions our ancestors used for centuries. Two such everyday household staples include baking soda and white vinegar. Both of these ingredients are generally safe to use but powerful enough to kill germs and remove stains on your counters and floors.

Baking soda works well for removing stains from your clothes as well as for cleaning your bathroom sinks, tubs, and toilets. You can mix it with water (1/4 cup) or white vinegar (1/4 cup) and use it for cleaning. You must wear gloves while cleaning with baking soda to avoid irritating your skin. The same goes for vinegar.

You can combine baking soda and vinegar and then pour it into a spray bottle with warm water and use it to clean your kitchen and bathroom surfaces. As both baking soda and vinegar are natural products, they won’t cause any harm to the environment.

Use Composting Pots Instead of Trash Cans

Many homeowners throw away a lot of food waste every day, creating unnecessary waste products. This is why many environmentally-friendly homeowners advocate using composting pots that don’t create an overwhelming amount of trash in houses and provide some additional benefits.

These composting pots are usually placed on balconies or patios where homeowners can easily put their organic waste products, such as leaves, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, chicken bones, eggshells, etc. These little bits of waste go into the composting pot. They decompose naturally within several months before being added back into the ground around your garden, where they become fertilizer for plants and trees.

This way, you don’t create trash in your house since everything is recycled around the garden area. It’s much better than throwing all organic waste in the trash every day.

Final Thoughts

Many people consider going green an expensive decision, but it doesn’t have to be the case. You can start leading a more environmentally-oriented life today by making small but consistent changes in your home that will make a big difference in the long run.

If you’re planning to get rid of your old furniture pieces, consider donating them to charity organizations instead of throwing them in the trash. Moreover, if you produce a lot of food waste, you can make your own composting pots instead of throwing everything into the bins with the rest of the trash. You also might want to buy reusable food wraps instead of plastic wrap. The list goes on. You just have to find a way to a greener home that fits your budget and lifestyle. Good luck!