10 simple tips for becoming more environmentally smart at home
Making an effort for the environment need not be difficult or time consuming. We have collected some of our best tips for becoming more environmentally smart at home.
1. Get rid of the environmental hazards in the cleaning closet
Some cleaning products may be real environmental hazards. Mostly completely unnecessary. Most surfaces in our homes can be cleaned with water and some detergent or soap. Traditional detergents can also be replaced by ecolabelled alternatives.
2. Sort your trash
By sorting out old things and packaging, they can be recycled and turned into new products. You can save on both your waste collection fee and your greenhouse emissions.
3. Update your lights
About a quarter of your household electricity is used for lighting. By replacing ordinary light bulbs with low-energy lamps and choosing LED lamps instead of halogen lamps, you can reduce both your climate impact and electricity bill.
4. Clean in and around your appliances
Is the food in your freezer crowded with a lot of ice? Then it draws more electricity than necessary. Defrosting makes the freezer more energy efficient and frees up space on the shelves. Remember to also keep clean around and behind your fridge and freezer. Dust and dirt around your appliances means that the cooling unit has to work harder, which requires more energy.
5. Clean up your electric gadgets
Many of us have a lot of electric gadgets at home that are no longer used. In addition to taking up space, some gadgets contain batteries, which in turn can contain environmentally hazardous heavy metals. If you hand in your old electrical appliances at your nearest recycling center, it will be easier to keep things organizzed and the batteries can be taken care of or recycled.
6. Choose low energy electronics
Today, there is a large selection of energy-efficient products on the market that are as efficient as models that draw more electricity. If you, like us, like to clean often, it might be a good idea to start by updating the vacuum cleaner. Look for a model that is as tough against the dust bunnies as it is kind to the environment.
7. Avoid standby mode
Appliances that are in standby mode instead of being turned off use about 4% of the electricity in an average household. If you switch off your appliances completely, you can reduce your climate emissions by 7 kilos a year.
8. Bathe less
Choose the shower instead of the bathtub as often as you can. For a 5 minute shower, about 60 liters of water is required, while a bathtub may require up to three times as much water to become full.
9. Air out properly - but quickly
Sometimes it can be great to air out the house with fresh air. The most energy-efficient way to air out is to leave the window fully open for 10 minutes, instead of leaving the window cracked open for a long time.
10. Choose e-invoice or direct debit
Many saved papers eventually become a saved tree. Choose to have your bills as e-invoice or direct debit instead of paper invoice, and do the climate a favor. You also get less paper to handle and less messy at home.