How To Make Your Home Eco-Friendly During Lockdown
As human beings, we have a history of harming the planet we call home, and we can still do this from our own homes. While nature is great at healing itself, we still dispose of and dump products that are not biodegradable, and we use unrenewable materials for fuel. During the COVID-19 lockdown, we are spending a lot more time at home. Even though we would have saved money on other things, such as eating out and commuting to work, we will be spending more on running our household and making the most out of our time at home.
To make your home eco-friendly during lockdown, here are some things you could consider doing.
Reduce Food Waste
Purchasing too much or unnecessary food during the pandemic means that other people may miss out, and it can strain suppliers. It also inevitably leads to more food waste. To reduce food waste, you should purchase long-life food and stick to a shopping list. A compost heap is a good way to recycle items that can’t be consumed, like eggshells and coffee grounds, while supporting biodiversity. You can then use your compost on a flower or vegetable bed.
Recycle Where Possible
Make a conscious effort to recycle items at all times and hold things that can’t currently be recycled due to lockdown. If you have children and want to entertain them, then there are many different arts and crafts you can do with cardboard and plastic packaging, which will keep them entertained and creative.
Monitor Energy Usage
Installing a smart meter in your home will allow you to monitor how much energy you are using. Your gas and electricity company will sometimes provide you one for free. To help you save money on your energy bills, compare gas and electric suppliers on quotezone.co.uk, which is a handy price comparison tool. Here, you can compare gas and electric tariffs from a number of suppliers and choose a sustainable company to provide your fuel.
Consume Less Meat & Dairy
Meat and dairy production has a negative impact on our environment and certain meat can also harm our health. Being stuck at home means you can experiment more with the dishes you cook. Try new things, such as more plant-based foods or veggie alternatives such as bean burgers or veggie sausages. Red meat has a higher carbon footprint than other meats so if you can reduce your red meat intake this will in turn reduce your carbon footprint. Veggie mince is a really easy switch and can make really tasty lasagne or spaghetti bolognaise too.
Limit Internet Shopping
Being stuck inside can be boring, and many of us can find comfort in online retail therapy. While treating yourself is important, you should try to limit the amount of internet shopping you do. This is because it comes at a heavy cost to the environment. Fast fashion in particular uses up a huge amount of water and land in its manufacturing process and is highly polluting too. The plastic packaging the items come in often can’t be recycled, plus, the process of getting the parcel to your door requires a lot of resources and transportation costs. Asking yourself if you ‘need’ this purchase as opposed to ‘wanting’ it can help you decide if its really necessary.
Making your home more environmentally friendly is a change that we can continue easily once the lockdown is lifted. If we take care of our planet, it will take care of us. Fortunately, many of these changes can save you money too.