Tips of How to Be Sustainable at Home
Homelife is a key ticket for you to start sustainable journey, and many of the details that you easily ignore are often important bridges. How do we start our own percentage in sustainability development? Here are some things you should do:
Water
1. Check leaks for pipes, faucets, and toilets
Leaking happens frequently in homelife, and this small problem that is not taken seriously can cause a big water loss. According to EPA, about 10,000 gallons of water waste comes from home leaks and 10% of homes have daily leaks at least 90 gallons. Water leaks can lead a high water bill, so fixing water leaks can help you save money as well.
2. Turn off water while you are not using it
Turn off faucets when you are brushing your teeth, cleaning dishes, shaving, and so on. This such small action can help you save a huge amount of water that you might not realize. Fremont Green Challenge pointed that 1,500 gallons of water can be saved if you turn off the water while brushing teeth, so it is not hard to imagine how much water that you can save if you turn off the whenever you are not using it.
3. Shorten your shower time
A data from EPA shows that each eight-minute shower consumes more than 16 gallons of water, but a lot of people usually take showers more than eight minutes. Shorten your shower time not only can save water resources but also can lower your water bill.
4. Install water-efficient shower heads
Water-efficient shower head with the label of WaterSense work as same as the normal ones, but it uses no more than 2 gallons of water per minute comparing with the standard one which uses more than 2.5 gallons per minute. On the other hand, by saving 2,700 gallons of water per year can help you save a significant amount of bill.
5. Upgrade toilets to water-efficient toilets
Same as water-efficient shower head, WaterSense labeled water-saving toilet works with high performance and efficiency that can save the home water use by 20 to 60%, about 13,000 gallons per year and at least $140 of water bill can be saved.
6. Use dishwasher (prefer energy-efficiency one) instead of hand washing (when it is a full load)
According to Dunn’s research, Energy-star-rated dishwasher uses 4 gallons of water each load verses the normal one which uses 6 gallons; however, hand-washing uses 2 gallons of water per minute. Therefore, using dishwasher as possible as you can (wait till it has a full load) can help you save a lot of water. If it is possible, you should upgrade your dishwasher to an Energy-star-rated that can help you save water and bills.
7. Choose high-efficiency washer
High-efficiency washer uses less water and energy to run so that helps you save bills. For example, Energy Star certified washer can save 25% of energy and 33% of water, and a data proved that it can save $370 overall.
8. Reduce the frequency of doing laundry
Try to do laundry when it is a full load to avoid wasting more water and energy unnecessarily. Be ethical!
9. Collect cold water before it gets hot
Instead of letting cold water run off before hot water comes, you can always collect them for different purposes: watering plants, rinsing dishes, preparing food, etc.
10. Collect rainwater
Rainwater can be used for watering plants, cleaning vehicles, composting, and so on.
Energy
1. Make sure doors and windows are closed when AC or heater is on
Leave doors or windows open will potentially cause energy loss due to increasing air flow, and your AC system works with a low efficiency during this time, and it will need more energy to keep the room temperature comfy.
2. Turn off AC when you leave home for long / you can program your AC system
If you leave the house for long, remember to turn off your AC because you do not want to waste energy for no reason. However, there is no need to turn it off if you just leave house for a grocery shopping, because it will take even more energy for AC system to adjust the room temperature than leaving the AC on. You can also program your air conditioning system if it is possible to do.
3. Switch all lights to LED lights
LED lights can save more than 75% energy use, especially Energy-star-rated, and they can 25 times longer according to Department of Energy.
4. Turn off lights when you leave the house
Candescent and halogen lights should be always turned off when not using them.
LED lights are not affected whether you turn it on / off; however, if you are leaving house longer than 15 minutes, it will be more energy-saving to turn the them off.
5. Unplug unused electronic
Even though a few plugged unused electronics do not cost as much energy use, a whole house of plugged electronics added up can make a big difference. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory studied that one plugged unused device can consume 9 kwh annually, and many plugged unused devices in the house can cost up to $100 to $200 per year.
6. Shorten shower time
Shorten your shower time can reduce energy use of heating water and amount of water use.
7. Install high-efficiency shower head
High-efficiency shower head can not only save your water use but also energy of heat water. According to Mart’s study, by using WaterSense shower head, an average home can save at least 370 kilowatts per year, and Americans can save about$2.6 billion energy costs for heating water.
8. Upgrade to Energy-star-rated dishwasher
Average dishwasher uses 0.87 to 1.59 kwh per load that equals 1.16 to 2.13 pounds of CO2 emitted each load. An Energy-star-rated dishwasher requires less energy and water use but with a same or even better result.
9. Use high-efficiency washing machine
High-efficiency washing machine, for example Energy-star certified, can save up to 25% of energy comparing with the normal ones and reduce your bills overall.
10. Use high-efficiency drier
Energy-star certified drier uses sensor to identify if the clothes are dry in order to avoid unnecessary energy waste. A data shows that Energy-star certified drier can help Americans save $1.5 billion utility costs and reduce greenhouse gases emission.
11. Reduce the frequency of doing laundry
According to a study, average washing machine requires 350 to 550 watts of electricity use each load and drier requires electricity of 1,800 to 5,000 watts per use. Try to do laundry when it is a full load, so you can reduce amount of unnecessary energy use and bills.
12. Use low temperature to wash and dry clothes
Try to set low temperature wash / dry for your laundry to reduce energy use for heating.
13. Try to air dry your laundry
EPA has pointed that 6% of average home energy use comes from clothes drier, so try to air dry your clothes if it is possible
Food
1. Reduce food waste
According to Earth Org, today, one third of all the food for human consumption is food waste which can feed 3 billion people, and global food loss and food waste equals to 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gas emission every year. We human generate more than enough food each year, but enormous food waste is one of the most important factors that affects the global hunger and malnourished population which are about 8.9% and 22% of the population. Therefore:
a. Try to cook just enough for a meal
b. Avoid over-purchase
c. Utilize the food you have before run for grocery shopping
d. Store food properly
e. Check expiration dates
2. Cook your own food
You can easily measure how much you want to eat and have healthier food options if you cook by your own. On the other hand, you can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emission from unnecessary delivery and take-out driving.
3. Eat more organic food if possible
Organic food production is less harmful to the environment by reducing water pollution, using less energy, and applying no chemicals; it is also better for human health. Organic food does cost more, but still try to purchase organically if it is possible, especially people who are capable to pay.
4. Eat more local food
Not only to support local business but also for a better environment. Buy food from local market or farms can help reduce carbon footprint by avoiding food traveling from long distance. The food from local places is also fresher, seasonal, better for the health, so why not give it a try?
5. Grow your own food
Try to grow some your own food! This is another way to eat organic and get healthier lifestyle! You can easily grow some tomatoes, vegetables, and something that do not take up a big place. If you have access in your garden, you can even try more things!
6. Put food wastes into your composter
Put food wastes into your composter as organic fertilizer instead of throwing them away. On the other hand, you are also help with greenhouse gases reduction.
7. Check the food label
Make sure to check labels on your food package and do some research whether the company has a sustainable supply chain or not and know about their mission.
Waste
1. Put food wastes into your composter
Food wastes can be turned into fertilizer, so put them into your composter!
2. Recycle as much as possible
a. Recycle all glass
b. Recycle all plastic bottles
c. Recycle milk and juice cartons
d. Recycle metal containers: cans, aluminum, tins, etc.
Note: If there are food residues, make sure to clean food residue before you recycle these items from above.
e. Recycle paper: newspapers, mails, cards, paper towel tubes, etc.
3. Reuse cans, cups, or other containers
Instead of throwing away old containers and purchasing more new ones, clean and reuse old cans, take-out containers, and plastic cups / bottles for different purposes.
4. Use your own bags for grocery shopping
Single-use plastic bag, uses tons of petroleum and produces tons of greenhouse gases, is a major threat to environmental hazards. According to Center for Biological Diversity, a plastic bag takes more than 500 years to degrade in landfill and it will not completely break down. Therefore, ask for no bags when you go for a grocery shopping but use your own reusable bags instead to avoid unnecessary plastic waste.
5. Reuse shopping plastic bags
You can always reuse those plastic shopping bags as small trash bags or other purposes so that to help slow down the lifecycle of these plastics.
6. Donate / Resell unwanted clothes
You can always donate and resell your unwanted clothes or give them to other people. A lot of people, especially people have hard financial situation, can benefit from it; also, so many fashion companies have started utilizing old garment to produce new ones to help with our environment.
Environment
1. Plant native plants
Growing native plants is essential for creating a sustainable environment, because every area has its own climate, wildlife species, water, and soil which we do not want to break this balance. Native plants require less care and energy that are easy to grow comparing with exotic ones. Plants can also be part of decoration that can offer fresh air and a better living place.
2. Native birdseed bird feeder
Having some native birdseed is a great way to support native wildlife!
3. Don’t clean all leaves in your yard
National Wildlife Federation argues that leaf layer is a mini eco-system that support many wildlife species live as their primary habitat. Therefore, leave some leaves in your garden is great for wildlife and can also fertilize the soil as they break down.