Four Ways Your Home Can Go Greener This Summer

Filed in Blog by on April 28, 2023 0 Comments
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how to make your home greenerEveryone is looking for ways that they can work on their carbon footprint. It always seems easier in the summer months, doesn’t it? You don’t have to blast your central heating. You can hang your washing out on the line instead of waiting for the tumble dryer to complete yet another cycle. It all just seems so much more achievable during on brighter days.

But it can still be an uphill struggle especially given everything that we have seen about climate change over recent years. The news cycle can been pretty depressing, and no one wants another record-breaking heatwave. There’s also going to be the knowledge in the back of your mind that it’s only going to be a few short months before it’s winter again. The positive steps that you take now will have a major impact when it comes to keeping your carbon footprint and your energy bills down further down the line.

Start With The Basics

There are so many little things that you can do that have a bigger impact than you might realise. This means all those things that your parents used to shout at you about when you were a kid, like turning off the lights when you leave the room! You should also make sure that you turn your appliances off at the wall when you finish using them, instead of leaving your computer or your TV on standby. It’s sometimes easy to forget to do this when you’re in a rush. So why not think about putting Post-it notes around the house? It doesn’t work for everyone, but it might be a good way to ensure that you’re remembering those little tasks before you go to bed.

Be Responsible With Your Home Waste

It’s pretty straight forward to do your day to recycling, but home waste covers an awful lot of ground. Say you’re having work done on your property. The last thing you want is a huge skip sitting on your driveway full of plaster and other landfill waste because the contractor that you went with didn’t want to take responsibility for dealing with it. Everyone has a story about a nightmare contractor that didn’t do anything they said they would. It’s well worth taking the time to do your research so you can find someone who’s got great reviews. If you’re searching for plasterers near you who will take their landfill waste responsibilities seriously then check out MyBuilder. You can post the job along with any specifications that you have (such as must help you to deal with the waste created by the project) and watch the bids from local plasterers roll in. Then you can look at the feedback from their previous clients to make sure that they are as good as their word.

Insulation Is Key

There are many properties out there that are not insulated properly. This is one of the reasons why so many people struggled to keep their homes warm over the winter (that and the ridiculous energy prices). But insulation isn’t just a winter problem. You’ll need to plan ahead for keeping your property cool as the summers keep getting hotter and hotter. Last year’s aforementioned record-breaking 40-degree heatwave is a sign of things to come. So, think about where your home insulation needs some work. Start by making sure that you have double, or even triple, glazing on your windows. Proper curtains are a must if you want to keep the temperatures inside down (and up in the winter). Other textbook problem areas include your roof, exterior walls, and any doors or window frames that have struggled with the extreme weather. Old hacks like draft excluders won’t fix the problem but they will help!

Take Care Of Your Electronic Waste Properly

The waste created by home improvement projects has already been covered, but what about your electronics? E-waste continues to be a serious problem as people are not disposing of their old appliances, phone, and computers properly. These non-degradable items end up in landfills and create a major environmental issue. Look for ways you can recycle your e-waste properly. First off, do they still work? Think about donating your unwanted electronics to a local charity or institution if you’re only getting rid of them for an upgrade. You can ask around to see if there’s a school or library that could benefit from a computer, for example. See if you can trade in your old mobile phone if you’re getting a new one. You need to look for a proper electronics recycling facility if there’s really no hope for them or see if your local recycling centre accept electronics. They’ll be able to dispose of them properly.

What about you? What will you be working on during the summer to make your home more sustainable?

About the Author ()

I am a long time supporter of the Green and Sustainable lifestyle. After being caught in the Boscastle floods in 2004, our family begun a journey to respect and promote the importance of Earth's fragile ecosystem, that focussed on reducing waste. Inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness of this wonderful planet, I have published numerous magazine articles on green issues and the author of four books.

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