How green is your home? We all want to do our part to live more sustainably, but it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some tips for assessing how eco-friendly your household is and how to make it more efficient.
Energy conservation
Saving energy is a direct way to green your home. There are many ways you can do this in your rental apartment. Replace old light bulbs with energy efficient LED's. Plug your electronics into power strips that you can switch off when they are not in use to avoid phantom load. You can make an older refrigerator run more efficiently by gently cleaning the coils. Wash your clothes in cold water and skip the dryer sheets that will end up in a landfill. You can use wool dryer balls instead!
Water conservation
Every day you have an opportunity to save water in your household. You can be more aqua-efficient by taking shorter showers and not running the tap when you brush your teeth. Drink tap water or filtered water instead of buying the bottled stuff. If you have a leaky faucet or other maintenance issues, schedule a maintenance request using ClikFIX -- it's easy!
Healthy home
You have lots of low-tech options to help you improve indoor air quality. In warmer weather, keeping windows closed during the heat of the day and open overnight can reduce energy use and improve ventilation and circulation. Window treatments including curtains and blinds can help keep your windows from letting in hot or cold air when you don't want it.
Cut down on disposables
It's time to single out single-use products. Cut down or eliminate your paper towel habit by using cloth towels or rags cut from old clothes. Say so-long to single-use plastics such as drinking straws and plastic bags. Make coffee at home instead of going out for a disposable cup. Go paperless with your monthly bills and switch to online payments.
Get growing
Growing your own food in your apartment, whether in an indoor herb garden or balcony garden, can help you cut down on trips to the store and be a boon to the environment. You'll be buying less food that has to be transported over long distances.
Choose the right home
When it comes time to choose the right rental home, look for apartments that are located in neighbourhoods with a good walk score and are close to public transportation and amenities.
We hope these tips help you feel great about greening your home.
Looking for a place to call home? For information on BentallGreenOak rental properties across Canada, please visit our website.