As the kids take off and spread their wings, this is a perfect time for you to incorporate positive changes throughout your home. Now that you have extra space and perhaps empty rooms, it is the ideal time for looking at ways to go green and make your home eco-friendly.
Ways to go Green
As a starting point, here are five eco-friendly changes for your home that will make your now empty nest as environmentally friendly as possible.
Geothermal Energy
Source: Wikimedia
High-efficiency and eco-friendly, geothermal heating and cooling systems sustain a comfortable home climate without damaging the environment. This energy, generated and stored in the earth, is reliable and sustainable. The technology takes advantage of the earth’s constant underground temperature of 45 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit to deliver heating and cooling. These systems will provide your home with the following benefits:
- No loud outdoor unit
- No burning of fossil fuels
- Highly efficient
Use Sunshine
Source: Flickr
Harnessing the natural power of the sun can provide a clean energy source for your home. If you are downsizing your home, it would be an ideal time to install solar panels. Solar energy, a free, inexhaustible source of energy, comes with a host of eco-friendly benefits, including:
- Less damage to the environment
- Following an initial investment, solar energy is cost-efficient
- Available for most people
- No carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere
Make Waste Work for You
Source: Pixabay
Composting is the natural, environmentally friendly way of recycling food and yard waste. This process occurs as organic materials return to the soil through decomposition. When you compost at home, you keep food waste out of landfills and reduce the release of methane gas. It often comes as a surprise when people learn of the variety of materials composting can accommodate and the numerous benefits gained, such as:
- Waste management
- Methane gas reduction
- Physical structure of soil
Don’t Throw Away That Trash; Recycle It
Source: Publicdomainpictures
Recycling is great because it helps your community and the environment. It is a three-part process that includes collecting recyclable materials, manufacturing products made of recycled materials, and the purchase of new products made with recycled material. This is great for the planet because of recycling:
- Conserves water, timber, minerals, and other natural resources
- Prevents pollution
- Saves energy
- Reduces greenhouse emissions
- Plays a part in sustaining the environment
- Creates jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries
- Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills
Turn on a Better Lightbulb
Source: Pixabay
Now that you are going green, it is a good time to change the light bulbs out. Replace the old incandescent bulbs with new types of bulbs such as a compact fluorescent or an LED bulb. Do not worry about changing your existing light fixtures; simply purchase a new bulb and swap it out for the old one.
Being in an empty nest is a new beginning for you. Kick this time off with changes to your home that are eco-friendly, efficient, and sustainable. Finding ways to go green benefits you and the planet, so take steps today to make your home an eco-friendly space.
