On a journey to a more sustainable living? You can start with your living room. The living space is the center of many activities in every home that can be transformed into an environmentally-friendly area to minimize waste without sacrificing comfortability.
Here are ways on how you can create a sustainable living space.
1. Use natural resources in your home.
Is it daytime? Turn off the lights and draw the curtains. Maximize natural energy from the sun.
It is good for the earth and for you, too, as your body gets natural vitamin D from the sun. If it’s breezy in your area, open your windows and enjoy the air. That can help you reduce your air conditioner usage.
When you use natural resources, you are able to lower your electricity consumption. This helps the environment by reducing pollution. As a bonus, this simple practice will also save you some money on utility bills.
You can also try putting indoor plants into your home. They are not only decorative, having indoor plants can help clean the air inside your home.
You can choose plants such as a snake plant, a rubber plant, or a leopard lily. Interestingly, some plants are able to effectively remove chemicals from the air.
2. Manage your energy consumption.
The next step that you can do to have a more sustainable living space is by unplugging appliances and electronic gadgets that you do not use, such as your television and sound system. Even if these are on standby mode, they still consume power.
Alternatively, consider using timers to be more energy-efficient. It’s a very convenient feature that a lot of appliances have to help you manage power consumption.
If you will be getting new appliances soon, consider buying ones that are energy-efficient. These are marked with the Energy Star logo. Read the attached Energy Guide level which will tell you how much electricity a particular item consumes. Moreover, buy only what you need, and consider the right size for your space.
3. Choose eco-friendly materials and furniture.
If you are looking to construct or renovate your living space to make it sustainable, there are many creative ways to do so. Starting with the flooring, you can opt for more natural materials. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they are also very beautiful.
Some popular choices for natural floorings are cork and bamboo. These are very durable and can last for years that can still look good as new. They are pretty economical to install too.
Next, use eco-friendly paint to breathe life into your living space. This has zero or minimal amount of chemicals compared to regular paint. It also has antifungal properties.
Planning to get new furniture? How about getting a sofa that is made from recycled water bottles? You can further customize it according to your taste and needs.
If you prefer to create one yourself, consider choosing materials such as FSC-certified wood, bamboo, discarded wood, and reclaimed metal. Design the seats with natural fabric. The possibilities are endless, you can find many DIY inspirations online.
4. Create or repurpose objects.
You can maximize your creativity and skills by repurposing objects into furniture pieces for your living space. For instance, instead of buying a new lamp, you can turn old glass jars or wine bottles into lampshades. You can even create a chandelier out of mason jars.
You might also want to consider buying or repurposing used furniture. Ask around, you might have family or friends who will be replacing their coffee table. Buying secondhand is cost-effective and sustainable.
5. Use sustainable products.
As there are many activities that happen in a living space, that means that it should be regularly cleaned and maintained too. For a more sustainable practice, avoid using chemicals when cleaning.
You can use natural cleaners that contain vinegar, baking soda, or lemon. You can also make your own cleaning products using household ingredients. They can be very potent, so just mix them in the right amount depending on what you will be cleaning.
Alternatively, you can use plant-based all-purpose cleaners that you can use to clean floors, surfaces, walls, and small objects.
Minimize the waste you generate by avoiding single-use products. For instance, if you like keeping a box of tissue or wipes in the living area, use reusable ones instead like LastTissue made by Last Object zero waste shop.. You can use it to clean up a variety of messes. What’s great is that one pack of LastTissue can save you more than 3100 disposable ones.
Ready to create your sustainable living space?
Creating a sustainable living space has so many benefits such as helping protect the environment and enhancing your quality of life. There are so many options that you can try, and you can start with small steps that will go a long way.