How to make your apartment more eco-friendly? (11 practices) 

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The article will shed light on how to make your apartment more eco-friendly. Details will be given on the elaborate practices and how technology can be coupled to achieving this goal of making apartments more eco-friendly. 

How to make your apartment more eco-friendly?

When it comes to the infusion of eco-friendliness in people’s apartments, there are usually two main approaches that can serve as an edifice. These include 

  • One way to make your apartments eco-friendly is shifting to eco-friendly appliances, building material and equipment 
  • Another way to make your apartments eco-friendly is by practising or implementing sustainable tips and dos that we all are told about. Therefore, let us focus on both factors in detail. 

How can the ‘material’ make our apartments sustainable?

With the increasing technological revolution, it is becoming dominantly inevitable that all households are thronged with tons of electrical and electronic equipment. The main idea behind the presence and use of this equipment is to facilitate and elevate the quality of life. 

However, one factor that had been ignored in the past was that this equipment does come at some price. This includes the buying cost and the use cost. However, one aspect that many get easily oblivious to is that these devices and equipment also impact the environment severely. 

The reason why there is a negative relationship between electronic equipment and the environment is given below

  • A majority of the devices are either made from metals or plastics. Both materials are non-biodegradable and rely on non-renewable resources. This means that there is a blunt consumption of non-renewable resources to make these devices and equipment.
  • The next we have is the usability cost. The devices run on electricity or batteries. When it comes to batteries, these batteries are made from metals and are needed to be discarded which will create waste problems.

    The case of electricity is no different as in most cases electricity comes from the burning of fossil fuels which not only leads to the depletion of non-renewable resources but also the emergence of environmental anomalies such as pollution and climate change.
  • Lastly, when these devices are of no use, they are discarded recklessly. This means there is the problem of waste accumulation and environmental degradation such as pollution. Nearby life including humans may also be severely impacted. 

Therefore, based on these points, it is essentially important to alleviate and reduce the negative relationship between these devices and the environment. This can be done by considering the following actions. 

Shifting to renewable sources of energy 

As it has been stated that most of the energy comes from fossil fuels burning which not only leads to the depletion of limited resources (non-renewable resources) but also the addition of environmental problems such as pollution, global warming et cetera. 

Therefore, it is rather incumbent to shift towards renewable sources of energy such as electricity. When it comes to that, there are candidates such as 

  • Bulb 
  • Ecotricity 
  • Solar Energy 

These are some options that can be opted for in the UK for clean and green energy that will not deplete resources and will relate positively to the environment. 

Monitoring damping and insulation 

Another efficient way to make sure that energy and resources are conserved is by making sure that there is proper damping. This can be done by 

  • Closing doors or windows to maintain the temperature
  • Using proper insulating material to contain the required temperature
  • Make use of double-glazed windows to ensure necessary damping 

Switch to energy-efficient appliances

Another great way to help the environment is by shifting to energy-efficient appliances because these appliances will consume less energy and thus, there will be a decreased dependency on non-renewable resources. 

Examples of these smart appliances may include LED bulbs, smart thermostats, motion-sensitive lights et cetera. This can be done by buying devices that are given a 7-plus rating for energy efficiency. 

When you switch to these energy-efficient appliances, not only better utility is offered, you will have fewer bills to take care of, and the environment will be given less pressure to deal with. The energy conservation can be as much as 80%. 

Optimising waste disposal 

The idea of how appliances and devices relate to the environment and waste issues has been well-established. Therefore, you need to have smart and eco-friendly disposal options and when it comes to that recycling is one of the best options. Composting is another candidate that we have. 

The problem with composting is that it can only be done with natural, biodegradable and organic waste such as cardboard et cetera. 

However, recycling can be done for both biodegradable and nonbiodegradable materials. In fact, it is even claimed that recycling is one of the best ways to deal with non-biodegradable waste. Therefore, it is greatly recommended to have a recycling centre in your apartment. 

However, if you can not afford one, the best option is to responsibly discard your waste in recycling centres. 

If the waste is compostable, then it is advisable to compost it either at home or in recycling centres. 

Use natural and biodegradable products 

An apartment is incomplete without consumer products. From washrooms to kitchens to laundry, we all need consumer products for our needs. 

The plight is that most of these products either rely on harmful chemicals, plastics, and degradative components that are not only bad for our health but also relate negatively to the environment. 

In contrast, there should be a use of products that are 

  • Biodegradable 
  • Organic and naturally derived
  • Certified sustainable 
  • Compostable 
  • Made from recycled materials
  • Avoid the use of chemicals and degradative synthetic ingredients 
  • Are non-toxic to life and the environment

What are some of the practices to make your apartment more eco-friendly? 

When it comes to the practices of making our apartments more eco-friendly, consider the following points 

  • Prefer green and eco-friendly brands that make use of PCR materials and natural ingredients 
  • Be water efficient when taking a shower 
  • Prefer eco-friendly paints that use minimal or no VOCs to ensure the positive relationship with the environment is kept intact 
  • Use low-energy and low-flow equipment 
  • Reuse materials and devices as much as you can 
  • Continuously check for leaks or any other repair work that may be required as it can deplete the resource badly 
  • Prefer paying bills online to make sure that paper (along with ink)  is not wasted in the billing process. 
  • Be conservative with water and other resources usage 
  • Have many plants indoors and outdoors. Install air purifier plants and you will be freed from the need to depend on electronic air purifiers. 
  • Always prefer to make your apartments light and airy to make sure you use the least amount of lights and bulbs. Let the sunlight do its magic. 
  • Try to buy pre-loved or recycled furniture because it will lead to better resource management

Conclusion 

It is concluded that the article discussed several ways to make your apartment more eco-friendly. The ways included individual practices to bridge the gap between apartments and eco-friendliness. Also, a detailed comment was made on how to shift to greener appliances in a way to support the environment, your health and utility. 

References

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