A sustainable life, you can’t ignore it any longer. If we work together we can safe this earth for future generations. Moreover, we can give future generations an earth they can actually live on comfortably. It’s our responsibility. You hear about sustainability all around you. We are all responsible for a better environment. Small steps do count. What can you do to have a more sustainable life? I will give you some easy, accessible tips to make you life more sustainable and environmental conscious.
Walk whenever you can
Small distances can be walked easily. A bit of exercise and some fresh air will actually make you feel better. Mother nature will also feel better. Enjoy a daily walk.
Leave the car and use a bicycle or public transport
We are too used to taking the car everywhere. Alternatives are actually quite easy and accessible. Choose consciously to take the bike or public transport instead of the car. In most cases it will save you money. Public transport or biking is also a very sustainable way of commuting to work.
Are you planning to travel? Read more about traveling sustainably.
Use the stairs
Let’s be honest: exercise is good for a human being. Walking stairs is on top of the list of the healthy exercise you can do on a daily basis. By exercising, you’ll actually feel more energized. So don’t use energy by using the elevator, but gain energy by talking the stairs.
Turn off the lights
Don’t leave the lights on unnecessary. There is no reason. When you leave a room, turn off the light. It’s a normal custom you should teach yourself. It’s a small effort that saves you a lot of money and energy annually.
Use energy saving LED lightning
Old light bulbs are not only old fashioned, but also obsolete. LED lights use way less energy than other lights. Choose to change all the lights in your house for LED lights. It can save you somewhere between €150 and €200 annually. Additionally, LED lights last way longer than traditional lightning. It doesn’t end there, by using LED lights you’re using energy efficiently.
Put on a sweater or use a blanket on the couch
When it’s winter, we usually like to stay warm and cosy inside the house. A warm sweater will keep you warm. And what’s more cosy than laying on the couch under a warm, woolen blanket? These measures are way better than turning up the heat even more. It will safe energy.
Screensavers
When you’re not really using your computer, it is better to have it turn on a screensaver. A black screen uses less energy.
Save water
How much water do you consume on a daily basis? All this water is being cleaned, so a healthy, hygienic water comes out of your tap. Cleaning water costs energy. Better use this water efficiently and don’t spoil clean drinking water. Measures to save water are easy. Don’t let the water run when you don’t use it. Use a water saving toilet flush and a water saving shower head. Simple measures save litters of water on a daily basis.
Shower less
Do you like showering? By limiting the amount of time you spend under the shower, you will easily save a lot of water. Try it. You’ll notice it’s not so difficult. While putting an effort to use less water in the shower, also buy a water saving shower head.
Turn on when full
Use you washing machine, dryer and dishwasher only when full. This will limit the amount of times you’ll use the machines and will save a lot of water and energy.
Wash on lower temperatures
Did you know that laundry will be perfectly clean and fresh when washing it in cold water? You only need a good detergent. Of course, some laundry still needs to be washed in warm water, like bed sheets and towels. Using cold water saves energy on heating up water, especially when you don’t really need to use warm water anyway.
And when the weather is sunny and warm, take your time to dry your laundry outside. Enjoy the warm weather, sun and summer when doing this household task. You’ll love it. Specifically the dryer consumes a lot of energy, while your clothes keep a better quality when drying on a drying rack.
Unplug when not in use
When fully charged, it is better to unplug devices like a phone, tablet or laptop. This allows devices to have a longer life, while the devices don’t continue to use energy. When unplugging your devices, also unplug the cord from the electricity plug. They continue using energy when plugged in.
Off instead of on standby
Standby might be easy, but also uses unnecessary energy. Just turn off devices. Don’t keep them on standby. It’s a small effort to save energy.
Use household devices with low energy consumption
You don’t have to replace all your household devices immediately. However, when you do need to replace it, choose the replacement with the most energy-efficient consumption. This will save a lot of money and energy on the long run. Choose an A+++ label.
Just imagine that old fridge or old freezer. Technological developments continue to produce energy-efficient devices. Old devices use more energy than you can imagine, while new replacements only use a small part of that total energy consumption.
Isolate your house
A well isolated house will save you hundreds of euros annually. Did you realize that? In a badly isolated house, the produced heat simply leaves through doors, windows, walls, the roof and cracks. By keeping the heat inside the house, you don’t need to heat up as much. An investment to properly isolate your house will pay itself back in only a few years. Financially speaking, this is a very good investment. Additionally, this will increase the value of you house. Pure profit.
Program your thermostat wiser
Energy suppliers increasingly offer innovative solutions to program the heating. You can for example turn on the heating from you smartphone, so you don’t need to have it turned on all the time. Or have it set on a certain time so you wake up in a warm house, without having the heat turned on all night.
Turn heating off at night
When you go to sleep, you don’t need the heater anymore. This is really unhealthy anyway. Turn your thermostat down to save energy consumption throughout the night.
Turn your boiler down a bit
How hot do you want your tap water? No one want water that is too hot. Turning your boiler down a bit or on an energy saving mode, will save you a lot of energy. You’ll probably won’t even notice the difference.
Start recycling
Do you recycle? You should. Recycling is an easy effort that makes your live a lot more sustainable. It is easy to buy a garbage bin with different units. One for general waste, one for plastics, one for paper and perhaps a fourth for glass. This will help you to recycle in the easiest way.
Sustainable cleaning products
Many traditional cleaning products are very harmful to your own health, the health of your pets and to nature. Did you know that chloride practically never leaves nature? It’s pure poison for nature. Better use sustainable cleaning products. You can easily make your own cleaning products at home. They are cheaper, better for the environment and work just as good.
