How to be greener at home

One of the most important aspects with which we can be more ecological in our house is making responsible use of the natural resources that we consume in the house. In this sense, it is worth highlighting three natural resources that an average home consumes: water, electricity and gas.

Water

The water we use in our home is one of the resources that we can use in a much more efficient way if we want to be more ecological at home. In this sense, it is important to remember certain tips that we have heard many times, but that have an important impact on the consumption of water that we do at home. Some typical examples are turning off the tap while brushing our teeth, turning off the tap while lathering up in the shower, not running the washing machine or dishwasher until they are full, not using the toilet as a wastebasket, etc. In addition to reducing our water consumption, we will also be able to reduce our bill at the end of the month, so all are advantages.

Light

When we talk about light we are referring to the consumption of electricity in general. On the one hand, it must be taken into account that, when hiring an electricity tariff, there are already many companies that give us the option to choose options that assure us that this electricity comes from renewable energy sources (in this sense, it would be necessary to qualify many aspects of these options, but, despite this, it is possible to think that they will always be more respectful with the environment than the rest of the rates), so switching to these types of rates is a good start.

Likewise, there are certain fundamental habits in the responsible use of electrical energy that will help us reduce the impact that a home has on the environment. To begin with, we can change all the old bulbs for LED bulbs, whose energy efficiency is much higher than all their predecessors. Likewise, it is also important not to leave lights or electrical appliances on when we are not using them. In addition, in the case of having electric air conditioning (heating or air conditioning), it is essential to have good thermal insulation at home to prevent leaks.

Gas

When we speak of gas, we refer to the use made of any fuel to obtain heating and DHW (Sanitary Hot Water). Returning to what has already been mentioned regarding thermal insulation, in order to reduce the consumption of any type of air conditioning at home and improve its efficiency, it is essential to improve the thermal insulation of the house. In this sense, one of the most important aspects is to ensure that the advantages and doors are not thermal leakage points. Although many options can be chosen, PVC windows with thermal break and double glazing are the most recommended in this regard, since they prevent the outside temperature (hot or cold) from entering the interior.

Finally, as it cannot be otherwise, it is also necessary to remember that, to be ecological at home, it is essential to make responsible use of air conditioning. The air conditioning of 21 degrees upwards, and the heating to a temperature that is not “necessary” to open the windows because in the middle of winter it is too hot at home.

On the other hand, another of the most important ways to be green at home is to manage waste in an efficient and responsible way. In this sense, it is essential to have properly differentiated garbage bins on one side (if there is not enough space to have many bins, you can have bags in places like the terrace to store non-smelling waste, such as paper or glass). Remember that the yellow bucket is for containers, cans and plastics, the green bucket for glass, the blue bucket for paper, the brown bucket for organic waste, the orange bucket for cooking oils or household oils and the gray bucket for non-recyclable waste or unclassified.

Likewise, it is also important to have a space to store “various things” that, although they cannot be thrown directly into the garbage cans, they should be taken to the clean pointso that they are managed correctly. In this sense, it is important to keep objects such as old batteries, wooden objects, kitchen utensils that are no longer used, old furniture, old toys, technological waste (it is very important that it be recycled because it is very polluting), paintings old, clothes and accessories, etc. All these objects must be taken to the clean point of your locality, where they will be managed in a responsible and respectful way for the environment. A good option is to go to the clean room once a month or every two months and take everything that has been stored at home in this category of “sundries”. In addition, if you do not have a vehicle or transport that can bring you closer, loading all the things,

Responsible purchase to be more ecological

Although it is strictly done outside the home, the purchase made in the market or supermarket is mainly intended to be consumed in the home environment. In this sense, it is also very important to adapt our shopping habits to reduce the impact on the environment and be as ecological as possible from our own home. To do this, follow these tips for a responsible purchase :

• One of the most important aspects to take into account when making the purchase is to opt for products that contain little or no packaging , especially if it is made of plastic, since, although they are recycled, they are the ones that have the most impact on the environment during the recycling process, and much more if they are not recycled.
• Likewise, it is also preferable to buy products in bulk , which reduces the amount of packaging necessary for transport.
• On the other hand, it is also preferable to opt for local products instead of products of very distant origin, since, in this way, the contamination that derives from the transport of the product itself is being avoided.
• Finally, another of the most important aspects that we must also take into account when we make the purchase in the market or supermarket is to opt, as far as possible, for ecological or environmentally friendly products. They are products that do not contain synthetic chemical substances, which in addition to helping our health, also prevents these substances from ending up in nature after they are consumed.