Revamping Sustainability while Social Distancing
During times of isolation, it can be beneficial to reflect on your habits and make the decision to change some for the better. While the world practices social distancing, one thing we can all strive towards are choices for a better future. From the comfort of your home, you can reevaluate your household sustainability efforts and make decisions to live more sustainably moving forward.
A great way to be more sustainable at home, is to reduce your consumption of household energy!
Electricity & Appliances
Before switching on your bulbs, open up your blinds and let in the natural light
For the times when natural light isn’t an option, use LED lighting or CFL bulbs which are proven to last longer than incandescent lighting
When leaving a room or stepping out of the house, turn off your lights and air conditioning
Unplug electronics and appliances that are not in use
Kitchen, Bath & Laundry
Invest in a water-saving shower head and a shower timer to ensure water is not being wasted
Install a dual flush into your home toilets to use only the water you need
Add a filter to your kitchen sink for a continuous supply of drinking water at home without having to stock up on plastic bottles
Use a dishwasher instead of hand-washing dishes
Limit use of hot water when hand washing
If you only have a few clothes to wash, wash them by hand
Hang clothes to dry instead of using a powered dryer
Being conscious of how you dispose of household waste can make a big impact on the environment
Reduce Waste
Properly recycle paper, plastic, and other common household recyclables. Learn all about how to properly dispose of these items here: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables
Learn to compost at home. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead.
Invest in green products and reduce your use of single-use plastics!