Taking care of the environment starts in the home. These eco-friendly ways to renovate your home will help you decorate responsibly and save money.
Home is where the heart is, as the expression says, and if you’re a vegan, then chances are your heart yearns for a cleaner, healthier world. Fortunately, our quest to make the world a better place doesn’t have to end in the kitchen. It can extend to every part of our homes. These eco-friendly ways to renovate your home can help you do that.
Paint the Town Green
One sensation that comes to mind at the thought of painting a home is the harsh smell. One of the elements that cause this smell is the VOCs in the paint. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are chemicals that can cause harm to the environment and the people in it, especially if they have chemical sensitivities. These compounds exist in several home products, but they are most known for their role in paint. The government now regulates the amount of VOCs that paint can contain, but you can go the extra step of selecting a paint with no or low VOC levels.
Find a New “Floor” Plan
Once the floor is under your furniture and your feet, it’s easy to forget about it (other than when it comes time to sweep or vacuum), but flooring can have an environmental impact as well. For example, carpet, especially carpet made from synthetic materials, is difficult to recycle, is often made unsustainably with petroleum-based products, and often gives off VOCs. Vinyl Flooring may contain some carcinogenic materials, such as lead and cadmium. When choosing flooring, look for options made from sustainable, plant-based sources, such as bamboo, cork, or linoleum.
Get Energized
One of the best ways of reducing our carbon footprint is by having an energy-efficient home. This can begin with choosing energy-efficient appliances, including dishwashers and refrigerators. We can also look at ways to heat and cool our homes naturally. Window treatments that block out direct sunlight will keep our homes cooler in the summer, and using good-quality windows will keep heat inside in the winter. Emphasizing natural light in room design will also reduce the amount of electricity you need to use for light.
In With the Old
Buying all new furniture is not only ridiculously expensive, but it also contributes to the dangerous fast-furniture trend. Like fast-fashion, fast-furniture is a trend in which retailers focus on making lower-quality furniture in unsustainable ways that will end up in the landfill quicker. A cheaper and more environmentally friendly option is to buy furniture and accessories secondhand from thrift or antique stores or to upcycle broken or worn furniture. Not only is this an eco-friendly way to renovate your home, but it’ll give your home a unique look and save you tons of money.
