Eco Conscious Ideas for Your Home
Being more eco conscious is important. It is about creating a home that meets your needs without sacrificing the needs of future generations.
There is one thing I want to remind you of. Being eco conscious is not about what you didn’t do yesterday. Or last month. It is about what you do today and tomorrow. There is no guilt here. So why not start today, Earth Day, to make a few changes to your lifestyle and make a difference.
There is No Such Place as Away
Happy Earth Day!
Years ago, I attended a discussion about sustainability and being more eco conscious. My greatest takeaway from that discussion was the statement, “There is no such place as away”.
What does that mean? When you throw something away, away does not exist.
It has to go somewhere.
In the spirit of Earth Day, I wanted to share with you some thoughts about how I am trying to be more eco conscious at our home. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the concept of sustainability and the environment. The numbers that are bantered about on a world level regarding sustainability, carbon footprint, and recycling are staggering. While it can seem overwhelming, there are small steps that we can all take to do our part. Here are some thoughts that maybe you didn’t consider eco conscious, but help our planet immensely.
Doing my part to save the planet is important to me and I am sharing some thoughts about how I have become more eco conscious.
Shop Vintage
Did you ever think that when you buy vintage that you are actually recycling? Shopping vintage can mean everything from buying a piece of vintage furniture to a remodeling project using reclaimed supplies such as barn wood or repurposed hardwood flooring. As the saying goes, what is old is new again.
Look at you, already making a difference to the planet by vintage shopping.
Eco Conscious Changes Inside Your Home
I am always trying to make changes in our home with ecology in mind. A few years ago we installed a water dispenser in our home that keeps track of how many water bottles have been saved by using the dispenser instead. Since we installed it, we have saved almost 8,000 water bottles, in two years. We drink a LOT of water, but I had no idea how many water bottles we could have used. Yikes!
Recently, I learned about some products that are made with bamboo. Bamboo is used to make an incredibly wide variety of products like clothing, sheets, towels, furniture, toothbrushes, and straws. The list goes on and on. Due to bamboo’s fast-growing nature (bamboo can grow up to three feet a day) it is naturally renewable. Bamboo, while it is growing, also absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.
So I began buying some bamboo items and I have to say, I am sold! I bought sheets and blankets that are made from bamboo. Now, if you had told me that bamboo sheets and blankets would be soft, I would have laughed out loud. Can I tell you how amazingly soft they are? I was so pleasantly surprised! These are definitely worth a try. Amazon also has a line called Amazon Aware. All of the products are Climate Pledge Friendly which makes shopping so easy!
In the kitchen, I made some really simple changes. I bought items that are reusable such as Reusable sandwich bags and beeswax wrap. I also bought some eco conscious produce bags so that I don’t have to use the plastic ones from the market.
Maybe my favorite easy change was to switch to compostable coffee pods. This San Francisco Bay Coffee is amazing and I no longer feel guilty about using pods!
In the bathroom, I swapped out makeup removal wipes for washable makeup pads. They even come with their own bag for washing. Super smart! This change is one that you are going to want to make. Instead of the usual brand of cotton swabs, I bought 100% bamboo swabs that have a pointy end and a round end. A pointy end cotton swab, oh my gosh, where have you been my whole life?
I also made a change by changing the cleaning products I was using. I quit buying brand-name cleaners and started purchasing only natural cleaning products like Mrs. Meyers and Seventh Generation. Such an easy change that while not making a huge difference, will definitely contribute to a cumulative change.
At the kitchen sink, I have a lot of eco conscious items that I use every day. I love my Eco Friendly Non-Scratch Biodegradable Scrubber Sponges and a Kitchen Dish Scrubber Brush with Bamboo Handle. Composting in our town became mandatory on January 1 and I use a countertop bin with a charcoal filter and a composting tumbler. It has made a difference, not only in the amount of trash, but I also use the compost in my garden. It’s not hard, doesn’t smell and really, it’s just a habit. So give it a try!
If you are enjoying my blog, you can sign up to receive my blog updates here. .
Eco Conscious Changes for Outdoors
A few years ago, we converted our pool from chlorine to saltwater. This change eliminated harsh chemicals that were used in the pool and stored for use. The pool now requires less maintenance, so we’re saving money too. Double bonus!
We also changed the lawn and garden products we were using to more eco conscious brands. I love to entertain on our lawn, so it is really important to reduce the use of chemicals on our lawn for the health of not only people and pets but also the lawn itself. I also have several raised beds for vegetable gardening. These new products are better not only for the environment but for us as well and my lawn and garden are both healthy, lush, and green.
Let’s Work Together and Take Eco Conscious Baby Steps
I have shared a few ways that I have made some thoughtful choices to be more eco conscious and environmentally supportive. They weren’t hard. I didn’t spend any more money, I just made different choices.
Since today is Earth Day, why not make a few changes today to your daily life to make a difference? If every person reading this blog today made a few changes for the next year, we can make a difference!
There are many small things we can do that add up, and by making a few simple changes, we can all do the right thing.
Will you join me?
Watch My Amazon Live
I am hosting an Amazon Live today titled Sustainable Items at Home. This is a great chance to hear why I am passionate about these sustainable items and ask any questions you may have!
Watch my live here. It airs at 11:00am PST and can be watched anytime after the live broadcast too.
Click here to watch any of the Live Broadcasts on my feed. (anytime after 11:00 am PST). All of my Amazon Live Broadcasts are recorded.
Below are some of my favorite environmentally friendly items I use in my home. Consider selecting Amazon Day Delivery to reduce the number of boxes and deliveries!
Pin the image below to your boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!
For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome
I love these ideas!! I have such a struggle with finding sustainable products made in the USA. I feel torn between the emissions generated from transporting these green products to me across the ocean, the manufacturing of these products in countries where the emissions from factories aren’t as strict as in the USA when they’re made in China and also the fact I worry about the humanitarian issues with labor in other countries. I can’t figure out if morally I can turn a blind eye to those things or turn a blind eye to throwing away disposable products like Ziplocs made in the USA. It’s such a struggle!
Please do not purchase items that are made in China. I know it is pretty difficult these days since almost everything comes from there, but just try as best you can not to purchase them. Also, invasive plants are a danger to the beauty that is around us. We always buy natives and living near a wooded area, if we see an invasive choking out a native, we try to eliminate it – not with chemicals, but merely by cutting at the base the invasive. As long as you continue to cut it down, it will eventually die. There are other things we do as well – clean up around your home and adjoining property (if not occupied) of trash and recycle. And try try try not to purchase bottled water. This is causing so much additional trash in our landfills. Thank you for your wonderful ideas.
Thanks for all of the great tips for the environment! I already do a lot of these things and others but your post is the first I had heard of the compostable coffee pods. I love my brand of coffee but I ordered some new coffee to try that has compostable pods. I am so excited about this because I hate the regular pods.
I am glad you liked this!