Here are our 101 tips for a more sustainable home. How many of them you use will depend on whether you own your home or rent, and whether you are renovating or about to build a home of your own.
There are lots of inspiring ideas for how to make a more sustainable home. So many that you can feel overwhelmed. We think everyone should start small. Each of us can take some steps to be more eco-friendly.
We agree with Dean Ipaviz when he says the biggest change to being more sustainable is mindset. Green living doesn’t have to be difficult, it can be done with small incremental steps as you get used to doing things a different way or find an eco-friendly product that you love.
- Install solar panels
- Take showers not baths
- Swap shampoo and conditioner for zero waste products
- Use cloth nappies
- Eat less red meat
- Buy an EV or hire an EV
- Buy eco friendly sunblock
- Add fly screens & security to doors so you can circulate air
- Install your own EV charger
- Wash the car with waterless shampoo
- Use natural fiber dishcloths and tea towels
- Reuse your bath or basin water for plants
- Batch cook and freeze
- Take a refillable bottle with you everywhere
- Wrap food in beeswax wraps
- Install a storage battery
- Make the most of natural light
- Buy second hand furniture
- Plant a tree or trees
- Grow some herbs instead of buying plastic packs
- Take unwanted items to charity or recycle stores
- Buy diapers with more recyclable materials
- Make your home airtight
- Look for natural non-toxic toys for your children
- Renovate using eco-friendly materials
- Buy a dishwasher (the dishwasher in your family will love you)
- Use bamboo or metal in the bathroom instead of plastic
- Drive less and carpool or use public transport
- Find out if you have a local refill service
- Buy thermal curtains or blinds
- Pick your own at local farms
- Wash a full load of laundry at off peak times
- Use a slow cooker or crock pot
- Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth
- Recycle clothing by donating it
- Buy only clothes that you love
- Use a zero waste toothpaste
- Invest in ground source heat pump
- Fix dripping taps
- Orient your house to the south (northern hemisphere)
- Eat more veg, it is good for you
- Build a passivhaus
- TV on standby for long periods? Turn it off
- Dry clothes outside on the line when possible
- Invest spare funds in green funding
- Find out if you have a local veg box scheme
- Choose a clean energy supplier
- Rewild your garden
- Use a toaster to make toast and not the oven
- Grow your own
- Choose eco period product alternatives
- Buy natural bedding
- Walk more instead of getting the car out
- Purchase eco-friendly cleaning products
- Use a zero waste laundry detergent
- Buy only what you will eat
- If you have garden space, start a compost heap
- Insulate your home with natural fibres
- Turn the central heating down
- Build using sustainable materials
- Use VOC free paints
- Buy loose fruit and vegetables (not packed in plastic)
- Visit a refill store or zero waste shop to see what you can swap
- Recycle kitchens and bathrooms when renovating
- Wash clothes at cold temperatures
- Take the stairs not the elevator
- Install a smart meter so you can see & manage energy use
- Clean behind your fridge
- Use recycled materials for kitchen counters
- Shop vintage clothing
- Turn down radiators in rooms that are not used
- Use less paper towels
- Plant a green roof
- Put on a jumper instead of the heating
- Defrost your fridge regularly
- Find a local milkman
- Keep your recycling bins handy
- Use well insulated and environmentally friendly flooring
- Upcycle and recycle furniture
- Invest in an organic mattress
- Collect rainwater for use in the garden
- Double glaze or even triple glaze your windows
- Reduce use of your log burner
- Know that a mixed up recycling bin will go to landfill
- Plant native plants
- Use reclaimed materials
- Remember your reusable shopping bags
- Install eco friendly sidings
- Install an energy recovery system
- Buy energy efficient appliances
- Use dryer balls instead of dryer sheets
- Move nearer public transport
- Stop draughts in the chimney
- Choose curtains that do not cover the radiator
- Make a list before going shopping
- Check your attic insulation
- Avoid synthetic scents
- Think twice about coffee pods (there are biodegradable versions)
- Use a brush instead of a synthetic sponge
- Buy local especially if you can walk
- Sign up for e-documents & bills
Our best tip for a more sustainable home
Did you find this list useful? What is your favorite tip for a more sustainable home?
Our best tip for a more sustainable home is making a list. Make a list of what you can do towards a more sustainable home – whether that is a big change like home improvement or a small change like a green swap. Give yourself some praise when you cross something off the list, however small.
We love lists and we have found that making a list before shopping is our best tip. We find it helps to not buy too much food so we end up wasting it. It also helps us plan meals and not just reach for the meat or the convenience foods that look good on the supermarket shelves. Not that we aren’t still tempted sometimes.
We’re not perfect, and we haven’t done everything on this list. But if we are going to become more eco friendly, we need to try to do as much. Our aim is to have a more sustainable home. That’s what we are all about.