Welcome to Green Home Gnome’s Guide to Green Living! In this guide, we’ll take you room by room through the average home, giving you tips and ideas for how you can make more environmentally conscious choices. There are lots of ways to live green and adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle. We’ve focused on how you can reduce waste, save water and improve energy-efficiency while you do the things you do every day.
These are simple shifts to make. But they add up to a different way of living; one that’s more sustainable for the earth, less expensive for you and more focused on the things that matter.
The global environmental crises that the world faces can seem insurmountable, but every time we take actions to minimize our impact on the earth, we tackle those crises in a small way, and move closer to a world that puts the health of the environment first. We hope this gives you some new and inspiring ways to live a greener life.
Kitchen
Reduce Waste
Reduce food waste. Globally, food waste is responsible for 6% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than most single countries emit. Minimize your own household food waste by planning your meals and only buying the perishable items you need. Freeze what you can before it goes bad and consider using “ugly” produce before it gets tossed.
Compost. Even though food is biodegradable, it can’t biodegrade if it is trapped in a plastic garbage bag in a landfill – so make use of any municipal or local compost systems or consider starting a compost pile at home! Veggie scraps can also be used to fertilize your own vegetable garden!
Say no to coffee pods. Coffee pods are typically made with plastic and even the ones that claim to be biodegradable typically have to be taken apart to do so. Instead, avoid coffee pods in favour of a French press or drip system, or choose brands that are genuinely 100% biodegradable and can be added to your compost bin without having to do minor surgery to disassemble each coffee pod you use.
Avoid plastic food wraps or single-use containers. While aluminum foil can be recycled, it is still not a waste-free option. Beeswax wraps are a great alternative and can be made at home or purchased online and in some local grocery and bulk goods stores.
Silicon snack bags are also gaining popularity as they can be used like a typical sandwich bag and then washed and re-used over and over again. Reusable containers are also great way to store food – ideally made of stainless steel or glass, but re-using existing plastic containers is okay too!
Switch to biodegradable garbage bags. Garbage bags are just another plastic bag that ends up in a landfill unable to decompose. There are biodegradable options to put compost in as well as options for regular garbage cans. They are more expensive than traditional options, but much better for the environment and if you’re using the tips in this article then you may find you don’t use nearly as many garbage bags! Or consider going without a garbage bag at all.
Refill empty plastic containers at a bulk foods store. You can bring clean containers to bulk goods stores and refill them. Bring your clean, empty mustard bottle and refill it with mustard; the same goes for dish soap, body wash, laundry detergent, and much more! The additional benefit of re-using containers this way is that they already have an appropriate spout for easy pouring. You can also re-use plastic food containers to pick up bulk goods as well!
Save Energy
Load the dishwasher fully before running it. A load of dishes in the dishwasher (especially a modern dishwasher) is more energy efficient than washing by hand. Don’t pre-wash dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. If your dishwasher isn’t getting dishes clean, then either your dishwasher detergent isn’t the right one or your dishwasher isn’t running efficiently.
Avoid cooking indoors in warmer seasons. This keeps the home cooler – when you use the oven in cooler seasons leave it ajar after cooking to add to the ambient heat in your home. Plan more meals that don’t require cooking at all, such as salads, sandwiches, veggies or chips with dip. Try batch-prepping foods that you don’t mind eating cold through the week.
Use glass or cast iron cookware. Glass or cast iron cookware heat more effectively and uniformly than aluminum or other metal pans – whether on the stove or in the oven. Cast iron also holds heat better than other materials.
Try a Sun Oven. A Sun Oven is an interesting device that requires no electricity at all and magnifies the sun’s rays to heat food up. It can be used like a traditional oven by adjusting it periodically to follow the sun’s movement, thus keeping the temperature within a very narrow range. It can also be used as more of a slow cooker by leaving it in one spot where the sun can reach it and keep it within a broader temperature range while still safe for cooking food properly.
Use a toaster oven, microwave, or crock pot instead of the oven, when possible. When you do use the oven, keep the door closed and peek through the window to ensure that you do not lose any heat needed for cooking.
Keep your fridge and freezer at optimal fullness. A full freezer runs more efficiently, whereas a fridge needs to have enough room for good air flow and circulation to run most efficiently. Make sure that the seals are still closing air-tight by testing with a piece of paper – if the paper sticks then the seal is complete and if not then the seals need replacing.
Unplug your extra refrigeration units. Do you have a chest freezer or second fridge that you only use every so often? Unplug it. When you need it, freeze large blocks of ice in mixing bowls or buckets and put them into the unplugged fridge or freezer along with perishable food items to keep things cold for a few days at a time!
Upgrade when you can. If you have older appliances, perhaps it might be time to consider upgrading to Energy Star efficient appliances. If purchasing all new appliances is not feasible, which it wouldn’t be for the average person, then prioritize based on the highest usage and work your way through the appliances.
Continue reading about Energy Star homes.
Bathroom
Reduce Waste
Choose earth-friendly menstrual products. If you are someone who has a period, then consider trying a menstrual cup, reusable fabric pads, or leak-proof “period” underwear instead of traditional pads and tampons. Traditional pads and tampons are not made of sustainable materials, nor are they biodegradable. Silicon menstrual cups, fabric pads, or period underwear are not only easy to swap, but also eliminate the risk of TSS, are more cost effective and are better for your overall health.
Use eco-friendly and biodegradable soaps and cleaning solutions. To avoid adding harmful chemicals to the environment and water table. Many people rinse stuff down the drain and forget about it. However, it doesn’t just disappear! Choosing biodegradable and eco-friendly alternatives are easier to treat and clear out of our water systems and less harmful to any body of water they may end up in, depending on your geographical location.
Switch to bamboo brushes. Billions of plastic items like toothbrushes end up in landfills or waterways every year. Bamboo is an excellent alternative, and is becoming much more easily available. Replace plastic toothbrushes with bamboo and natural/nylon bristles. You can also save old toothbrushes for household cleaning tasks.
Bamboo is a highly sustainable material and incredibly diverse, so using it for hair and makeup brushes is ideal as well. However, it’s important to reiterate not to dispose of all of your plastic tools if they are still in good condition – that would just add to the plastic in the landfill – but to replace with bamboo when the time comes to minimize the amount of plastic waste being produced.
Find toothpaste alternatives. Plastic toothpaste tubes are not very eco-friendly and there are emerging products that are a better choice. Toothpaste that comes in a glass jar, for example, or chewable toothpaste tablets that you crush up in your mouth and then brush with. Some folks even formulate their own toothpaste with baking soda, coconut oil, essential oils, and other household ingredients.
Use shampoo and conditioner bars. Shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars packaged in boxes, stainless steel, or glass containers are an excellent low-waste or waste-free option. A quick search online can find lots of options so you can even tailor to your own needs.
Try a bidet. While this one isn’t for everyone, a bidet or bidet attachment for your toilet can cut down exponentially on paper waste from toilet paper. While toilet paper doesn’t end up in the landfill necessarily, it does fill up sewer systems and lead to “fat-bergs” (i.e. accumulations of waste and solidified fat). Some people grow to love their bidet instead of toilet paper as it leaves them feeling fresher after using the toilet. If you do continue to buy toilet paper, then ensure that it is not wrapped in plastic and perhaps even seek out a brand that uses recycled materials or is biodegradable!
Ditch single-use cotton. Cotton is a bit of a controversial material as it may not necessarily be produced sustainably or ethically. We also end up throwing a lot of single-use cotton into the garbage! An alternative to cotton rounds and cotton balls are reusable fabric rounds that can be washed and re-used over and over again. These can be pretty simple to make yourself, or there are lots of emerging green companies that are also producing them!
Cotton buds or “Q-tips”, in addition to being a single-use cotton product, also have a plastic stick that ends up in the landfill! There are greener alternatives that use biodegradable and sustainably sourced materials, such as bamboo, instead.
Use safety razors instead of disposable ones. Typical commercially available razors are another source of plastic that can be eliminated with the purchase of a safety razor instead. Safety razors may take a bit of getting used to, but they produce far less waste. Some folks prefer razors with a bamboo handle for easier gripping with wet hands.
Save Water
Turn the water off when lathering your face or shaving. You can also place a bowl or basin under your faucets to capture the water that would otherwise run down the drain while you’re waiting for it to heat up.
Install aerators and water-saving faucets and shower heads. Aerators and other water saving devices are sometimes offered for free by municipalities and water utility programs, so be sure to check out whether there are any giveaways near you. Installing these devices throughout the home can also lower energy costs associated with water usage and heating water.
Fix leaky faucets and toilets. Even slow drips from plumbing fixtures can add up to a lot of wasted water. Want to see exactly how much? Try this fun drip calculator from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Shorten up your shower by one minute. If you or someone in your household refuses to compromise on the length of their showers, try switching to baths. Showers are more efficient than baths, but only up to a point. Any longer than 10 or so minutes, depending on your showerhead, and you save water by running a bath.
Go low flow. Invest in low-flow toilets with the “number 1” and “number 2” options. You could also make your existing toilet a bit more “low flow” by putting a brick or two into the tank to take up space so that less water is needed to fill the tank after each flush. When it’s possible, try to follow the “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” rule.
Continue reading about eco-friendly bathroom products.
Laundry Room
Reduce Waste
Choose eco-friendly detergents packaged in a cardboard box instead of a plastic jug or bag. Ensure that pods are produced with cellulose, which dissolves in water and thus is waste-free and eco-friendly. If you can’t avoid the plastic jug, then consider saving it to refill with detergent at a bulk shop (more on that below!).
Give your old clothes a second life. Repurpose old towels as rags. Old clothes that are too worn to be donated can be turned into about a million creative things (or at least 27). If possible, find a textile recycling facility in your area instead of sending materials to the landfill.
Save Water
Reduce your laundry by one load per week. Do the “sniff test” and see if you can get away with wearing certain items of clothing more than once – or perhaps even a few times if they don’t get dirty or smelly!
Go old school. There are laundry washing tools that you can fill with cold water and spin yourself manually without using any electricity or hot water at all, which could eliminate most of the cost associated with washing clothes.
Save Energy
Toss a dry towel into the dryer with your wet clothes. Do this for 15 minutes to decrease overall drying time. Or even better, hang clothes to dry instead of using the dryer. This has the added benefit of being better for your clothes and helping them last longer.
Wash your clothes in cold water. It’s just as effective as hot water and takes 90% less energy than washing in hot. Heating the water actually accounts for most of the energy washing machines use.
Always empty the lint filter in your dryer. Periodically vacuum out vents and the filter compartment to get any stray bits. Not only does this help it run more efficiently – it can also prevent a fire.
Read more about green cleaning.
Living Room
Reduce Waste
Switch to digital reading materials. Instead of subscribing to a hard copy newspaper or magazine, read it online instead! Many popular publications also offer electronic subscriptions, which can be more convenient to access anywhere and also saves paper waste.
The same can be done for books – purchase or borrow from the library the e-book version to read on your phone, computer, or an e-reader. If you really love the routine of holding a book or reading a hard copy newspaper, then borrow from the library or some coffee shops also lend hard copy newspapers to their patrons (remember to bring your reusable mug too!).
Save Energy
Light only the parts of the room that you’re using. If you’re reading a book in a corner, the rest of the room doesn’t need to be lit. Task lighting with lamps is more energy efficient than switching all the lights on.
Use curtains strategically. In the winter months, letting sunshine in can add natural heat to your home and lower you heating costs. At the same time, thick curtains can help heat from escaping through windows and keep the cold from leaking in when the sun isn’t shining.
Reach for a sweater instead of reaching for the thermostat. Wear some extra layers and cozy socks, cuddle up with a pet or a loved one, or get comfortable under a blanket.
Make the most of your fans. Using a ceiling fan (counter-clockwise to lift the hot air away from you/clockwise to force warm air downwards) or electric fans can help to lower your heating and air conditioning needs by circulating air more efficiently.
Insulate your home properly. Older homes in particular may need to pay extra attention to making sure that everything is properly insulated with weather stripping, caulking, storm windows, insulation, and more. Make sure all of your ductwork is properly sealed and insulated so that there are no leaks. Attic insulation is particularly important to prevent heat from escaping to the attic since hot air rises.
Continue reading about insulating your home.
Home Office
Save Energy
Unplug electronics even if they are turned off. They still continue to draw power and can account for up to 10% of your energy bill. Laptops and smart devices are some of the worst offenders.
If plugging and unplugging certain things is a hassle, invest in a good power bar with surge protection that would allow you to plug and unplug several items all at the same time with one plug. This even includes chargers that are not charging anything – they tend to get warm while plugged in because they are still using energy.
Power up with rechargeable batteries. Invest in a good set of rechargeable batteries and choose devices that can be battery powered, such as a laptop over a desktop computer, as these are also things that can be recharged in the car and they often are more energy efficient than leaving something plugged in to use it.
Let the sun be your light. Make good use of the sunshine during daylight hours and take the opportunity to leave lights off. Work in the rooms that get the most natural sunlight during these hours.
Continue reading about where and how our homes waste energy.
Bedroom
Reduce Waste
Treat yourself to bamboo linens. We could go on and on about how sustainable and wonderful bamboo is! Consider replacing your household linens with bamboo materials when it comes time to switch them.
Additionally, instead of tossing old linens in the trash, they could be donated to a local humane society for rescued animals or re-purposed into rags or other DIY crafts! Tons of clothing and fabrics end up in landfills and also take a long time to decompose, so finding other ways to re-purpose them helps redirect them to a more useful place.
Save Energy
Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Even if it’s only for a moment and you plan on coming right back.
If you haven’t already, switch to LED lights. They’re just as bright as other types of bulbs and use a fraction of the energy. Plus, their long life means you’ll need to purchase far fewer of them.
Try blackout curtains. They can help insulate windows and keep heat in during the winter and they block sunlight during the summer to help keep your bedroom cool.
Keep your vents open. Contrary to popular belief, closing vents does not save energy. Keeping your vents open allows for the heat or the air conditioning to properly circulate through your home.
Read more about saving energy in the bedroom.
Garage
Reduce Waste
Use plastic containers for storage. If you are wary of using plastic containers for foodstuffs, then they can also be used for other storage purposes. Store hardware such as nails and screws, toys with small pieces such as Lego or board games, art supplies such as crayons, or make little to-go entertainment kits for the little ones in your life to use in the car – the lids can make for an excellent drawing surface!
Learn to make repairs. Repairing items instead of just throwing them away when they break can save lots from landfills and also keeps money in your pocket! Often the cost of repairs is less expensive than buying a brand new replacement.
These days we are too quick to kick something to the curb when it stops working or wears out, whereas in our grandparents’ generation everything was cherished and repaired because they often weren’t able to just go out and buy a replacement.
Join the sharing economy. Instead of buying certain devices that contribute to waste when they break (e.g. sewing machines, mixers, tools, etc.) consider lending them from a tool library or borrowing from a friend or neighbour instead. This also saves space in your own home from an item that you seldom use!
Continue reading about the garage and how to organize it.
Garden and Outdoor Spaces
Reduce Waste
Use pop or juice bottles for mini-greenhouses. Cut empty 2L pop bottles (or similarly sized juice bottles) in half and put over seedlings to create a mini greenhouse environment. Just remember to poke some holes in the bottom half that doesn’t have the spout to ensure that they get enough air.
Reuse pots and plant trays. Some garden centres will take trays and pots back if they’re cleaned and in good condition, but plastic waste from the horticulture industry is a big issue because much of it can’t be recycled. You can find ways to repurpose plastic pots and grow your own seedlings in repurposed containers.
Buy mulch and soil in bulk rather than bags. Landscaping materials can use a lot of plastic packaging when purchased in small amounts. Consider ordering items like mulch in bulk at the beginning of the season and using them throughout the year. Not sure you’ll get through it? Split the load with a friend or neighbour who can come and grab pails of it when they need.
Save Water
Get a rain barrel. It doesn’t have to be a rain barrel, specifically – any large container, like a garbage bin, can collect rainwater you can use to water your garden. The major advantage of a rain barrel is that they usually have hose connections, making watering easier.
Xeriscape your garden. This kind of gardening makes water conservation its biggest priority. This usually involves practices like grading, retaining moisture in the soil and choosing drought-tolerant species.
Save Energy
Use energy efficient outdoor lighting. If you have outdoor lighting, try energy efficient options such as solar-powered lights along your walkway or driveway, or motion-sensor lights (just be mindful of critters that might set them off).
Outdoor lights should also be on a timer so that they are only on after dark and this may require adjustments with the changes of seasons. Outdoor lights can also play an important role in home security and safety.
Use your barbecue. Using a barbecue does require fuel in the form of propane or charcoal briquettes, but this is a tasty, not to mention utility-free, way of cooking! A variety of different meats and vegetables can be cooked on a barbecue as well.
Consider your landscaping. Trees and other foliage to provide shade and block wind can make a drastic difference in how much the weather can take a toll on your heating and cooling expenses. If your home is vulnerable to a lot of wind then it may increase the amount of heating you require; or if your home is not shaded properly from the sun then it may make it hotter and increase your cooling costs.
Read more about rainwater harvesting.
This is not necessarily the most extensive list of ways to live green, but we’re tried to make it a launching point, with some easier ways to make changes that have a positive impact on the environment. Living green often has other benefits such as improving health and saving money. Even if at times there may be a bit of an added cost up-front it tends to pay off in the long run not only for your wallet but for the environment too!
Feature image: Fedor Skrebnev; Image 1: Karolina Grabowska; Image 2: Designecologist Image 3: Kristin Vogt; Image 4: Valentina Locatelli
