Eco-Friendly Tips and Ideas for Your Home
This year, the theme for Earth Day (April 22) is “Planet vs. Plastics”, reminding us to look for opportunities to reduce single use plastics and protect our environment.
Let’s explore some simple yet effective ways you can reduce reliance on single-use plastics at home, as well as some sustainable home solutions – so you can create a home that’s stylish, functional and friendly to the environment.
5 Ways to Reduce Single Use Plastics
Invest in reusable alternatives: Replace single-use plastic items like water bottles, grocery bags, and straws with reusable alternatives. Stainless steel water bottles, cloth grocery bags, and bamboo or stainless steel straws are readily available and can significantly cut down on plastic waste.
Say no to plastic packaging: When shopping, opt for products with minimal or no plastic packaging. Choose loose fruits and vegetables over pre-packaged ones, look for items in glass or cardboard packaging, and consider bulk shopping with reusable containers to reduce plastic packaging waste.
Ditch disposable utensils: Instead of using disposable cutlery and plates, invest in durable, reusable options like stainless steel cutlery and ceramic dishes.
Switch to eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products: Many household cleaning products come in single-use plastic containers. Look for eco-friendly alternatives that are packaged in recyclable materials or offer refill options. Better yet, you can make your own cleaning solutions using simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils.
Choose plastic-free food storage: Instead of relying on plastic wrap and sandwich bags for food storage, opt for reusable alternatives like glass containers, silicone bags, or beeswax wraps.
Important Eco-Friendly Home Features
Building a home that’s eco-friendly isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity. With energy and utility rates rising, as well as the climate change concerns, having an energy efficient home is an easy way to keep your wallet and the planet happy. Here are some key considerations:
Insulation: Sustainability Victoria states that a fully insulated home can save up to 40-50% per year in heating and cooling costs, in comparison to a non-insulated home.
Solar power: By utilising solar power, you’ll reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, which helps to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Solar energy is abundant and sustainable, providing a long-term solution for generating clean electricity.
Recycled rainwater tank: By collecting and using rainwater instead of relying solely on municipal water sources, you can conserve water and reduce your overall water consumption.
Double-glazed windows: By minimising energy consumption for heating and cooling, double-glazed windows contribute to lower utility bills and decreased carbon emissions associated with energy production.
LED lighting: LED bulbs convert a higher percentage of energy into light, rather than heat, resulting in lower energy consumption and longer lifespan. By replacing traditional lighting with LEDs throughout the home, you can reduce your electricity usage, lower energy bills, and decrease their carbon footprint.
Sustainable Building Materials
When building a new home, there’s an array of construction materials to choose from. Here are some that are both resilient and sustainable:
Recycled metal: A great deal of energy is used during the mining and manufacturing of metals, which is why recycling is a great alternative. Recycling metal uses significantly less energy and won’t compromise the metal quality, meaning that it can be recycled and reused forever!
Sustainable timber: Timber is a renewable resource and has a much smaller carbon footprint than other building materials. The most important factor to remember is that not all timber is sourced sustainably, so make sure to look out for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Wood. The Wilderness Society has named the following types of timber as the most sustainable in Australia:
Recycled or reclaimed timber, with FSC certification
FSC certified, 100 per cent plantation-grown pine from Australia or New Zealand
FSC certified, 100 per cent plantation-grown hardwood
Eco-Friendly Fencing
We’re proud to have Think Fencing as a Panorama Pal. Think Fencing is a leading PVC fencing supplier and they’re a fantastic choice for eco-conscious homebuyers for a range of reasons:
Think Fencing holds the distinction of being the only fencing company in Australia to achieve the accreditation of Best Environmental Practice (BEP) PVC.
They are the only PVC fence manufacturer globally that utilises over 90% recycled PVC, a pioneering technology developed in collaboration with the CSIRO and Australian Vinyl Council.
Their products are Green Star compliant and offer an end-of-life take-back agreement.
By repurposing PVC destined for landfills, they are significantly contributing to waste reduction.
Learn more about Think Fencing and their exclusive discount for Panorama purchasers in our blog.
