Most individuals spend a large chunk of their time in the living room, which is why vast sums of money are spent on making the living room look presentable. However, people forget that their choices the environment and they need to start making more conscious decisions to save the earth.
Did you know that hundreds of kilos of furniture find their way into landfills each year? Most furniture cannot be recycled, even after it is dismantled. Hence, it is crucial to start making small changes to our lives from today, starting with making smarter choices when renovating.
In this article, we have included some eco-friendly tips for your living room that will fit your budget and keep the environment safe at the same time. Follow these tips to make your home more environmentally friendly and ensure that you reduce your carbon footprint:
LED Lights
Did you know that many people continue to use conventional light bulbs rather than LEDs even today? Countless recent research has proved that LEDs are more energy-efficient and should be adopted as part of every eco-friendly household.
In the long run, LEDs promise to help save loads of electricity. Making the switch from conventional lights to LEDs will help improve one's ecological footprint while drastically reducing the electricity bill.
Even though there is no comparison of conventional light bulbs to LEDs, many people continue to use them because they do not know how eco-friendly LEDs really are.
Lower Heating and Air Conditioning
One of the best eco-friendly tips for your living room is never to push things to the extreme. Usually, when it becomes slightly cold outdoors, people will turn on their heating to the highest. On warmer days, they will abuse their air conditioning so that the bills skyrocket.
If you are looking to lower your energy bill, we would strongly recommend that you avoid extremes. This does not mean that you should not use the cooling and heating devices in your house but instead suggests that you do so moderately.
Doing this will help save electricity bills, as well as fossil fuels. Based on your heating system, this will encourage a higher eco-footprint and help you save money in the long run.
Install Smart Energy Devices in Your Living Room
Using excessive cooling or heating is not the answer. If you want to ensure that your living room is kept at the ideal temperature, you must start using smart energy devices around your home. This will help regulate the temperature without you having to do a single thing. With the help of these devices, you can set the best air temperature according to your needs.
Your smart energy system will regulate all the other things in your home. This means that without getting up from your couch, you can optimize the temperature of your living room. All this is done using remote controls that are kept in various corners of the house.
Get New Windows
If you have not gotten your home renovated in some time, it is time to get rid of your old windows. Instead, replace them with energy-efficient ones. Not only will this significantly lower the energy demand in your home, but it will also ensure that you are always comfortable. These windows have better insulation and are made to ensure that the heat stays inside without leaking outdoors.
These eco-friendly windows will allow you to use less heating so that you can save some bucks. Since the windows will not allow heat to leak outdoors, you will not have to spend so much on high electricity bills, even in the coldest of winters.
Some countries have established rules to ensure that their citizens adopt eco-friendly ways of life. Tax credits are given to those who replace their old windows with energy-efficient ones, working as an incentive.
If you are looking for subsidies in your country, look through your local tax laws.
Opt for Energy-Efficient Televisions
Even though most televisions in today’s times are energy-efficient, you will find many old models in people’s homes that consume loads of electricity.
When shopping for a TV, you must ensure that it has a low energy demand. When compared to Plasma TVs, LCDs are known to be more energy efficient. They also last longer as they have a longer lifespan. Buying an energy-efficient TV will save natural resources and will ensure that your energy bills do not skyrocket- you can fall asleep while watching TV, and it won't make a difference to your bills!
Look For Couches Made with Renewable Resources
The material used to make a couch can either make it eco-friendly or harmful to the surrounding environment. Hence, before you purchase a new couch, it is important to know the materials that have been used to make it.
Generally, regardless of how attractive a couch may look, do not buy one that uses synthetic materials for its body. This means ditching sofas made with artificial leather and similar synthetic materials.
However, this does not mean that you should buy a sofa made with natural leather. Goods produced using natural leather encourage the killing of innocent animals every single day, affecting the natural habitat.
If you want to buy a new couch, look for one that is made with natural fabric. Not only does your decision help protect wildlife, but it also helps lower plastic waste that is continuously destroying our precious environment.
Buy Furniture Made with Recycled or Sustainable Materials
Are you looking to invest in new furniture? In this case, you should look for furniture items that do not use plastic or synthetic materials. Instead, get furniture made with sustainable materials that can be recycled.
One of the biggest environmental problems we have to face is that of plastic pollution. Hence, it is important that you do not buy cupboards, chairs, or tables that are not eco-friendly. Instead, look for furniture made with bamboo and other sustainable woods like the FlexiSpot Willow Solid Wood Standing Desk. Bamboo is a great eco-friendly material as it grows fast and is organic.
By using furniture made with bamboo in your home, you are encouraging ethical and sustainable behavior. Moreover, this also protects your health as synthetic materials in your home can be the cause of many illnesses.
Research on companies that make furniture using recycled materials. Investing in this kind of furniture will help boost your ecological footprint as you continue saving natural resources.
Buy Used Furniture
Are you looking to renovate your home? Why not get used furniture rather than breaking half your bank on brand-new furniture that you will get sick of after a couple of years?
Used furniture is not only cheap but there are high chances that you can even get it for free. We assure you, furniture that sells for free looks pretty good, in spite of a couple of faults. Of course, this kind of furniture might not necessarily go with the current trend, but buying trendy furniture is a bad idea in the first place since you will have to replace it as soon as the trends change.
As long as all these terms sound good to you, buying used furniture is a great way to make your house eco-friendlier.
Keep Plants Around the Living Room
Many people like to decorate their living room. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, we strongly discourage the use of plants made of plastic. They might be low maintenance but are terrible for the environment.
Instead, go to a plant market and look at all the different kinds of plants there. You will find different shades of green as well as plants of every height and shape to choose from.
Fresh plants will not only make your living room look cozy and welcoming but will also increase the oxygen levels in your home. Hundreds of studies link higher oxygen levels to increased mental function.
Don't worry- fresh plants are usually pocket-friendly, so they will not break your bank. They are definitely a better alternative to cheap plastic plants. Plastic fills up landfills and finds its way into the ocean, destroying marine life. Hence, it is important to switch to fresh plants today.
Conclusion
There are loads of ways you can follow to make your home more eco-friendly. Even though most of them are easy to implement, they require some extra time, money, and effort.
However, it is important to remember that the littlest contribution you make will help save the planet in the long run. After all, as humans, only we have the power to destroy, as well as save the earth. We believe that every single person has the moral obligation to engage in eco-friendly behavior and root for a greener lifestyle.
