Creating a Green Home Environment
Kathy Wilson Special to Relocation.com
When moving into your new home, creating a 'green' environment is not as hard as it might seem -- it just takes a little planning and effort. And what better time to set up a green household when you've moved to a new place?
You can make the world a better place (and save some bills on energy) by following these easy suggestions for creating an environmentally responsible and eco-friendly home.
Plant Eco-Friendly Roots
Planting trees in your new home helps the environment in several ways. First, they shade the home in summer and block chilling winds in winter, saving on heating and cooling costs.
Also, planting trees cleans the air and provides homes for birds and other wildlife that eat insects. This reduces the amount of pesticides that may need to used in an environmentally friendly home.
Recycling Rocks
Every home now should have recycling bins. If your new eco friendly home is tight on space, you can find stackable bins in any home improvement store.
Even if your city or town does not participate in curbside recycling, all communities have recycling centers where you can drop off paper, cardboard, aluminum cans and glass. You can visit the earth911.com Website to find a recycling center near you.
Free-cycling?
If your new home is going to be eco friendly, you will probably have a lot of 'stuff' left over from your move that you need to dispose of responsibly. Moving boxes, packing supplies and wrapping can all be offered up for free at www.FreeCycle.com. They will be reused, and you will help out another family with their move.
Freecycle.com is also a great place to unload household items you won't need in your new environmentally friendly home. Make room for the new by recycling the old!
Color Your World ... Eco Friendly Style
One of the first things most of us do when we move into a new home is paint the walls. It used to be that using an environmentally friendly paint was expensive, and the coverage was inadequate.
Not so anymore. Low or no-VOC paints are sold in almost every paint store, and emit virtually no harmful fumes or odors. They cover great, and many come with a warranty as well. Try Olympic Paints' new VOC-free interior paint for a cost-effective solution for the eco-friendly home.
Get Off on the Right Foot
If you need to install new flooring in your home, consider using an environmentally friendly wood instead of wall to wall carpet. Bamboo and cork are quickly gaining popularity as renewable resources.
They also make a darn good flooring material. Wall to wall carpet emits gases that are harmful to your environment. If you do have new carpet installed, make sure the house properly airs for several days before moving in to allow the gases to minimize.
Energize your Home
Whether your new home has always been eco-friendly, or if you are starting off with an old energy waster, make sure you do an energy audit on your home.
Most utility companies will come out and show you where you are losing money and wasting energy. They can also offer you advice on weather stripping, insulated windows, energy-efficient appliances and much more to make your home as energy savvy as possible.
Junk Your Mail
According to SmartMoney.com, 100 million trees are cut down every year to print up junk mail Americans. This step is an easy one ... stop companies from sending unwanted junk mail to your home.
Take a quick visit to dmachoice.org for help in stopping direct mail that just ends up in the trash anyway. An eco-friendly home can recycle the mail one might still receive, but taking this step will vastly reduce the amount of junk in your mail box.
An eco-friendly home is just a few steps away! No matter the age or size of your new home, you can make a difference in how you and your family affect our environment -- and everyone's future!
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