Looking for tips for a sustainable, eco-friendly home? Then you've come to the right place! We heat, use water and energy, produce waste, furnish our homes, enjoy our food and design our gardens - nowhere else do you have so much of your own influence on sustainable action, just like in your own four walls.
Fortunately, it's pretty easy to make a real difference for the environment and climate in these everyday areas while also benefiting yourself.
In this article I would like to give you the best tips to make your home more environmentally friendly. Let's go!
Here you can find a short overview in advance:
- Green electricity from renewable sources
- Sustainable wallpaper and natural wall paints
- Energy-saving, minimalist lighting indoors and outdoors
- Ecological heating system and renewable energy production
- Energy and water-saving household appliances
- Natural insulation for more energy efficiency
- Reusable alternatives for waste avoidance
- Pet friendly garden or balcony and homegrown food
- Used and homemade furnishings
- Environmentally friendly behavior at home
1. green electricity from renewable sources
Let's start with the simplest tip that you can directly implement at home for more sustainability: the Switch to a green power supplier. You can, for example, contact your local public utility or directly switch to a sustainable electricity tariff here on the Internet*. which does not differ in price but has a great, positive impact on the environment.
The motive is clear: the electricity for the refrigerator, television, heat pump, drill or charging your smartphone will then no longer come from conventional energy sources (such as lignite, hard coal or nuclear fission), but from renewable energy sources. These include, for example Wind energy, solar energy or hydropower.
2. sustainable wallpaper and natural wall paints
When you are at home with more Environmental awareness If you want to live in a sustainable way, you should also renovate or furnish your kitchen, living room and interior rooms.
Recommended in this regard are especially ecological wall paints without chemical preservatives and solvents, environmentally friendly recycled wallpaper and various modern photo wallpapers (like here from Bilderwelten), which are certified with trustworthy and strictly controlled environmental seals like the "Blue Angel", the "FSC Seal" or the "natureplus label" have been certified.
3. energy-saving, minimalist lighting indoors and outdoors.
In addition to green electricity, natural wall colors and modern photo wallpapers, well-designed lighting also characterizes an environmentally friendly home. On the one hand, to help the Environmental problem of light pollution and, on the other hand, to make your four walls more climate-friendly.
Recommended are especially Energy-saving lamps and especially LED lightsThey consume significantly less power and last much longer, saving the environment and your wallet at the same time.
Here are some more other ideasthat will help you save electricity and use it wisely with regard to your lighting:
- Paint walls bright and prefer bright furnishings, so that fewer light sources are necessary.
- Using dimming functions and motion detectorsThis ensures that the light sources really only shine when and in the strengths that are needed.
- Align outdoor lights downward onlysince, as a rule, no light is required at the top.
4. ecological heating system and renewable energy production
Of course, the heat in your environmentally friendly home should also come from renewable energy sources. For example, we recommend a Geothermal heat pump, which as far as possible with the help of self-generated electricity (e.g. with photovoltaics or a wind turbine) is powered. The heat in the residential building itself should then be provided with a smart thermostat be adjustable so that certain rooms are pleasant, warm only when they are used.
Tip: Even simple tips, such as wearing a sweater instead of a T-shirt or briefly airing your home instead of always leaving the tilt window open, can save you heat energy and make your home life more environmentally friendly.
5. energy- and water-saving household appliances
Whether Oven, Refrigerator, TV, Washing machine, Computer or Dishwasher - All these household appliances consume natural resources and therefore pollute the environment. Accordingly, you should on the one hand only own them when you really need them - and on the other hand, when buying (used), make sure that they are Use as little energy or water as possible.
Orient yourself best EU energy label for electrical appliances and prefer household appliances that can score with the best values (mostly from A+ to A+++).
For the washing machine, you should also make sure that a gentle cycle or the economy program is possible. Also, look for a machine with a drum that can be only holds as much volume as you really need. The same applies to the size of your refrigerator. You can do without a tumble dryer altogether and dry your laundry in the air instead.
Tip: More advice on the Save electricity and Save water in the home you get in the more detailed, linked blog posts.
6. natural insulation for more energy efficiency
A sustainable thermal insulation of your home ensures that as little heat as possible lost in the cold winter goes and that as little heat as possible inside in the hot summer penetrates. Your house and apartment will be much more energy efficient and climate friendly.
If you have the opportunity, you should directly natural, ecological insulating materials such as hemp, cork, flax, cellulose and wood wool, for example prefer
7. reusable alternatives for waste avoidance.
In a home that is as sustainable as possible, there should be as few, short-lived things as possible so that as little waste as possible is generated. Particularly short-lived are, for example, disposable products such as kitchen paper or bottles, drinking cups, straws and cutlery made of plastic.
Accordingly, it is advisable to equip your house or apartment with durable, forever reusable items, such as Cloth cloths, glasses, carafes, glass drinking straws and stainless steel cutlery. to be equipped in the sense of the waste-preventing Zero Waste Lifestyle or the plastic-free lifestyle to act.
8. animal-friendly garden or balcony and food from own cultivation.
A sustainable home also includes a sustainable garden, the Animals shelter and food offers you Foods and give you time to Recreation in nature. Here are some tips that you can implement in this regard:
- Create stone, deciduous and dead wood purchase
- Plant wildflower corner, native shrubs and trees
- Bee hotel and build and install birdhouses
- Build raised bed and grow fresh fruits and vegetables
- Collect and use rainwater
- Use natural pesticides and fertilizers
Tip: Of course, plants should not be missing inside your four walls. Among other things, they serve as Oxygen suppliers and humidifiers - and are even able to filter environmental toxins from the air.
9. used and self-made furnishings
Creating an environmentally friendly home is not that difficult. It's especially sustainable if you buy your furnishings second-hand or even build and upcycle them yourself.
Second hand has many advantages - Used things, such as tables, pictures and motifs, lamps, armchairs, chairs, cabinets and even flooring, are for example more affordable, more individual, more appreciative and, last but not least, more sustainable.. Because if you choose Used purchase you avoid a new purchase and automatically preserve the natural resources of the earth.
It is a nice alternative, make unique furniture yourself. For example, I have my coffee table and my Dining table homemade from 35 years old oak planks. Through such DIY projects you can also still Save money sustainably.
10. environmentally friendly behavior at home
Now you have many tips for a fundamentally more sustainable home at hand. But we don't want to forget that you can also make your home more everyday usage behavior have a big impact on the environment.
Therefore, also use the following tips to behave as environmentally friendly as possible within your four walls:
- Use residual water wisely: Pasta water is rich in minerals and is ideal for sauces, soups, washing dishes or watering your plants when cooled.
- Refrigerator energy saving setup: Each compartment has a different temperature and Food has a longer shelf lifeif you classify them correctly.
- Make dishwashing liquid yourself: Countless household helpers can be made yourself. For example, try your hand at DIY dishwashing liquid from ivy leaves do it yourself.
- Separate waste correctly: Always make sure that the trash cans in the house match your trash cans. proper waste separation.
- Cold shower: By shower as cold as possible you are not only more awake, you also save the environment and your wallet, because less energy is needed to heat it up.
- Reduce advertising: Cancel unnecessary subscriptions that constantly give you plastic and paper waste - and put a sticker with "Please do not post advertising" on your mailbox.
Tip: In the blog post about Sustainable living I'll explain these and other tips for more environmentally friendly behavior at home in more detail.
Make your home environmentally friendly? No problem!
From green electricity, recycled and photo wallpaper, energy-saving lighting and insulation, to insect and bird-friendly gardens and second-hand furniture, you've learned tips for an eco-friendly home.
Maybe you already knew or one or the other or even implement it. Then that's great, of course. But I firmly believe that you will find enough here. new inspiration for even more sustainability in your living environment. Just implement them little by little.
"Be yourself the change you wish to see in this world."
Mahatma Gandhi (more at Environmental protection quotes)
Do you have any questions, suggestions or further tips for a sustainable home? Then I'm really looking forward to your comment.
Stay sustainable,
PS: Maybe you are even about to move into another property or even build a new home yourself? Then make sure you take a look at the most valuable Tips for sustainable building an.
