Making Your Home and Business More Earth-Friendly Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

We are all responsible for taking care of our planet, and right now, it’s in trouble. Scientists around the world have confirmed that climate change is happening, and many of our natural resources are in jeopardy. We can all do our part to care for the Earth and to protect resources by creating less waste and being more thoughtful in our choices.

As a homeowner or business owner, you have even more power to effect positive change. Here are a few things you can do:

Choose Durable, Sustainable Materials

You can’t always choose materials that are made without chemicals or that are made with rapidly renewable materials. However, you can choose materials that will stand the test of time and won’t have to be replaced or repaired often, which means that you are putting less of a strain on resources in the long run. If you own a business, choosing wear technology will protect your structure and equipment, and it will prolong the life of your investment, helping your profit-loss sheet and the environment.

If you own a home, choosing durable and long-lasting materials like tile for your roof or floors or even metal for your roof. You can also choose renewable materials like bamboo for your floors or composite siding for your exterior.

Install Solar Panels

Electricity creates a real drain on resources. But we have one of the strongest resources hanging over us in the sky every day: The sun. You can save a lot of money over time and reduce your consumption of natural resources by installing solar panels on your home or business. Just about any property can bear solar panels, but you’ll need to get an inspection to see if the roof needs additional supports. The panels will also need plenty of exposure to the sun, so you may need to cut back some trees.

Depending on how many panels you install and how much energy you use, you may be able to get all your electricity from your solar panels. In some cases, you may even generate more electricity than you need for your property, and your local electric company will reimburse you for that excess.

Reduce Water Consumption

Next to energy usage, water consumption may be one of the biggest ways your property drains resources. You can reduce water consumption by changing up fixtures and appliances across the board. Use low-flow toilets and faucets. Use rain barrels to collect water for irrigation or outside cleaning. Change your habits so that you aren’t using as much water, such as by showering less frequently or washing bigger loads of clothing each time.

If you own a business, you will need to dig a little deeper to find out how you can reduce water consumption. You may be able to do simple things like change out your equipment for energy-efficient and low-flow models, but you may need to take a broader approach and consider how you can make changes to your processes to use less water.

Reduce Waste

We all produce far more waste than we should. In your home, you can reduce waste in a number of ways. You can eat out less and buy fewer products that come in packaging. For example, you can bring a cloth bag when you shop so that you don’t have to put produce in their own individual bags. You can also reduce waste by recycling everything you can, reusing the items you can (like reusing food containers to store leftovers), and composting your food scraps and paper.

As a business owner, you have even more opportunities to reduce waste, but you’ll have to be diligent and creative. For example, you can put a limit on how much employees can print or cut out those cover sheets that some printers put out with each job. You might order paper made from recycled materials, biofuels instead of petroleum, and recycled electronics instead of new ones. There are many ways to save if you are thorough.

It is everyone’s responsibility to protect our planet, and that means finding ways to reduce your consumption and waste. These tips will help you do that whether you are a homeowner or a business owner.