Climate change. Whether you believe it or not, I’m sure you can agree we can all be a little nicer to our planet. Pollution in our air and waterways, extensive use of natural resources and destruction of natural habitats can all be attributed to humans, at least in some way. While you may feel a little helpless and it can seem impossible to make a difference on your own, there’s certainly big ways we can all contribute. Here, I want to share with you how to create a more sustainable home.
At home, we’ve introduced a few little changes to our routine. These changes are small and simple but they have already improved the health of our household. Our goal is to reduce waste, recycle and create a more resourceful, sustainable home. Not only can this help the environment but it can help you reduce your bills as well! Read on to see how you can make these small but impactful changes.
COMPOST
You don’t need to have a fancy set up to start composting at home! Compost bins and tumblers are a fantastic way to create nutrient rich food for your garden. You can also make one yourself:
- Compostable organics include fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, and egg shells for carbon and dry leaves, newspaper, or cardboard for nitrogen. Do not use meat, dairy, oils, or bones in compost.
- To build your own composter, use a large bin and drill several holes on the lid and up and down the sides for aeration.
- Add organic matter to the compost bin. It should be a 3:1 ratio of carbon items to nitrogen.
- Aerate the pile at least once a week, stirring the compost and getting the materials to break down.
- Finished compost should be ready in a few months.
GREY WATER COLLECTION
As we heard about this genius way to save water and keep your plants happy, we realised we were far behind the trend! The idea is simple: rather than letting your washing machine rinse go down the drain, connect a grey water hose and flow it in your garden. While I would avoid watering fruit and vegetables, this water is non-toxic and is perfect for watering decorative shrubs, flowers and grass. Extension hoses are available in the garden section of Bunnings, however we had a struggle tracking these down as they were all sold out, Canberra wide! While we waited for more stock to arrive, we diverted the hose into a very large bucket for collection.
SHOWER COLLECTION
Elevate your water collection skills and put a bucket next to you in the shower! Collect splash water that isn’t making it down the drain and use it in the garden. Shampoo, conditioner and body was is non-toxic and would be great for your grass and floral garden beds. Another great little step towards a sustainable home!
METAL STRAWS
If you haven’t made the switch to metal straws, now is the time! They are easily available in most department stores like Kmart and Target.
GROW YOUR OWN VEGGIES
Creating a beautiful veggie patch isn’t just good for your dinner plate but it’s great for your garden and mental health too! Spending time outdoors reduces signs of stress and anxiety and gardening can be a relaxing and calming activity. The extra greenery will look great in your garden and the whole family can benefit from yummy home-grown fruit and veggies! Start preparation for your veggie garden at the end of winter to enjoy a delicious harvest in summer!
EAT LESS ANIMAL PRODUCTS
According to PETA, globally, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gasses than all of the world’s transportation systems combined. Plus, when land is used to raise animals instead of crops, precious water and soil are lost, trees are cut down to make land for grazing or factories, and animal waste pollutes waterways. Simply cutting down on your meat consumption can play a big part on our environment. Imagine if every person ate just half as much meat? With meat-eating being one of our biggest environmental hazards facing earth, it would play a big role in helping our planet.
REUSABLE PRODUCE BAGS
One of the most annoying things for me at the supermarket is the mass overuse of plastic! It’s difficult to avoid but there are small steps you can take to reduce landfill. Reusable produce bags are a fantastic solution for your fruit and veggies. These days, they are easily available at sites such as Biome and come in various fabrics and sizes. Otherwise, if you have some single use plastic bags laying around, why not reuse them? Throw them in your shopping bags and take them to the supermarket, you’d be surprised how long they last!
If you liked this blog post about our sustainable home, read our DIY home renovations: Before and After!
Natalia x
