Sustainable living has become more than just a buzzword in recent years. A recent survey conducted by Southern Cross University showed that 93{e8320b3a48b868d914fa32d2d6dd13b99d3fcdd8bc3f2724f7c5e8c2702076aa} of nearly 1,000 Americans and Australians surveyed are concerned about people’s impact on the environment. At the top of the list are the issues of plastic pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change.
You could be doing your part at home: proper recycling, composting, or simply being mindful of your water usage and electricity consumption. There are, of course, more impactful ways that you could be saving the environment. One of those is “Green Remodeling.”
What Is Green Remodeling?
As the phrase suggests, this method of remodeling puts the environment and sustainable living on top of mind. This means you become more mindful about the materials you use and are more prudent with what you already have on-hand. If you’re just starting on your journey towards eco-friendly living, you may have to shell out more money at the on-set. However, as is often the case in sustainable living, significant investments usually mean long-term payoffs (and not just financially).
Where to Start
First things first, you have to do your assessment about what items in your home are causing you not to be eco-friendly. You’d be surprised at the items on this list:
Air purifiers –
In theory, these items are suitable for your home, particularly if you have allergies or respiratory diseases since the air purifier promises to rid the air of allergens and decrease odors. However, these items also emit minor levels of ozone. And guess what? The more ozone you breathe, the higher your chances of getting sick.
Rugs and carpeting –
Interestingly enough, these items can accumulate toxins such as formaldehyde. When you also install carpets, using the glue can also release harmful toxins in the air.
Insulation materials –
These generally do not adhere to green standards, but they’re also easy enough to update. These are one of the first things you should look at when you begin remodeling.
UPVC or metal windows –
Again, these are items that would generally not pass the green code since they could potentially emit harmful toxins in the air. However, as with insulation materials, they are also easy enough to fix.
What to Update
One of the advantages of green remodeling is that you don’t have to demolish the rooms in your home. Most contractors who specialize in green buildings would know what to do to work around what you already have in your house. For example, if you’re looking for solar panel installations in your home, a specialist would know what needs to be done without needing to remove your whole roof.
Similarly, a green contractor would be able to replace your uPVC or metal windows with wooden ones easily. These frames are often better at insulation, more eco-friendly, and even last longer. You can also request for more sustainable insulation materials. Bonus points: these updates – solar panels, window replacements, and safer insulation materials – would also help you save on your electricity bill in the long run.
Living sustainably doesn’t mean you have to uproot everything in your life all at once. Doing it in increments and stages are just as good as making you more eco-friendly. The important thing is that you never lose sight of your goal, and you continue to be a solid earth warrior.