The easiest place to start going green? At home.

by Emily Hackeling

Where’s the place you spend the most time? In your home.

When you’re thinking about ways to improve your carbon footprint on the world, home is perhaps the easiest place to make incremental improvements with big payoff for the environment. Eco-friendly products have become more prevalent in the last decade, and they’ve also become more attainable and cost-effective, meaning you’ve got options to choose from beyond solar panels and other mainstay eco-friendly home improvements.

When you’re building a new home or remodeling your existing one, it’s very simple to incorporate environmentally-friendly products and materials. In fact, it’s hardly different from choosing traditional products. To make it easier to select the best options for your family, you can find environmental consultants who can suggest improvements on your house plans, or just ask your developer about including some of the options below to make your home, beautiful and eco-friendly.

Bamboo

Not just for panda bears and desk plants! Conserve timber resources by replacing hardwood with bamboo. You can use it for flooring, countertops, furniture, and anywhere you need wood in your new home. As a plus, bamboo is often stronger, comes in a range of colors and finishes, and can mimic the natural grain of traditional hardwood.

Solar panels

One of the first improvements people think of when going green at home is solar power. Consider installing solar panels to the roof of your home to conserve energy. Solar is becoming more and more affordable with time, and if you can afford the upfront costs, it’s proven to pay off significantly. In certain states, you can receive tax deductions for installing solar panels, so check into these before building.

Reclaimed or recycled tiles

Why use new tiles when you can use reclaimed ones? Often, you can find recycled tile, marble, and siding in local tiling stores. These options can save the landfills from more waste, can be more cost-effective than purchasing new materials, and are often more unique, adding a beautiful one-of-a-kind touch to your home. Many people consider using recycled or reclaimed materials as a decorative flourish, which is also a great way to make your home more eco-friendly. Invest in new materials and incorporate recycled materials in smaller quantities in special places.

Living walls

Popular in office spaces and public areas, living walls are great for homes too. Imagine greenery blooming off the side of your deck or inside on a well-lit wall. Living walls allow you to literally go green in your home. These do great things for the environment and the air quality inside your home. They act as natural air purifiers and help eliminate VOCs created by many modern products like cleaning products, scented candles, and more.

LEED appliances

When you’re choosing appliances, look for eco-friendly logos (usually marked with a green leaf), or check for LEED-certified appliances. These look and work just as well as other top tier appliances but have improvements and options to help save energy. For instance, find a dishwasher with an eco-friendly mode, and select washer and dryer options with a light cycle or “less dry” setting.

Dual flush toilets

Did you know that flushing the toilet uses 1.5 gallons of water every time? Invest in dual flush toilets for your home to cut down on water (saving you money, too.)

In the place you spend the most time, why not try green products at home? You’ll feel great about your choices, your home will look beautiful, and the trees around you will whisper “thank you!”

by Kim Henry