Going green by building an eco-friendly home not only helps the environment but can also save you money in the long term. With single-use plastic bags now banned across Australia, minimising waste should become a priority for households. Here are some easy, everyday steps that you can take to help improve the environmental sustainability of your home.
Step 1: Compost
An eco-friendly home should include a composting area, such as a compost bin or a worm farm, where food waste from fruit and vegetables can be placed. When food waste is placed in a specific composting area, it can naturally decompose.
Step 2: Box it up
An eco-friendly home begins with changing everyday habits. Whilst lunches wrapped in plastic wraps have been a time-honoured tradition, it is also a wasteful and environmentally unsustainable tradition. Instead, try beeswax paper wraps or invest in boxes with compartments for both children’s school lunches and office lunches. This is a change that is simple, environmentally friendly and will make lunches look that much more appealing.
Step 3: Recycle plastics
Whilst the ultimate goal of an eco-friendly home is to eliminate the use of soft plastics, plastic wrapping and packaging is everywhere. Instead of throwing out these plastics, collect them and bring them to a local REDcycle recycling point where these plastics can be reused to make more permanent fixtures like park benches and garden furniture.
Step 4: And other items
Glass is also another recyclable material that has no business being discarded with landfill waste. Also, when discarding items with toxic chemicals such as batteries, paints, cleaners, and garden chemicals, be sure to take these items to a collection point instead of throwing them into landfill waste.
Step 5: Grow your greens
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is the ultimate form of eco-friendly home design. By growing your own food, you can also continue to reduce the amount of plastic packaging in your life. The ideal is to build planters either in your front or backyard, however, if you live in a smaller space without a garden, planting vegetables and herbs in smaller pots indoors is also a viable option. In addition to their environmental benefit, these plants will also add life and vibrancy to both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Step 6: Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is also a crucial part of maintaining an eco-friendly home. Instead of drying your clothes in a dryer, take advantage of the sunny Australian weather by hanging your clothes outside (or inside on cloudier days).
Are you in the process of building your new family home? Feel free to contact the iBuildNew team on 1800 184 284 or book a call online for free, expert advice and getting connected with the right builder.
Let us do the legwork for you.
- We’ll ask the right questions to better understand your needs
- We’ll create a recommended shortlist ideally matched to you
- We’ll answer specific questions or concerns related to home building, land purchasing or financing
1800 184 284
