Did you know that 86% of Americans said that they prefer to live in a space that is eco-friendly (source: Rent.com), but while many of them may want to live in a more environmentally conscious environment often they don’t act on this desire. With the start of the New Year, people are turning this want into a resolution… to live a greener life. So with 2011 finally here, here are some homeowner’s hints on how to successfully stick to your new years resolutions.Here are a couple other small tips and tricks to making your home better for the planet.
· Preserving our heritage, and the earth, by buying antiques. Why buy new furniture when you can recycle existing furniture — namely antiques? According to Nigel Worboys of the Antiques are Green initiative, “Buying antiques reduces landfill, carbon emissions and consumption of new goods from abroad, while preserving our heritage for future generations.” Besides having a lower carbon footprint, well-constructed older furniture may last longer.
· Turn up the heat and add a little ambiance. According to yell.com, wood-burning stoves are an eco-friendly way to add style to your living space. By throwing a log in the fireplace you are heating the room and creating a romantic atmosphere on those cold winter nights.
· More flowers and fewer landfills. By saving those food scraps and creating a compost pile in your back yard, you’re able to do your small part in keeping landfills small and blossoms big. Mix food wastes with dirt and use a shovel to turn the pile over every week or so to give it some air. Turn garbage like eggshells, coffee grounds and spoiled vegetables into soil perfect for gardening.
· Environmentally friendly all the way down to the floor. When thinking about renovation this coming spring, a great echo-chic option is cork flooring. *Cork flooring is made from pre-consumer recycled cork, left over from the production of cork stoppers, so it’s completely natural and recyclable. Cork flooring design options have evolved greatly over the past few years: today, its textures and shades, classic patterns and elegant finishes present infinite design possibilities for any room in your home.
· Light up the earth by replacing standard lights with compact fluorescent lights (CFL). According to IKEA, who offers eco-friendly light bulbs, CFL bulbs produce more light per watt then standard incandescent lamps. Using CFL decreases energy consumption up to 80% compared to incandescent bulbs and helps reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases. They also generate 70% less heart, so they are safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
· Speaking of light bulbs, try replacing outside flood lights with motion censored flood lights. This is a small change but can really make a difference. By leaving flood lights on all night you waste a lot of energy and disturb wildlife, by replacing them with censored lights you are more energy efficient saving you money and helping the environment.
· Trust the logo, buy a star. Many appliances these days are energy star guaranteed which means they can help to reduce high energy bills, improve comfort and help to protect the environment. According to EnergyStar.gov as much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills - and your comfort.
*For more information about cork flooring, visit www.realcorkfloors.com.
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