After a long winter, warm weather makes us want to get out and do things. Home improvement projects are a favorite “to-do” in the spring, but it can be difficult to know where to start, especially if you don’t want to be wasteful. Here are three easy ways to create an eco-friendly home this spring that will create wonder and not waste.
Grow Something
Spring is the perfect time to start a garden or incorporate other kinds of plant growth into your home. While large gardens are ideal for maximum food growth, you may not have space for it. There are several great ways to increase your garden’s yield, even if it’s small, such as composting or stretching your growing season.
If you don’t have space for an outside garden, grow something inside. Leafy greens and root vegetables both grow well indoors, although some require more room than others. If your indoor growth space is limited, try herbs or “useless” plants. Plants that aren’t edible can still help clean your home’s air.
Eco-Friendly Building Materials
Taking on bigger home projects is a great way to take advantage of warmer spring weather. Sustainable building materials, such as high-density polyethylene sheets, are becoming more readily available, so your construction projects can keep your home eco-friendly.
Certain projects can even make use of materials you already have. Recycled windows make great greenhouses, which helps you reduce waste and provides an opportunity to get window treatments that will help regulate your home’s temperature. Additionally, you can make a chicken coop from almost any recycled material, from an old plastic playhouse to a rusted-out car.
Simple Swaps
Eco-friendliness comes down to the little things, too. In your kitchen, you can swap paper towels for reusable rags or use cloth totes for plastic bags. For your laundry, you can try dryer balls on wet days and line drying on clear days. Also, wash with cold water instead of hot—and only do so when the machine is full. The bathroom will benefit from a low-flow showerhead and homemade cleaning products in recycled containers. And the rest of your house will thank you for using LED lightbulbs, a smart thermostat, and power strips.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to make changes immediately. Use what you already have until it’s gone, even the less eco-friendly things. Throwing out half a box of dryer sheets because they’re not eco-friendly or letting your high-flow showerhead drip until you can afford a low-flow replacement doesn’t help the environment. Use or fix what you already have until you need a replacement, then choose an eco-friendly one.
As we welcome warm weather into our lives and use the new season to start home projects, remember to be as eco-friendly as possible. While these are three easy ways to create an eco-friendly home this spring, there are many more that will enhance your home and help the environment.