Ecofriendly Living Tips for Creating a Greener Home

Looking for a few ecofriendly living tips? Making life more environmentally-friendly isn’t that hard. The basic premise of living a sustainable lifestyle is just consuming LESS and being mindful of your daily choices. Here are some easy and small changes you can make today to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Why make eco friendly changes at all?

When I first found out I was pregnant many (MANY) years ago, I began taking a closer look at the food I was eating, the beauty products I was applying to my skin, and the type of purchases I was making for my home. I became concerned about the long term effects of each one of the choices I was making and started to change the way I lived slowly.

Small ecofriendly choices like buying organic milk and natural beauty products came first. As I learned more about ecofriendly living,  I incorporated lifestyle changes like composting and recycling. I am still working on creating a greener home but like to think that baby steps will get me there eventually.

How to be more eco friendly

I have learned a few things over the years and thought I would share a few of my ecofriendly living tips with you.

Reconsider the disposable lifestyle: 

One of the first changes I made was to purchase cloth napkins. Of course, back then we had very little money so we chose whatever assorted patterns we found on clearance at Target. Nowadays, when I purchase new cloth napkins, tablecloths and other table decor I can be a little pickier. I have my eye on some beautiful bamboo sets for Christmas this year!

Use natural decor whenever possible: 

I like to decorate as much as the next girl but am not a big fan of a lot of the mass produced holiday stuff you see in most discount stores. I try to find items that will be relevant year round rather than just for a month or two. There really isn’t any reason to decorate your bathroom for Valentine’s Day, is there?

Like these ecofriendly living tips?  Try these sustainable ideas, too:

• How to be an Eco Friendly Home Owner This Spring
• How to Pack an Eco friendly Lunchbox
• Eco Friendly School Ideas for Greener Classrooms and Smaller Footprints

Use natural decor items like flowers or art made by a local artist to bring a splash of color to your home. Infuse pine cones with essential oils for a natural (and pretty smelling!) centerpiece.

Buy secondhand to live ecofriendly! 

Buying furniture that is secondhand and refinishing it is a wonderful way to go green. This is a very effective way to keep perfectly good household items out of the landfills.  Check out my upcycled linen chest and see how easy it is.  Choose eco friendly paints to bring new life into old furniture. Buying second hand is not only a good step towards ecofriendly living  but it also saves you money!

Choose natural fibers: 

There are a lot of natural fibers that are becoming popular today.  Hemp clothing, bamboo, wool, and organic cotton are a few choices. Clothes aren’t the only items to choose natural fibers for. Throw pillows, kitchen towels, sheets and many other household items can also be made from greener materials. Look into recycling old clothes or donating them when you thin out your closet.  

Choose eco friendly products

Everything we eat, drink or apply to our bodies has an effect not only on US but on the world around us. Choosing products that do not contain artificial colors, toxic chemicals, synthetic scents or other questionable ingredients will go a long way towards greening up your living space. Choose products who’s packages can be recycled or that are made from recycled products themselves.  Or, make your own natural cleaners and save a ton of money!

How can I be more eco?  It’s easy!

Making your life more sustainable isn’t complicated.  It boils down to purchasing less stuff and being mindful of the things you do buy.  Check out Globalstewards.org for more ecofriendly living tips and start reducing your carbon footprint one baby step at a time!