The Homeowners’ Guide to Eco-Friendly Living

Eco-friendly living: Is it easy to adapt, or is pursuing this lifestyle as challenging as it seems? First of all, congratulations on doing your research—you’ve already done the hardest part by staying accountable. While approaching an eco-friendly lifestyle may seem like a big challenge for homeowners, there are many ways that you can successfully join the movement and make a difference without stressing out.

To help you on your journey, we’re sharing some easy ways that you can begin your zero waste journey as a homeowner:

Manage Waste When Cleaning

People produce the most waste when moving and cleaning. To minimize the amount of waste that you’re producing, consider following these rules:

• Donate and/or distribute – If you have a lot of usable items that collect dust around your home, consider donating them to secondhand shops or distributing them to friends, family, and neighbors via gifts. 
• Drop off – It’s tempting to toss hard-to-recycle items like lightbulbs, electronics, tires, paint, etc. rather than finding a drop-off location. The Additional Recyclable Collections Center (ARCC) can typically accept these items; visit their site for a full list.
• Dispose of – If you have hazardous waste, learn how to identify it and where to dispose of it! This can protect the environment. 

Focus on Finding Reusable Solutions

As you shop, try to replace broken, unusable items with reusable solutions or compostable solutions. For example, purchase bamboo toothbrushes, shop with your own bags, and use rags instead of paper towels. 

Take Advantage of Natural Light

Instead of reaching for a light switch, consider opening your windows up! Natural light is a free resource that comes with several perks, including the ability to create a relaxing, inviting atmosphere in your home. Exposure to natural light has also been shown to help regulate your circadian rhythm for a better night’s sleep as well as support mental wellbeing. If you find that you do need to switch on a light every now and again, consider switching to LED or CFL bulbs. Switching to CFLs or LEDs can help you save up to 60-80% more energy compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. They also last longer and don’t give off heat.

Find Ways to Conserve Water

Conserving water doesn’t take much effort and can have a huge impact on the planet. Take the time to fix leaks in your home and install low-flow faucets and showerheads to use less water when you wash your hands and shower. Another simple change you can make is to turn off the water when you brush your teeth. You can also collect rainwater to use for things like watering your plants and washing your car. This will prevent you from turning on the hose each time you do these tasks and wasting more water.

Check out our blog! Chesmar builds new homes and townhouses in desirable communities throughout Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and elsewhere in Central Texas!