Whenever it comes down to the environmental problems that we are currently facing, it feels like such a huge deal to handle all by ourselves. We would rather shake off the blame and let our government and authorities handle it. Keep reading to find some useful tips to make your home eco-friendly while you are working from home.
What if I tell you that we cannot avoid taking the blame for what is upon us? We are to be blamed. And just like that, it is equally our responsibility to bear the repercussions and set things straight.
According to the World Health Organization, each year, around 4 million people suffer premature death due to household pollution. Considering such a high number given by an official source, you might want to rethink if you really want to leave it to the authorities to remedy this or take a step yourself.
Obviously, it is not something that would immediately show a change, but there is no harm in trying to change our lifestyle little by little. It is not like that the rising sea levels would halt, and global warming will be reversed. But doing our own part gradually to become more eco-friendly in our individual spaces would add up to cleanse the bigger picture and help us become healthier in our households.
I would suggest you go for the latter and take things into your own hands to make Your Home an eco-friendly, safe, and healthy place to live in and work from.
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8 Actionable Tips to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly If You Work from Home
The following are a few tips and tactics you can utilize, especially if you work from home like me to make your home more eco-friendly.
- Use LED Bulbs
We all might be crazy for that bright incandescent and fluorescent lights, but that pack of LED (light-emitting diode) is a more responsible choice. LED light bulbs are not just advanced technology. It sufficiently reduces energy consumption and is more eco-friendly for your household use.
It is not only sustainable, but it is a more economical choice also. It will last you more than a decade before you get a chance to replace it and buy a new one. Besides, LED light bulbs even come with a warranty if you buy good quality ones. Therefore, there is no chance of money wasted. You can get new ones for the amount you have already paid.
2. Get Vintage Furniture
Setting up a desk and a chair doesn’t necessarily have to be from new wooden furniture for your work from home setup. You have plenty of options available to choose from when it comes to furniture. You can go to thrift stores and buy amazing vintage furniture.
Buying used furniture is not bad. You can check for wood termites and any design faults too. If the furniture is not squeaky, broken, or weakened by being used repeatedly, you have an eco-friendly and economical choice at your hands to set up your home office.
3. Avoid Fast-Fashion Clothing & Go For Sustainable
I mean, think about it that you are working from home. The most we need to do is to change from our pajamas to feel more efficient for work and not compromise on our productivity.
But then that’s about it. You don’t need an outfit per day to look your best at a formal office setting every day. Therefore, you have all the more incentive to avoid fast fashion labels and go for stylish yet sustainable clothing.
The concept is to keep buying what you regularly buy but hang on to it and repeat the items instead of going for a new outfit every day and discarding clothing more often.
4. Use Tote Bags
Tote bags are a great alternative to plastic shoppers and paper bags. From carrying groceries, items, gathering things, or for safekeeping, tote bags are sustainable, reusable, and recyclable, which makes them the most eco-friendly choice ever. You can even get creative and utilize old clothing materials to make new ones out of them and then use those to fulfill your requirement.
5. Try To Go Paper-Free
Working in a home environment can be challenging, especially if you are not used to juggling two hats with one hand. Therefore, a more efficient and eco-friendly solution is to go paper-free. You can at least try to because the use of paper in our household comes in many different forms. From making grocery lists to printing out work-related documents and making use of paper towels, we can find paper everywhere.
However, working from home efficiently allows you to go paper-free by reducing the need for printing office documents and using cloth instead of paper towels. In addition to this, technology has also played a great role in reducing the need to use paper. For instance, people who buy cheap essay writing service receive their orders through emails which eliminate the need and cost for both providers and buyers.
6. Grow Your Own Plants In The Backyard/ Balcony
One of the best ways to add serenity to your home workspace is to grow plants. Depending on where you set up your desk and the space available, you can choose to pot a plant indoors, in the balcony, or in your backyard.
Potting a plant is not as difficult as people think it is. You can get your favorite plant seeds from the farmer’s market and pot a little one to keep it on your work desk later on. Not only will it make your home environment fresh, but it also makes the air you breathe better.
7. Abandon The Use Of Plastic
It can be difficult, to begin with, but abandoning plastic use should come off easily once you get the gist of it. The idea is to get rid of plastic bags, shoppers, and other material that is not sustainable and easily loses its value.
Over time you can move on to abandoning plastic containers, cutleries, and other items in your household that you find leaning towards plastic hoarding than getting rid of it.
That will allow you to make eco-friendly choices, and next time when you find yourself liking a plastic product, you will move right past it.
8. Separate Your Recycling & Compost Bin
Lastly, you can separate the trash bin that you will keep beside your work desk and the one you keep in your kitchen. Separating recycling and compost bin is a great way of taking an eco-friendly step further. You can even label your trash when you keep it outside to make it clear for the trash collector that it is recyclable and what is compost.
You can even encourage your neighbors and locality friends to do the same to make your neighborhood a more eco-friendly space.
Bottom Line
All in all, going eco-friendly in your household is not as difficult if you are adamant about achieving your goal of creating a better and more sustainable future for future generations on this planet. When we make a bigger motive for our objective, it becomes more motivating than just cultivating our own needs.
I hope these tips help you in becoming more eco-friendly as you work from home. Good Luck!
