It appears that making adjustments in our lives to be more environmentally conscious will not make a difference, and it will not unless we all band together to do so. We are the masses, and we have power when we work together. Because your house is where you spend most of your time, why not begin there?

Reduce Consumption

How many times have you bought a novelty, throw-away gift for a 'friend,' knowing well they will never use it and toss it away? Always put some thinking into what you are purchasing. When you think about what you are buying rather than just taking something off the shelf. Yes, even that chocolate bar was deliberately positioned near the cashier. You will discover that you buy a lot less, saving money and reducing harmful CO2 emissions when it is discarded in a landfill.

Reuse Stuff

Before you toss that old t-shirt with red wine stains, consider how you may repurpose it around the house: as a cleaning cloth, re-purposed napkins, hair towel and I am sure you can think of more! It also helps to buy items that will last longer - they may be more expensive initially, but will save you money in the long term and will take longer to reach the dreaded landfill.

Grow Your Own

I am hardly a green-fingered genius, but I explore. We cannot cultivate full-fledged fruit and vegetables where I live, which would be great. We do, however, plant our own herbs, which we use extensively in our cooking – rosemary, mint, thyme, sage, chives, and so on. It is incredibly convenient, and it saves us money on dried herbs that do not taste as wonderful. Grow your own plants where you can - even if they are not 'practical,' having plants around the house helps create more oxygen and consumes CO2, so you are doing a little bit more to assist with the carbon emissions situation. Plus, plants are very appealing!

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

This may appear to be a difficult task, but it is not — and, once again, it will save you money. Most cleaning products come in plastic containers that you toss away as soon as you are finished with them, and they contain a slew of chemicals that I cannot even tell. When you create your own, you know precisely what goes into them, and you can modify the recipes to fit your preferences. As an added plus, you will not have to toss away plastic containers regularly.

Conserve Water

How long do you have to run the water before it warms up when washing your face in the evening? How many liters of water do you believe flow down the drain when you are washing the dishes? According to Patch, the average home wastes over 11,000 gallons of water per year simply by waiting for it to heat up. That is a frighteningly large number. But what are we to do, take cold showers and drink water that is constantly freezing? That is a little excessive, but you can conserve the water you would otherwise be squandering by running a jug under the tap until it warms up. You may then use that water to irrigate your plants or simply leave it outside or in the fridge to cool down and consume later. There is no use in letting all that water run down the drain when you are paying for it.

Showers Rather Than Baths

There has long been a dispute in the eco-friendly community about whether baths or showers are healthier for the environment. In actuality, it is difficult to say - it all depends on the size of your bath and how long you typically shower. Showers, on average, consume less water than baths, but only if you take five minutes. If you want to take a bit longer, take a bath instead, but be mindful of how much water you are using. I usually put on a 2–3-minute song and challenge myself to take a shower before the song ends — it was difficult at first, but I have gotten faster!

Unplug Your Sockets

This is one of my biggest frustrations. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone someplace and noticed that something is plugged in and turned on at the wall, but it is not even on — or it is on standby. This is actually wasting money and consuming more energy. If you are not using anything, unhook it from the wall and turn it off. Even if it is turned off at the wall, it is still sucking in some power while it is plugged in. Make it a point to disconnect everything that is not in use wherever you are.

So It Seems!

Home is the ideal place to extend your eco-friendly lifestyle to the outdoors with the green outdoor decor, reused conveniences, and sustainable design concepts that both you and the Earth will appreciate. If you are looking for new ways to green your outdoor living space, consider these 7 eco-friendly ideas to get you started.