You don’t have to spend thousands to be Green. Yes that means you can be Green without having to install solar paneling or buy carbon credits, unless you want to, of course! There are many little things that each of us can do to help leave this planet a bit better than we found it.
Really, it’s easy being Green just take a look at these great ideas to create an eco-friendly home:
Furniture - Why buy new? When you buy used furniture you save the factory emissions and get a bit of Sun while you hit the rummage sales for good deals. You can also buy refurbished/redesigned recycled furniture if rummage sales and a bit of DIY aren’t your thing -MetroSofa.com for Green furniture that is simply gorgeous.
Prefer new furniture? Not a problem just keep an eye out for the multitude of wonderful eco-friendly products that are created from sustainable resources such as bamboo, cork, or Forest Stewardship Council certified woods. Take a look at our “Sitting Pretty in Eco Style: Sofas” for The Decorating Diva.com’s favorite eco chic sofas.
Speaking of Sustainable Materials – here’s what to look for in textiles: natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, hemp and silk. Those textiles have much less toxins associated with them then petro based synthetics such as polyester. More and more furniture manufacturers are going Green so it should be relatively easy to find sofas, mattresses and other soft furnishings that use sustainable and natural materials and fibers.
Paint - Look for companies that sell non-volatile organic compounds (VOC) or low-VOCs. They are better for the environment.
Plumbing- Dual flush toilets. You get the right amount of flush and it’s really a much better idea than low flow toilets – which sometimes just don’t flush right. I’m hoping the business hotel we stay at gets this hint! Actually, I hope all hotels wanting to be Green flush the low-flows and go dual flush.
Energy-Efficient Appliances – Easy to do and easy to buy. Take a look at your current appliances. Are they too old and energy hogs? Replace them with new Energy Efficient appliances. Some companies (in Florida: FPL and Florida Gas) will give you rebates or credits if you upgrade your old energy sucking appliances to newer Energy Star or energy efficient products. Last year our air conditioner died and we replaced it with a nice energy efficient model – yes it was pricey and made me want to cry. But the upside is that our utility company sent us a rebate to help soften some of the financial pain. The new AC unit cools the house for less money than we were spending using the old unit so over time the unit will pay for itself with lower electrical bills.
Flooring – Use eco-friendly and sustainable woods such as bamboo or cork. You can also use recycled materials: glass, stone, reclaimed woods (very popular) and recycled metal tiles among other Green flooring options. Need some ideas? Check out – Eco-Friendly Flooring for inspiration.
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