3 Easy Eco-Friendly Changes Contractors Can Make at Home

You are committed to running an eco-friendly contracting business. You probably use the most sustainable materials and help your customers install solar panels so they can get the benefits of renewable energy.

However, you might not be living as much of an eco-friendly lifestyle at home. You are going to want to take the right steps to lower the carbon footprint in your own life. You will do even more for the planet than you did running an eco-friendly contracting business.

Ways Eco-Friendly Contractors Can Reduce their Environmental Impact at Home

With pollution of our air and land continuing to become a greater problem every day, many people are looking for ways they can help the environment. Sustainable contractors are among those looking to put their money where their mouth is and help the planet when they are off the clock.

Government regulations on factories and automobiles play a big role in cleaning up the Earth, but individuals are not powerless in the fight. Most of the power to help comes from the choices you make in your everyday life.

You could try building a smart home that is eco-friendlier. However, there are simpler changes that you can make to help the planet.

Here are a few ways you could do your part. You can also find more green living tips from this article by Columbia University.

Choose Local

Instead of going to big box stores or running to Amazon with every purchase, consider the mom-and-pop stores in your area. Shopping locally not only helps reduce emissions but supports your community at the same time. If you have the luxury of walking or riding a bike to shop, that will reduce your carbon footprint even more. Studies have shown that shopping local can lower your total carbon footprint by up to 5%.

Green Closet Choices

While sticking close to the area where you live for all possible shopping needs, keep the environment in mind when choosing products to buy. For instance, filling your closet with clothes using natural fibers like cotton, hemp, and linen can go a long way to reducing pesticides and plastics that find their way into the water we drink.

Polyester is simply short for polyethylene terephthalate, which is a synthetic polymer and the same material found in plastic. In order to produce the plastic, companies must use oil, an industry labeled as dirty for its negative impact on the earth in the form of global warming.

Natural fibers are renewable and better for the planet. Consider adding everything from sustainable sneakers to 100% cotton tees to your wardrobe.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Reducing what you use, reusing what you have, and recycling what you no longer need is one of the best three-pronged approaches to assist in the fight against climate change and pollution.

The art of reducing refers to the overall trash every human creates simply by living their lives. Instead of throwing things out when you’re done with them, figure out if there is a way to keep that waste out of a landfill. For food and other organic items, that may mean starting a compost pile in your yard.

There are two components to composting: green and brown scraps. Green refers to plant matter, including apple cores, banana peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings, flowers, vegetable scraps, egg shells, and trimmings from house plants. These additions will break down quickly into soil and usually hold an element of moisture.

To even out the process, you also need brown elements like shredded newspaper, fall leaves, pinecones, toilet paper tubes, nut shells, and torn-up brown paper bags. These are necessary to aerate the pile, so it’s not so dense. The ratio of browns to greens you want to shoot for is four to one.

For anything you can’t compost, ask yourself if you can reuse the item. Is it a broken toaster? Try and fix it before throwing it out and buying a new one. Is it a television that works, but you just don’t want it anymore? Consider offering it to a neighbor or a friend to extend its life.

If you must throw away items, at least recycle as much as possible. Add plastics, glass, old tires, electronics, and metal to your list of recyclables. Contact your local center to find out how to complete this important task in your area. Basically, it boils down to separating out your trash into different bins so they can be reused in a different way. Doing so reduces the number of raw materials needed for products, helping preserve the resources the earth has to offer.

Do Your Part to Help the Planet on Your Free Time as an Eco-Friendly Contractor

You might feel like one person can’t make a difference in saving the planet, but everyone has a part to play in the future. As an eco-friendly contractor, you should try lowering your carbon footprint at home as well as at work. Although it might not seem like much, every little bit of effort gets us close to a brighter tomorrow — together.