Green Decorating Ideas
Decorate your house with eco-friendly products that come from sustainable resources that don’t harm the environment with toxic chemicals.
- Choose bamboo for hardwood floors. Bamboo matures over a few years compared to the decades it takes to replenish other hard woods.
- Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint. Most major paint manufacturers carry this paint which contains little to no volatile organic compounds. VOCs not only pollute the indoors with harsh odors, but they also cause smog and ozone pollution.
- Use organic linens that are made out of biodegradable pigments which do not contain chemicals that pollute the environment and the water.
Green Landscaping Ideas
When gardening or landscaping, avoiding toxic chemicals will keep the local environment healthy and foster growth for native plants and animals.
- Plant native plants in your garden. These require less maintenance and water since they’re accustomed to the local climate and are supportive to indigenous wildlife.
- Composting reroutes millions of pounds of waste away from landfills back into the environment as fertilizer. The average person produces over four pounds of waste per day, and nearly 2/3 of this can be composted.
- Find pest-control products that are not made with harsh chemicals which could endanger children and animals in addition to polluting the area water supply.
- Collect rain water in a rain barrel and use it to irrigate your garden.
- Use a push mower. Gas mowers emit pollutants that contribute to global warming.
- In the autumn, sweep or rake your leaves instead of using a gas-powered leaf blower which emits high levels of carbon.
- Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down to save water.
- Leave lawn clippings on the lawn after mowing. Clippings make great mulch, and they keep moisture from evaporating quickly, thus saving water.
It’s easy and inexpensive to #GoGreen with any of these ideas. Even if you can’t do everything on this list, try incorporating a few changes into your daily routine. Before you know it, these little changes will add up to big improvements for the not only the environment but your household as well.