10 sustainable ways to invest in your home
Creating a healthy and environmentally friendly home does not have to break the bank. Here are some simple and easy investment ideas to create your eco-friendly home.
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- Adjust your heating & cooling
Set your thermostat to 68° F (20° C) in the Winter and 78°F (26°C) when you are home. Not only will this simple solution save energy, but it can also save you money. - Discontinue Single-Use / Disposable Plastics and Paper
Use reusable glassware, mugs, cutlery, and plates. You’ll save hundreds of plastic bottles and utensils from going to a landfill. - Compost at home
Redirect food scraps from a landfill and create nutrient-rich organic matter that strengthens soil and promotes healthy plant growth. Here are some tips to get started. - Optimize your home office computer
Using energy-saving features like setting your computer to sleep after five minutes of inactivity and adjusting your monitor brightness settings to 25 can save and conserve energy that otherwise would be wasted. Also, don’t forget to turn off your computer at the end of your workday. - Free LED Light Bulbs
Check with your local power company, some utilities offer LED light bulbs completely free of charge.
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- Replace your Air Filter every 60-90 days
Dirty or clogged air filters not only impact your air quality, they can also impact the functionality of your HVAC system. Pets at home? You may need to replace it every 60 days or less. - Add at least one living green plant
Peace Lily, Snake Plant, and Golden Pothos are some of the best plants for improving indoor air quality. - Add Recycling to your waste removal services
Check with your waste company to add low-cost recycling services
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- Add or replace your appliances
Today’s dishwashers are three to four times more water-efficient than hand washing and many can save around 2,500 gallons of water a year. A Whirlpool, Mayag, or KitchenAid brand dishwasher is manufactured at gold level (UL2799) Zero Waste to Landfill in Whirlpool Corp. plants, and our dishwasher manufacturing facility in Findlay, Ohio receives 15 percent renewable electricity from our on-site wind farm. Energy-efficient laundry machines and refrigerators can also add to energy savings. You can learn more here, about the long-term commitments Whirlpool Corp. has made for our environment, and investments that started over 50 years ago. - Install a smart or programmable thermostat
Smart thermostats can make the most of your heating system without wasting money or energy, simply by learning your patterns and making small adjustments.
Creating a more environmentally sustainable home doesn’t have to break the bank. Small, consistent and intentional actions can really be impactful collectively over time. If we all make a few small adjustments, we can make a difference for a healthier and more environmentally sustainable planet.