Sustainable habits that don't cost money

sustainability

Sustainability at home can sometimes cause us to adopt certain changes in our day to day. Some people think that being more sustainable can lead to an increase in the cost of our habits. However, we are going to analyze what are the sustainable habits that do not cost money, but quite the opposite, it will make us save.

In this article you will find what are the main sustainable habits that do not cost money both inside and outside the home.

Sustainable habits that do not cost money at home

save water

  • from first hour, open the blinds and curtains to take advantage of the natural light of your home and avoid turning light bulbs on unnecessarily.
  • Try to keep showers no longer than 5 minutes.
  • Use hot water only when necessary, as the boiler will turn on every time you use hot water. The Hot water uses about 20% of a house's energy. For your shower, a temperature between 30 and 35 degrees is optimal.
  • Avoid standby phantom consumption. If you are not using a mobile charger, unplug it from the current because you are consuming energy. The same is true of computers and other connected electronic devices. To avoid this unnecessary waste, the ideal is to use a power strip with a button to turn everything off.
  • Amortize the use of electrical appliances. If you are going to put a washing machine, let it fill up. The same goes for the dishwasher. If you are ironing, take advantage and iron everything at the same time, since heating equipment consumes more energy.
  • Sustainable oven. When they cook for a long time, it is usually not necessary to preheat the oven. Avoid opening the oven door during cooking, as an average of 20% of the stored energy is lost. Turn off the oven before the process is complete to use up the excess heat and use less energy.
  • Sustainable fridge. It is recommended to have a temperature of 5ºC in the center and another temperature of -18ºC in the freezer. Reduce refrigerator costs: keep the door open for as little time as possible, do not introduce hot food and keep it away from heat sources. Also keep the rear grill clean for proper operation.
  • At lunchtime, use cloth napkins as they are always better than any disposable product. It does not matter if you have to clean them, it is always more profitable for your pocket and the environment.
  • Sustainable winter. The comfort temperature in winter ranges between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius. For every degree the temperature rises, energy increases by 7%. To maintain the temperature in the home, open the windows for ventilation for no more than 10 minutes. Insulated doors and windows are also key to retaining heat and preventing the cold from entering.
  • Sustainable summer. A temperature of 26 degrees Celsius during the day is ideal. In some cases, the use of a fan is enough. Installing awnings on windows that receive direct sunlight is even more important as energy savings of up to 60% can be achieved.

Sustainable habits that do not cost money away from home

sustainable habits that do not cost money

  • Use reusable cloth bags and bring containers to store fresh products.
  • Buy seasonal foods and avoid that they are not wrapped in plastic. For legumes and even detergent, you can buy in bulk stores to save money and packaging.
  • Take public transportation. It is always better than driving because you will share CO2 with all your passengers. Plus, you'll save on gas bills and multiple parking headaches.
  • Take a reusable bottle with you, since plastic bottles can only be filled twice. If you do this, you will save a lot of plastic in a year.
  • If you are going to travel, try to take the train instead of the plane. The latter is by far the most polluting means of transport. According to Greenpeace, the 2.500 km journey generates 1,3 tons of CO2 per passenger. If you want to take a car, there is shared use. Fill up the empty seats in the car and let everyone "share" the consumption.

Other daily habits to be more sustainable

sustainable habits that do not cost money at home

Plant a vegetable garden

Logically, the possibility of having your own garden at home depends to a large extent on the space available. If you have a big garden, You can spend part of your time growing different vegetables. On the other hand, if you live in a smaller apartment, your best bet is a planter.

Not only is the practice itself sustainable, but it is essential to increase awareness and commitment to the environment and become a more responsible consumer citizen. This is the perfect activity to involve the little ones in the house and teach them from an early age the importance of taking care of the environment to enjoy all its advantages.

ecological packaging

Each inhabitant produces 459 kg of waste per year. This high figure is attributed to the increase in packaging in recent years. The most sustainable thing is that you try to buy food with as little packaging as possible. Brands are beginning to realize this problem and are increasingly looking for solutions.

green home

Did you know that your home has a savings potential of 23,2%? By improving your habits and household appliances, your home can be more profitable, according to the Ninth Home Energy Efficiency Index prepared by Gas Natural Fenosa. This decision, In addition to saving money, you also reduce your impact on the environment.

Although this is a medium/long-term measure, buying class A+++ equipment is an investment that saves you up to €200 per year, and is also more sustainable. Of course, it is also effective to use energy saving light bulbs or keep the air conditioning at 25 degrees in summer.

Sustainable office

The office is probably where you spend the most time after being at home. There are already a large number of companies that have developed the drive to go 100% digital, thus avoiding constant and unreasonable paper printing. If this is not your case, there are certainly many decisions to be made by your superiors, but there are still many things you can do to continue reaching your sustainability goals.

One of the most important is that you control the paper you spend. If you have to print your documents, use both sides of the paper. A tree has about 12.000 pages, so you can double its capacity this way. It is also important to keep the air conditioning at a reasonable temperature, turn off the lights when leaving at the end and, if possible, take the stairs, you will avoid the constant energy use of the elevators and help you stay in shape.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about sustainable tips that do not cost money.


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