With worldwide concern about pollution and climate change, everyone wants to do their part. Luckily, companies around the world are helping people go green with easy-to-use technology for all aspects of your daily life. Whether it’s recycling or reducing your energy usage, there are a wide range of options available to help you maintain a green lifestyle.
Reduce Your Energy Usage
Your daily household energy usage is probably higher than you think. Fortunately, technological advancements have helped to drive the use of more advanced household appliances and products. You can save on energy by doing simple things like changing our your old incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs, turning out lights in rooms that are not in use, and unplugging appliances like toasters and coffee makers that eat up voltage even when they are not being used.
Look into energy-efficient appliances approved by the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star program. Energy-consuming appliances such as washers and dryers, dishwashers, stoves, and refrigerators make up a significant amount of your energy usage. Energy Star appliances are rigorously tested by the EPA in order to ensure that they meet high energy-efficiency expectations. In addition, consider smart appliances to keep your energy usage as low as possible, as they adjust to your needs and learn from your usage for more efficient operation.
The single greatest energy cost in a standard residential household is climate control. Reduce the cost of heating and cooling with the use of a smart thermostat, which will help you track your energy usage and adjust your heating and cooling as necessary without the need for direct intervention. No need to learn the complexities of programming each and every temperature for every day of the week. A smart thermostat will track and adjust your usage in real time to help you save significantly on energy costs. Just remember that smart home devices use data, so it may be worth looking into prepaid phone plans with unlimited data.
Use Sustainable Products
Take a step toward a more eco-friendly home with reusable and sustainable items, such as canvas and recycled plastic shopping bags, reusable lunch boxes, and cloth napkins. Anything you can do to reduce the amount of waste you put into the environment will help. Find innovative sustainable products for different aspects of your life, like washable cleaning cloths to replace paper towels, or a reusable mesh filter instead of paper coffee filters. When you begin to consider the different products that you throw in the garbage on a regular basis, it is amazing to see how you can reduce your waste footprint.
In addition to household products, go green with your entertainment. Take advantage of a streaming service instead of purchasing physical CDs and DVDs for movies and music. Without the physical trappings, you are doing away with the plastic waste of not only the discs themselves, but also the packaging material and energy costs from manufacturing and distribution. In addition, immediate access to your entertainment means you spend less on transportation to acquire your entertainment, thereby saving money on gas and reducing your carbon footprint.
Purchase Products Made to Last
You can further reduce your waste and energy usage by purchasing higher-quality appliances and products that are built to last. For example, rather than purchasing an older mobile phone or laptop that will become obsolete in a year or two, consider purchasing a newer iPhone or Android phone or tablet. With the most modern technology, you can rely on newer devices to have sufficient memory and faster internet connections for efficient streaming and downloading. Even if it is more expensive at the beginning, a better-quality device will pay for itself in the long run. What’s more, you reduce your waste footprint by keeping the device for a longer period of time.
The same goes for your household appliances and other belongings. Although you may find that a smart thermostat or eco-friendly refrigerator is more expensive at the outset, they will ultimately pay for themselves in energy cost savings. In addition, with a higher-quality product, you save money that would otherwise be spent on repairs and replacements that would be necessary for lower-quality items.
Use Tech to Go Green
By investing in long-lasting, sustainable, and energy-efficient products, you can significantly reduce both your energy usage and your waste footprint. Take the time to assess your day-to-day activities and how technology can facilitate your eco-friendly lifestyle!
Guest post by: Bret Engle |
DiyGuys.net
bret.engle@diyguys.net