1. Say No to Plastic

Plastics contribute largely to greenhouse gases so try to reduce the amount of plastics that you accumulate and better yet, just say no to plastic altogether. Eco-friendly ideas include using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags for shopping, using reusable aluminium or glass water bottles and coffee cups instead of plastic water bottles and takeaway coffee cups, and lastly using metal straws instead of plastic straws, even when ordering takeaways or in a restaurant.

2. Use CFL or LED lights

Energy-saving light bulbs are the best choice that you can make if you want to conserve energy in your home. They significantly save energy usage (about 75% less energy) and last up to 10 times longer in comparison to incandescent light bulbs.

3. Recycle & Reuse Items

Continue to recycle trash waste where you can; however, also think about what items in the home you can start to recycle more of and what you can start to reuse in order to reduce your consumption. These can include items such as toilet paper, plastic wrap, furniture, clothing, and packaging materials. Ideas to start incorporating are to switch your toilet paper to recycled toilet paper that hasn’t been made with trees such as this one here and to switch your plastic wrap to reusable food wraps like these ones here.

4. Choose Paperless

Recycling paper is always a great first step; however, it’s great to just use less as this is ultimately better for the planet. Less paper means less trees are being used to make the paper in the first place. Instead of having all of your bills, updates, and statements sent in the mail have them sent online. Many companies have an option to choose paperless and it’s quite an easy process. You can also start using your smartphone or computer to take notes or make lists where you need.

5. Decrease Your Trash

This one goes in line with recycling, if you can cut your trash in half you will be significantly helping to reduce greenhouse gases and pollution caused by landfills. Make sure to recycle any plastic, glass, aluminium, cans, and paper of any kind. Another extremely effective way to reduce your trash is to use a compost bin. Toss any food scraps into this sleek countertop bin and you’ll see your trash loads get significantly smaller.

6. Get Conscious About Insulation

Your home should be well-insulated, meaning that it stays cool in summer and warm in winter. This will reduce the amount of air conditioning used and in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Start using ceiling fans and air fans when it’s hot in order to reduce your air conditioning costs in the summer. Try to also bundle up with warm blankets like the ones here. They will be sure to keep you warm so that you can save energy on heating in the winter or you can use energy-efficient space heaters to keep you warm.

Save on air conditioning costs by incorporating a skylight into your home like we have done in the kitchen skylight at the Barefoot Bay Villa in Byron Bay. This saves you from having to turn on the air conditioning as the hot air is let out through the sky lights. We used skylights from Velux – check their products out here.

7. Use Energy-Saving Appliances

Most of the appliances in your home can be replaced for more efficient, energy-saving and water-saving appliances. Some of these appliances include energy-saving dishwashers, refrigerators, water heaters, and dryers, as well as water-saving shower heads and washers. If you’re looking to upgrade your old appliances, have a look for new appliances that have the Energy Star label in order to find the most energy efficient choice for your home. You can also use the energy rating calculator website here to check and compare the effectiveness of your current appliances.

8. Consider Investing in Solar Panels

If your home is in Australia, you’re in luck thanks to the intense Australian sun. Investing in solar panels in Australia will considerably reduce your energy emissions. However, no matter where you are in the world, solar panels are worth the investment as solar energy is a truly renewable energy source.

9. Start Planting More Trees

If you have a backyard, start planting more trees where you can. This will help to purify the air and offset some carbon emissions. If you’re tight on space in your garden, you can always plant trees in big pots such as the ones here from Balcony Garden. If you don’t have a backyard, you can always seek out tree planting events in your area or community co-up gardens that need volunteers to help plant trees.

10. Reduce Your Air & Car Travel

If you travel by air frequently, this alone will be one of the biggest components to your personal carbon footprint. So, the best way to make a difference is to reduce the amount of flights you take or use alternate methods of transport such as travelling by train. Another way to reduce your carbon footprint is to drive less and start carpooling, biking, or riding public transport.

If every person reading this made minor changes to their lifestyles, we could all reduce our carbon footprints and help save the planet sooner rather than later.

Looking to get started on reducing your carbon footprint today? You can explore our Designer’s Edit of eco-friendly and socially responsible products that we love and will ultimately make an enormous difference for the future of the planet.