There are many benefits to going green and recycling at home. Going green does not always have to be a costly affair. Here are some simple but overlooked recycling Ideas that can help you reduce your carbon and water footprints and make your home an eco-friendly habitat for your family.
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Installing Solar Panels
When it comes to recycling ideas, the use of solar panels in a home is an eco-friendly and efficient way to save energy costs. Although solar panels might be costly to install initially, they are a long-term investment that could potentially save you money in the long run.
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Energy-efficient Lighting
LED light bulbs offer high cost and energy savings because they use less electricity. In addition, they do not need to be replaced as often as the traditional incandescent bulbs. For this reason, energy-efficient lightbulbs are a great recycling idea!
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Recycling Bins
Buy recycling bins for recycling storage containers and paper around the house. Make sure to sort out the recyclable waste such as old cardboard and plastic bottles before throwing it in the bins. The recycled plastics can be reused for food storage making it a great dual recycling idea.
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Reuse
Reusing items in your home can help to save money. Items such as glass jars and old coffee canisters can be reused to store bulk pantry items, such as bathroom containers or desk organizers.
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Turn Off Lights and Appliances When Not in Use
Switching lights off and remembering to unplug devices such as phone chargers and laptops when not in use is one of the simplest ways to reduce energy consumption at home.
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Composting
You can turn any food waste and kitchen scraps into compost instead of throwing them away. You can scrape any leftover food into compost bins and simply leave it over for some time. This compost will, in turn, be useful manure for the garden. Likewise, this makes it another great dual recycling idea.
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Water Conserving Fixtures
Invest in low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilet cisterns in order to conserve water at home. In addition, always ensure to only use as much water as you need for cleaning around the house.
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Cook Your Food
Buying takeout almost every day is expensive and inevitably ends up with a miniature heap of plastic packaging waste. Making your own food is a healthy and safe way to preserve the environment. You can also bring your lunch to work in reusable containers.
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Install a Smart Meter
Having a smart meter in your home is an ingenious way to conserve energy consumed by boilers and water heating systems. A smart meter can be programmed to be on only when the heating devices are in use and can be used to monitor your electricity consumption.
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Take Your Clothes Out to Dry
We all love the feeling of pulling a fresh pair of pants out of the dryer. However, dryers are enormous energy consumption hogs. You are better off hanging your clothes outside from time to time and letting nature do what it does best.