Sustainable Living Tips for an Eco-Friendly Home

 

Round table with bouquet of fresh gentle peonies in vase composed with wineglasses and coffee cups on terrace of classic styled mansion under cloudy sky

Going green inside your luxury home is easier than you think.

No matter where you are in the world, you have probably experienced the effects of climate change in one way or another. Rising temperature, extreme weather conditions, longer droughts—the impact of these changes are devastating. But rather than feeling overwhelmed, you can help by learning and practicing simple ways to lessen your personal impact on the environment while staying inside your  luxury house and lot.

There is no denying that a problem as big as an environmental crisis requires big solutions on a global scale. Still, there are small changes you can make in your daily life that can make a huge difference. Remember that in trying times, every effort counts. So here is a powerful way to start: practice sustainable living.

But First, What is Sustainable Living?

A Woman Harvesting Red Peppers and Tomatoes at the Garden

Sustainable living is more than just a buzzword—it’s a way of life. (Photo from Unsplash)

Having sustainable lifestyles, or green living means you are aware of how every choice you make in your lifestyle can have a positive or negative impact on the environment. That being so, you become mindful about the food you eat, the products you buy, or the energy you use inside your home.

Suggested Read: 10 Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Tips to Practice | Brittany Corporation

The main goals of sustainable living are rooted to cutting back wastes, minimizing consumption, and prioritizing the use of clean energy. This way, people’s current needs can be met without depleting the resources that the next generations will need to survive.

Ahead are some of the ways you can practice sustainable living inside your luxury house and lot.

Ways to Go Greener inside Your Luxury Home

Even though the world is slowly returning to normal following a pandemic, the new normal has forced the majority of people to spend the majority of their time indoors, according to the new normal. After all is said and done, there is no better place to practice green living habits than one’s own residence. Try to:

1. Ditch single-use plastics to help reduce carbon emissions

Plastic goods can degrade over a period of 20 to 500 years, depending on their composition. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that they are one of the most significant contributors to waste pollution throughout the world. The worst aspect is that the majority of plastic waste ends up in the ocean, where it poses a threat to marine life.

How can you help? Reduce the number of single-use plastics in your luxury home and on your property, and you will reduce your plastic waste significantly. Some household essentials, for example, might be replaced with ecologically friendly versions of their conventional counterparts:

  • Use loofahs or any natural sponge instead of plastic bath and dishwashing sponges
  • Switch bottled shampoos and body wash with natural shampoo bars and soap
  • Store leftover food with silicone covers or beeswax wrap instead of ziplock bags

In addition, bringing your own eco-friendly grocery bags and tumblers with you the next time you go grocery shopping outside will also help you cut down on your usage of plastic packaging.

2. Go green with your home-cooked meals

A cooked local food on white bowl

Go hearty and eco-friendly for dinner. (Photo from Unsplash)

Home cooked plant-based meals are not just good for your health—they are better for the planet too. Research shows that the meat industry is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Not to mention the large amount of water used to run the industry.

If you are truly determined to eating healthier and more ecologically friendly meals at home, you can also adopt a vegan diet. However, this will demand your whole commitment and dedication to these sustainable living practices in order to be successful.

But if you don’t feel like eating vegetables all the time and becoming a fully fledged vegetarian, then what can you do to help? A simple reduction on your meat consumption by consuming more plant-based foods. Just by eating vegetarian for at least one meal per week, you can make a significant dent on your carbon usage. Substitute heart-healthy foods such as lentils and tofu for meat in your meals.

3. Check your house regularly for possible leaks

Leaky faucets and pipes can waste huge amounts of water if left unattended. How often you should check for leaks will depend on your home. Others may need to be checked once or twice a month. Most luxury homes in the Philippines are built with high-quality materials, so inspecting them once or twice a year will suffice. Regardless, make sure to act immediately when you suspect any leaks, including drippy faucets. Water is an important natural resource—and it is also limited.  Every small act you can do to help conserve it is important.

Due to the ease with which we may obtain water, it is possible that we will fail to recognize how crucial it is to save water. What we don’t realize is that water resources are slowly diminishing as a result of our inefficient use of this essential resource, which turns it into a source of waste. We must protect it not just for ourselves, but certainly for future generations as well.

Suggested Read: Smart Ways to Organize your Home |Brittany Corporation

4. Compost your food waste

Crop unrecognizable gardener in gloves and jeans planting green plants into fertile soil while working in garden on summer day

Turn your food scraps into an organic fertilizer. (Photo from Unsplash)

Have you ever wondered where the majority of your food waste ends up? Landfills. Food scraps are a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions around the world, ranking second only to livestock manure. When it comes to reducing the amount of garbage that your household generates and sends to the landfill, composting your food waste is an excellent option.

Composting at home is a natural way to decompose organic matters like veggie peels, fruit scraps, egg shells, and other food scraps. On top of clearing out your trash in a sustainable way, the compost you made in the process will also give you a rich fertilizer for your plants.

Spacious community of Vista Alabang at Portofino Heights | Brittany Corporation

Many luxury homes in the Philippines, like the Portofino Courtyard Homes by Brittany, feature a spacious balcony or courtyard. If you have an available outdoor space like so, set up a compost area that you can convert into a mini garden along the way. If you have kids at home, composting could also be a fun way to build their eco-friendly habits.

5. Give your home an “energy-saving” makeover

A typical luxury home and lot requires a significant amount of energy on a daily basis. Furthermore, because the vast majority of people spend the most of their time indoors, it can be difficult to drastically reduce household energy use.

But going green at home does not mean you should install solar panels on your roof right now (although renewable energy is also good for the environment.) There are some little swaps you can do to make your luxury home become energy efficient. First off, install energy-saving light bulbs. They provide efficient lighting by using less energy than incandescent lights. It is also great to have natural light inside your home to have a vibrant feel and have a more sustainable life

Another tip: Laptops have displaced the desktop computer as the preferred mode of computing. Most laptops conserve energy than desktop computers because they may be used for extended periods of time even when not connected to a power source. In addition, some laptops have a power-saving mode, which reduces the amount of energy they consume even further. If your laptop is capable of handling your desktop activities, you should consider switching.

6. Add plants to your home to reduce carbon footprint

green plant in white ceramic pot

Some indoor pants are natural air-coolants. (Photo from Unsplash)

When plants “sweat” or release moisture in the air, it can bring down a warm room’s temperature by as much as 10 degrees. That is why bringing some greeneries inside your luxury home can help regulate indoor temperatures. As a result, you can cut back on the energy your house uses on air conditioners.

Here are some of the best houseplants that will keep your home fresh and cool:

  • Rubber Plant
  • Chinese Evergreen
  • Palms
  • Mother-in-law’s tongue
  • Travelers Palm

As a result of their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, plants in your house are an excellent method to reduce your carbon usage. In addition, the fact that they have a rejuvenating effect, aesthetic elements, and attractive components are just a plus!

Suggested Read: Grow Healthy Plants Through Composting | Brittany Corporation

7. Plan your family for more sustainable lifestyle

Family Walking on Path

Whether you have a large or small family is entirely up to you and depends on your own preferences. Although it is important to consider the potential repercussions of population increase and climate change on the future, we should not neglect to do so.

As of this writing, the world’s population totals more than 7.5 billion people. Furthermore, the population’s desire for food, water, and other natural resources is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem and on other living things, leading them to suffer. Choosing to have fewer children can assist to reduce overconsumption while also lowering the carbon on the earth.

The Bottomline: Sustainable Living is about Making Better Choices for the Planet and for Everyone Who Call it Home

Will you try any of the sustainable living tips mentioned above? There are many ways to embrace a green and sustainable way of life, and some of them take more effort and dedication than others. Ultimately, living sustainable means doing what you can to make the earth a better place.

Raphael house model at Portofino Heights, Vista Alabang | Brittany Corporation

Brittany Corporation always put sustainability at the core of its developments. As one of the biggest developers of luxury properties in the Philippines, Brittany aims to provide the best homes and communities that will encourage every family to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. If every person, group, and corporation on the planet does their part, these small ways add up and make a difference for all living things. Combined efforts can build a sustainable population that can experience a better standard of living for everyone—humans, wildlife, and the planet.

Visit Brittany’s official property page to learn more about the beautiful thematic offerings available in Brittany, or follow us on our social media accounts, including Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!