10 Nifty Ways You Can Be More Environmentally Friendly At Home

6. Use fluorescent light bulbs.

They even last longer than regular bulbs, up to as much as 10 times longer to be exact! By using Energy Star electronic items and light bulbs, you are cutting down on using energy at home and slicing your electricity bill — who doesn’t want that! The effect of using these in homes across the world has save billions in utility bills and cut down greenhouse gas emission immensely.

7. Unplug appliances.

Unplug appliances when you aren’t using them such as phone and laptop charges as they keep circulating electricity when there is no device plugged in. Standby power is not environmentally friendly, so unplug kettles, toasters and any other appliances when not in use, especially lights in rooms and bathrooms.

8. Use elbow grease.

Wash the dishes by hand to save power on the dishwasher which uses a ton to heat water up and cycle, also use cold water when washing clothes for the same effect. Let dishes dry and hang clothes up after washing to cut down on appliances usage like dryers and are massive electricity savers.

9. Switch from tampons and pads to a menstrual cups.

Women on average use about 12,000 tampons in their lifetime and take up to 50 years to completely decompose so they really aren’t sustainable. Though there’s a solution to help out the environment which is menstrual cups, these little guys are a great environmentally friendly way to help out. Menstrual cups are a reusable solution that work exactly like tampons though instead of absorbing fluids, they catch the period and are then cleaned and reinserted.

Our Pick: This Lunette Menstrual Cup

10. Use Environmentally Friendly Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is one thing everyone uses, everyday so why is it important to switch to an eco friendly one? Most of the time eco-friendly toilet paper dissolves faster in water than standard toilet paper this means that it reduces sewerage blockages and therefore lowers plumbing maintenance costs. Surpisingly, eco-friendly toilet paper is cost-effective (in some cases, it’s no more expensive than standard toilet paper). Along with this, by purchasing eco friendly or bamboo toilet paper, you are supporting the environment by purchasing forest-friendly products which help reduce the destruction of trees. Small actions like these are a major help to the environment by not investing in industries which effect our planet in a negative way.

Our Pick: Spacewhite Premium Bamboo Toilet Paper

Do you have other nifty ways to be more environmentally friendly at home?

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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