Green Your House

There’s no need to demolish and start from scratch to enjoy the benefits of a greener home. Building an eco-friendly-clad abode is fantastic and a great source of inspiration for budding greenies, but small DYI alterations can be just as rewarding. Here we’ll look at everything from creating an eco-home to the contents that weld everything together. You’ll also find DIY tips so easy there’s no excuse not to give them a go today!

Green With Ease

To get the ball rolling here are ten simple tips you can do to welcome a greener living environment today. With kitchens one of the biggest energy sucking sites in your home, it’s great place to start.

1. Take advantage of natural light. If your kitchen boasts large windows you should be able to utilise natural light for most of the day. Windows also provide free ventilation. If renovations are on the cards, think light colored materials to help brighten the space.
2. Again, if you’re renovating consider including a convenient recycle station. Lets face it, visiting the garage to put cans in the recycle bin is a hassle. Make it easy for you and your family by setting aside two bins for paper and cans and bottles etc and hide away in a pull-out kitchen cupboard.
3. Switch to biodegradable, eco-friendly cleaning products. We recommend Ecover. Its Multi-Surface Cleaner (RRP $3.94 - 4.93) is a must for kitchens. With a light lemon fragrance, this non-toxic all purpose cleaner naturally and hygienically cleans all hard washable surfaces. Bottle and label are made of polyethylene, the cap of polypropylene, both of which are 100% recyclable.
4. Buy cotton dishcloths that can be washed and reused. Steer clear of disposable varieties.
5. Binning food scraps is a huge waste of landfill space. Not only that, garden waste and kitchen scraps break down into methane, a potentially explosive greenhouse gas. Why not compost leftovers and spare the landfills? It’s as easy as filling a bucket with fruit and veges, or composting straight onto your garden. Click on the following link to learn more about composting and get started today - http://www.reducerubbish.govt.nz/compost/index.html
6. Using pot and pan lids when cooking not only saves energy, but also speeds up the cooking process. It’s also wise to use the right size pot for the job and use on the right size element.
7. Reduce operating and maintenance costs by investing in energy efficient appliances. Think carefully about size and what you and your family really need. When shopping around look for the Energy Star - a global mark of energy efficiency awarded to the most energy efficiency appliances and products. For more info visit www.energystar.govt.nz.
8. Limber up that green thumb and grow your own greens. If the thought of a full-fledged vege garden is too much, start by growing your own herbs in small pots on your window sill. Once you’ve mastered that, reap the rewards of serving fresh produce from your very own vege patch.
9. Try not to use cling film (glad wrap) or tin foil. Reduce usage of these items where possible by using reusable containers.
10. Consider buying in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging. For example, I buy a large pot of yoghurt and transfer into smaller re-usable pots (mustard containers are a good size) for my husband and I to take to work.

Stockist Details:

Ecover products are available at selected health stores, supermarkets and specialist stores nationwide. For more information on Ecover see www.ecover.co.nz.

We’d Love To Hear About Any Tips You Have!

Post us your comments below. Also you can share these tips with your friends and help them to make the transition to Easy Green Living!