What Does It Really Take To Create A No Waste Home?

Compared to previous generations, Millennials are exceedingly aware of the risks that the human presence poses to the planet. As a result, the majority of households that have adopted environmentally friendly approaches are populated by Millennial homeowners or tenants.

Through timers, smart switch and discipline, most households bring their energy consumption down – which also benefits their budgets. The second aspect of an environmentally friendly attitude is to limit wastes. Consequently, more and more households choose to monitor their grocery shopping. With 35 millions tons of food wasted every year in the US, keeping track of your consumption can save you up to $2,200 as well as protect the planet. Organic wastes are used as nutrients for the soil and kept in compost bins by the garden. In short, green homes look after their waste. But households have still a long way to go before we can talk about eliminating all the wastes.

You need to change your habits

Reducing your wastes at home takes a little more than unplugging your phone when it’s charged or reducing your grocery shopping list. You need to actively engage on a green path in your everyday home activities to address another harmful type of waste: Plastic waste. Plastic is essentially used in the packaging of most toiletries and food. In other words, mindful shopping is the key to tackle the plastic invasion. For women, for instance, this also means switching your tampon for a menstrual cup, which is reusable. Additionally, you need to be aware of the waste potential of your suppliers. For instance, buying from a supplier who doesn’t waste resources such as Everlane for denim fashion can also deliver a positive impact on the planet.

Are there previous waste issues to address?

Your household might be controlling its waste generation, but how about the house structure? If you’re unsure of the impact that your property can have on the environment, such as whether the extension you intend to build might put ecological pressure to the wildlife around you or whether your gardening products are damaging to the soil, you can get in touch with experts from an environmental science laboratory. Understanding how your home affects the ecosystem can be decisive in choosing the best renovation and improvement solutions for the future. Additionally, you can also ask consultants to introduce you to eco-friendly architects and building companies.

Can you generate your energy?

The model for a green home is to create a property that generates its own energy, which limits the pressures on the planet’s natural resources. Harvard House Zero’s project proposes to solve the climate change dilemma by creating more energy than it requires. The project successfully modified an existing structure to address the global environmental challenges. Ultimately, in the long term, there will be a viable solution for homes to reduce their energy consumption significantly. However, in the meantime, House Zero remains an expensive project for most households.

In conclusion, reducing the waste, you create at home is an ongoing project. While you can address most factors through a change of lifestyle, it’s fair to say that extensive works that may benefit the environment are often too expensive to be carried out. Does it mean that future homeowners shouldn’t care about the planet? No. It’s up to our modern institutions to find financing solutions to make the world a greener place.