How to be more mindful and make your home more sustainable

A pandemic has subsided recently and there are disasters hitting a new part of the world every other week. Climate change is staring at us and so is the impact of our mindless habits on the external environment. Being conscious and more mindful can no longer remain just a buzzword but something that must be made an integral part of everything we do -- right from the products we consume to how what we use at home. However, a sustainable home is about more than just segregating your waste and calling it a day! Right from how you consume water to the kind of products you use to clean, cook, and do other activities, it must be weaved into your homes seamlessly. Here are some tips that can help.

Use natural cleaning products

Using products that are laden with chemicals is as bad for us as the environment. When they get washed away, you are simply throwing it back into the water supply, making them unsafe for consumption and dangerous for marine life as well. Conventional cleaning products also harm the skin and eyes. Make sure you buy natural products that are free of toxins and chemicals. Nowadays, there are green marketplaces online that showcase only those products that have been certified as toxin-free, eco-friendly, and sustainable.

Recycle and reuse

Recycling not only helps in reducing the use of energy and fresh raw materials but also the associated challenges in the long term. This includes the disposal of waste and increasing our carbon footprint. You can upcycle furniture, repolish them, change its color, and give them an entirely new look. A fresh coat of paint and regular maintenance can ensure that the products can be used for a longer time without the need to buy new ones.

Ditch the disposables

Using disposables like plastic utensils to other products like diapers, napkins, etc., all contribute to waste in landfills. Instead, use what you can reuse. Use refillable bottles and cloth bags when going out. If you do have disposable items at home such as plastic bottles, try to repurpose them with crafty ideas available all over the internet. Turn plastic bottles into planters, and containers into organizers. This may not really remove material from the waste stream but it will prevent you from buying anything new for some time.

Reboot your wardrobe

Buy new clothes only as per need. A good way to ensure sustainability in clothing is to opt for pre-loved garments or upcycle existing ones in some way. Some fabrics are better than others and have a lower environmental impact as well. Brands that keep introducing new products may just be sustainable by name. It is a good idea to check for options on a green marketplace that will only have products that are certified.

Energy-efficient lighting

An important feature of a sustainable home, energy-efficient lights or LEDs last many more years and contain no mercury. At the outset, try and utilize natural light effectively and for the remaining part, select the right LED lights to improve your energy usage.

Making a complete switch to a conscious lifestyle right at the outset may be difficult. Baby steps are the key.

Understand the impact of the products you use on your health and that of the family – and then the larger environment as well.

Keeping these aspects in mind, take one small step at a time to understand labels, and the ingredients that go into products, and then find them on green marketplaces which stock them specifically.

A sustainable home need not be just a pipe dream, but a reality that is as beautiful as it is good for your health and that of the world at large.