5 Easy Swaps That Make Your Home Way More Sustainable
Written by Bailey Kennedy
This is part of our sustainability series, as we look for ways to help contribute to a sustainable future for our country, and our planet.
Many of us know it’s a problem. We consume endless amounts of energy, create mounds of waste, and toss Amazon boxes in piles in the garage for our partners to break down. But where can we start to try and reduce our carbon footprint at home? Check out these easy swaps and start making positive changes that will make impacts in and beyond your home:
Here are 5 easy shifts you can make at home this spring:
Buy Zero Waste Batteries
Get a Water Filter
Buy Less, and Buy Better
Buy Cleaning Supplies That Use Less Water
Consider Reusable Towels Instead of Paper Towels
Buy Zero Waste Batteries
Yes – they exist! The world’s first carbon neutral, alkaline battery with a built-in recycling program and a zero landfill commitment is produced by Better Battery Co. (BBCo.).
BBCo is a female-founded and led company headed by Jaclyn Byles and Jessica Jenkins, who saw a massive opportunity with a simple product. As sisters, and mothers they wanted to ensure the best future possible for their children, and that includes a healthy planet. They also are moms and if you have young children at home, you most likely have a never ending need for batteries. They did too, and it inspired a desire to streamline ways to ensure having household necessities (like batteries) on hand,organized and ready when you need them. Not only was supply on their minds, but a sustainable way of disposing of them was too. Switching everyday essentials (like batteries) is often one of the simplest ways families can start making more responsible choices.
Many of us make the effort to recycle paper, drive electric cars, and save water, but toss our used batteries in the landfill. When they get there they corrode and leak toxic heavy metals (like lead, mercury, cadmium) and other corrosive chemicals into the soil and groundwater, contaminating ecosystems and water supplies. Battery recycling and carbon offsetting is a simple yet ingenious solution to this too-long-overlooked problem. Not only do they have their own built in recycling program, but of course they went one step further and their packaging is plastic-free, and recyclable.
If you’re wondering how well they work — BBCo batteries are independently tested to perform on par with leading national brands, creating sustainability without sacrificing performance.
Get A Water Filter
How is a water filter sustainable? If you have readily available filtered water at home, you are more likely to pack that water to go, reducing the need to buy a prepacked bottle or use a plastic cup to quench your thirst when you’re out and about. While that is the most obvious answer for reducing waste, and one that has widespread adoption in Canada (hello water refill stations!) there is another big advantage to having a water filter installed in your home.
Having a filter isn’t just for the kitchen sink, or the fridge. also get one that filters all the water in your home. This can extend the life of your appliances, help your skincare routine and allow your hair to thrive. Many Canadian cities have extremely hard water, and while a water softener is a wonderful tool, it won’t ensure the best quality water for drinking and cooking.
Hard water can slow down appliances like your kettle and coffee maker, causing a build up of calcium and lyme, which shortens the life span of the appliance. Using filtered water can greatly extend the life of your machines, and reduce landfill waste. For drinking and cooking water, you can get a refillable gravity jug that sits on your counter, stows away in the fridge, or even install a line directly in your kitchen.
My favorite water filter is the Waterdrop basin that we can refill from the tap. Knowing we will be moving soon, we didn’t want to invest in the full-house system, but in our forever home, we will definitely be opting for that! We’vealready had to replace our dishwasher, and faucets and know that our pipes' lifespan are truly affected based on the hard water present in our area.
Buy Less, and Buy Better
There isn't much you can do to slow down time and keep your kids little for longer, but there is something you can do about how you shop for them. While fast fashion brands offer reasonably priced clothing, it's tempting to stock up on cheap, low quality clothes for your kids when you know they are going to outgrow them in months. But what does that do? It often just leaves piles of clothes that can't be passed down, wear thin and don't wash up nicely. I’ve started to purchase higher quality clothes that have resale value, or can be passed down to siblings, friends and family, as well as accepting hand-me-downs or seeking out second hand items from consignment stores or similar.
If you’re looking for things other than clothes, you can also consider thrifting or antiquing. Lately I’ve noticed that the “new” furniture I’ve purchased can’t compare to the100 year old pieces we have inherited or purchased second-hand.
Buy Cleaning Supplies That Use Less Water
We recently made the switch to laundry detergent sheets, and my life has changed. Both my husband and daughter have ultra sensitive skin, and it's been a struggle to find laundry detergents that don’t irritate their skin or cause eczema flare ups but that actually gets the clothes clean. Switching to Tru Earth laundry sheets seems to get the job done, leaves our clothes smelling fresh and leaves my family rash-free.
We also recently switched to a brand called Branch Basics which uses a cleaning concentrate that you mix with water for dishes, laundry and everyday cleaning. It has completely simplified my cleaning routine with no harsh chemicals, and just one simple product that lasts for ages.
Consider Reusable Towels Instead of Paper Towels
Ever feel like you go through two rolls of paper towel a day? I do. Life with a toddler is messy. There are lots of reliable paper towel options out there from rags you can wind up into a roll, to the squares that you can squeeze out and resume using like a heavy duty washcloth.
Making sustainable swaps in your home doesn't have to be hard, it can be simple, and even fun! The best thing you can do for our planet is to pay attention. Read labels, think about the amount of packaging or waste your next purchase comes in and pause before purchasing things that only serve one use.