Make your living room more eco-friendly

* Sponsored post 

If you’re looking to do your part for the environment, it can seem overwhelming when you’re not sure where to start. Your house is a great place to get started as you’ll likely spend a lot of time there - particularly if you’re working from home. It may help you to start with a single room and move on from there, rather than trying to tackle the whole house. 

Here are a few ideas to help you make your living room more environmentally friendly, from little changes to big overhauls:

Shop locally

Shopping locally is one of the greatest ways to help the environment while supporting local businesses and artisans. Independent stores are likely to have fewer CO2 emissions, especially if you need them to deliver something - it’s always good to choose a place that is close to you.

Larger companies are huge contributors to CO2 emissions, and while they may seem convenient, if you live in a town or city you will likely have most of what you need on your doorstep. Whether that’s small decorating shops or furniture stores, think about independent and local first.

Vintage / Secondhand

Another way you can help create a more eco-friendly space is by trying to buy second-hand items from charity shops, garage sales or flea markets. You can sometimes find little treasures that would look great in your house, so you can give some items a new lease of life. This could apply to any decoration item but also furniture, pillows, throws, etc.

The constant demand for new products is a huge problem for the environment. Between the manufacturing processes and dealing with waste, reducing how many ‘new’ things we buy can help. Vintage or secondhand items are then not only great to do your bit, but you can find truly unique pieces.

Eco-friendly appliances

Reducing how much energy you consume in your house is also an important part of protecting the environment. You’re likely to have a few devices and appliances in your living room, whether that’s your TV, a computer, lights… You may not be able to replace everything in one go, but swapping lightbulbs for low-energy ones is a small change that’s easy to make and can have a big impact on your bills and energy consumption! Don’t forget that your usage also matters (i.e. turning everything at the wall - we see you putting your TV on standby!).

It’s worth also thinking about appliances you may not consider, such as your radiators. They’re a huge part of your energy consumption - especially in winter - so it’s worth considering if you need to invest. While it can seem like a steep investment at first, the savings on your heating bills will be worth it. 

Aluminium radiators are the most eco-friendly options out there, but there are plenty of options depending on the rooms and how you use your heating. For example, you won’t need the same thing in your living room and your bathroom, where an electric heated towel rail could be enough to warm up the space.

Whatever you go for, try to look for low energy options for all your devices and appliances and you’ll see everything quickly add up.

Buy plants

Having indoor plants has become a design phenomenon over the last decade. Everyone wants those lush ferns and bright succulents to add a natural vibe to their home, but when you are buying a new plant, make sure you don't buy the plastic pots and chemical-based fertilizers often found with them.

Not only is it eco-friendly (plants convert carbon dioxide in the home into oxygen) but houseplants are also known to help improve mental health.

 

Once you’ve tackled a room, you can always move on to another. The important thing is to take it step by step and to be kind to yourself. It’s pretty hard to overhaul your life overnight! Hopefully, these few tips will have inspired you to start making a change and you have a better idea of how to get started!