Living sustainably is one of those terms we hear all the time. Truth be told, it’s something many of us are becoming very passionate about. Thinking about the harm we do to the planet is an important factor we need to consider in our daily actions. Part of that is making sure we decorate our homes in a way that won’t leave as much of a carbon footprint. Sustainable living doesn’t have to be as hard as you think!
That’s why we’ve written this article about some of the different ways we can make better decisions when decorating our homes. From choosing organic, plant-based room accessories to making sure we find items that are recyclable after use. There are so many easy and just-as-beautiful ways to make sure you can live in style. Whilst knowing that you are doing your bit for the environment.
Choose Plant Based Accessories
First of all, make conscious choices when choosing room accessories by only opting for organic materials. Luckily for us, this look is really on-trend anyway. From woven rattan rugs to place under your coffee table to minimalist round cork dinner mats for when hosting. Not forgetting wicker baskets for potting plants inside as well as ‘70s winged back chairs made from the same material! And let’s not forget wood. Why not get in touch with a local carpenter who hand carves furniture. Ensuring you’re choosing items that’ve been made by hand rather than energy-fuelled machinery? Or, have you thought about going one step further and only choosing bedding, cushion covers and blankets made from bamboo? So soft and so much more earth-friendly! All are so much better options than plastic and are produced with less CO2 emissions and will biodegrade quicker.
Buy Recycled Decor Options
If you really want to reduce your global footprint, then always opt for recycled decor instead of objects made from new materials. There are so many recycled plastic options out there and they all come in different textures and colours. So you’re sure to find items that will suit your home’s style. From beautiful plastic wall art, drinking cups and bowls, clock frames, vases and oh so much more!
You can even find beautiful recycled glass with stunning bubble effect tumblers. In blues, greens and pinks as well as pretty bottles to display flowers. Why not even treat yourself to a colourful recycled newspaper bowl to display your fruit in?
The only chance you can buy plastic is when an object has been made with recycled plastic. Have you thought about buying items made with recycled glass?
Choose Wood Flooring
There are a number of reasons why a wood floor, especially engineered wood flooring, is considered to be better for the environment. The main reason being is that most manufacturers use less wood to create engineered floors than they would with a solid wood floor.
With engineered wood floors, it’s generally only the surface that’s made from solid wood, meaning the majority of it is usually plywood. This results in less waste during the manufacturing process.
With floors made from solid wood, the entire length of each plank is created from a single piece of a tree trunk, meaning even the part underneath that you can’t see, is real wood. Engineered wood floors are said to use up to a third less wood. The less trees that can be cut down, the better it is for the environment of course.
There’s also the fact that engineered wood floors need less maintenance than sold wood floors and are more stable. Meaning they are less likely to warp overtime, and will need replacing less often.
Make Sure You Choose Recyclable
When giving rooms makeovers, don’t just go for the cheapest and easiest options. Research those big items beforehand and make sure you can recycle them or at least reuse/repurpose them afterwards. For instance, when finding beautiful baby room accessories, choose items that can be recycled such as recyclable wallpaper. This is important in children’s bedrooms as they grow so quickly and of course, their decor needs changing more regularly to suit their age group!
For more ideas, you could even opt for paper lanterns as lampshades knowing that they will be recyclable when they become dated! The same goes for glass ornaments – they too can be recycled once you grow tired of them! Of course, this will all depend on the area where you live and what can be recycled near you. Always visit your local recycling site to see what you can dispose of with care.
Fix It – Don’t Throw It
If you really want to make a big step towards changing your carbon footprint, then stop throwing decor away as easily. If it is broken, fix it!
Turn up your sewing skills for fabric items that often get ripped and torn: body towels and tea towels, bedding, throws, rugs, curtains, etc. Once you get started, you’ll be offering to fix up your family and friends’ items!
Get friendly with a hot glue gun. Perfect for fixing near enough anything, spending a little on one of these will really come in handy! For when you accidentally broke your nana’s vase, your old photo frames started to fall apart and more, you will need your little gluing friend!
When something breaks, just take a look for an online tutorial video! You’re sure to find easy hacks on how to fix almost anything! Just don’t throw it away… And even if you’ve fixed it and still don’t want it, donate it to a charity shop or to someone you know who would love it.
