If you’ve been curious about green living and making eco-friendly changes around your home, you’re probably interested in saving on energy costs and making a difference for the planet! Implementing small changes can help you to reduce waste, conserve energy and water, and minimize your carbon footprint. What’s not to love about that?

Our team believes in making a difference where we can, which is why we’ve gathered some helpful tips and ideas for creating a more sustainable living environment within your household. Not all tips require a significant investment, either. For instance, natural light is beneficial for the health of your eyes and can help you save on lighting costs so raise the blinds when you wake up!

What Is Sustainable Living Anyway?

Making the shift to a more sustainable lifestyle doesn’t have to be stressful and difficult. Small changes can add up quickly. Sustainable living is all about understanding how one’s lifestyle choices impact the world around them and finding ways to emphasize environmentally friendly behaviors and reduce the negative impact we may be unwittingly leaving on our planet.

Luckily, there are a wide variety of ways that homeowners can practice green living at home. Starting small is encouraged, as making a multitude of changes all at once can be overwhelming and unsustainable. Try creating new habits throughout the year to create a healthier home for you and your family. In many cases, these changes can boost the value of your home and property!

Tips & DIY Projects to Boost Your Home’s Sustainability 

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get started towards a greener lifestyle, the following list is a great place to begin. In some cases, simply changing your habits can help kickstart your home towards the direction of a greener future — such as repurposing food scraps and adjusting your thermostat settings.

Practice Rainwater Harvesting

Instead of allowing rainwater to run off, consider setting up a system to catch the rainfall for later use. This is a great option for those with a garden, as you can opt to reuse the rainwater when it’s time to hydrate your plants instead of turning on the water hose. In Michigan, it’s completely legal to harvest rainwater and no regulations exist at this time — so feel free to set up a barrel or even a few buckets you may have lying around in the garage next time stormy weather rolls in.

Invest in Energy Efficient Upgrades

As your appliances inevitably need to be replaced, opt for more energy-efficient models. Over time, you’ll see lower energy bills and your household will be doing its part in reducing emissions. While the most efficient models often cost more upfront, they reduce utility costs that will likely cover the initial investment in the long run. Per the US Environmental Protection Agency, these energy-efficient appliance models can use up to 50% less energy and water than the conventional models.

Install a Water Filter

If you find yourself reliant on bottled water, ditch the single-use plastic and opt instead for a filtration system for your home, such as a whole-house water filter or an under-the-sink filter. Sustainable water treatment methods include ultrafiltration, which is a process similar to reverse osmosis or ceramic water filtration, which has been shown to be highly effective at removing bacteria from drinking water. Avoid systems that use chemicals to purify water or consume high amounts of energy.

Go Old School with a Clothesline

There’s not always time to wait for clothes to air dry — especially for busy parents who seem to be under the constant stress of endless laundry! However, opting to line dry clothes can save energy while also maintaining the integrity of clothes and linens. The average household may be able to reduce their carbon footprint by a jaw-dropping 2,400 pounds per year! When you’re using your dryer, you can reduce the heat and use dryer balls to help shorten drying times.

Apply Weather Stripping to Leaky Windows and Doors

Poor insulation can increase your home’s heating and cooling costs, especially in the heat of the summer and during the cold winter months. If you’ve noticed a draft, weather stripping can be used to prevent air leaks and reduce your electric bill. Leaving even small gaps unaddressed around your home can make your systems work overtime to compensate for the leaky insulation! You can also look into double-glazing your windows, which benefits homes by reducing condensation and noise while also increasing energy efficiency by reducing heat transfer.

Install Efficient Light Bulbs

One of the easiest changes to make in your home if you haven’t already is to switch out your standard bulbs for LED lights. Not only do these energy-efficient bulbs last markedly longer than their counterparts, they use anywhere between 80-90% less energy than conventional lighting. Remember, turn the lights off when you leave a room and try to use natural light whenever possible to further decrease energy usage.

Opt for a Smart Thermostat

Leaving the AC or heat running all day can increase your costs for heating and cooling your home. Make a green switch by replacing your thermostat with one of the SMART, energy-saving options on the market — which can save up to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling while still maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your home.

Switch to Renewable Energy Sources

If you take a walk around your neighborhood, you’re likely to spot at least a handful of neighbors with solar panels affixed to their roofs. One of the first steps that many people take on their way toward greener living at home is to invest in a renewable source of energy, such as sunlight. Not only can solar panels cut down the energy bill, you may even be able to sell back extra electricity that you don’t use! Yearly savings for Michigan residents are estimated to be around $1,400 (assuming 100% solar coverage). Keep in mind that these savings won’t be immediately apparent after the initial investment.

Repurpose Food Waste by Composting

Whether you have a garden or not, starting a compost pile can have various benefits for the environment and your yard. According to the EPA, composting helps to repurpose the food waste (egg shells, banana peels, veggie scraps, etc.) that would otherwise sit in the landfill and release methane gas. Homeowners can add compost to flower beds, window boxes, and even into their tree beds. The addition of compost attracts beneficial organisms and reduces the need for harmful pesticides and fertilizers.

Take Advantage of the Ceiling Fan

If you’ve become overly reliant on cranking down the AC at night to sleep comfortably, try turning your ceiling fan on high instead. Fans operate by creating a wind-chill effect that makes the air feel cooler on the skin than the actual temp. Remember to switch your ceiling fans to the “reverse” option during colder months to help push hot air down into the room.

Consider Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Low-flow shower heads and faucets can help to conserve freshwater resources and lower your utility bill. Generally, these fixtures expel around 50% of the gallons per minute than a conventional fixture. Over the course of a year, this can add up to thousands of gallons preserved! Many low-flow attachments are easy to install, which means you can do it yourself and minimize the expense of hiring out.

Landscape with Native Plants

Native plant habitats can help to preserve biodiversity, which in turn sustains the living landscape for a variety of birds and local wildlife and insects. If you have leeway to avoid a perfectly manicured lawn, then take advantage of using native plants that are oftentimes low maintenance, beautiful, and beneficial to the climate. Trees such as oaks and maples have been proven to be effective at storing greenhouse gasses. As an added benefit, mature trees can provide shade that helps to decrease your energy bill on hot summer days.

Choose Sustainable Materials

While you don’t always have control over which materials your home is built with, if you find yourself needing to replace countertops or flooring — keep eco-friendly options in mind. Granite countertops are not renewable but luckily, there are options on the market that are both beautiful and better for the environment such as Vetrazzo. Other sustainable building materials include reclaimed wood, bamboo, and recycled steel. Discuss options with your contractor to see what green materials are readily available in your area.

Local Zero Waste Shops + Sustainable Businesses in the Ann Arbor Area 

Supporting local businesses and frequenting the farmer’s market can help you to reduce your impact on the environment. Opting for local, in-season produce at the farmer’s market can reduce your carbon footprint while allowing you to interact with the individuals who are producing the food you eat.

The distance that food travels to reach your nearest grocery store has been steadily increasing over the past decades, with some studies indicating that fresh produce may travel over 1,500 miles before reaching the final consumer! Farmers markets can drastically reduce this distance and you may find yourself eating veggies that were grown just a handful of miles away.

Ann Arbor Farmers Market

315 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor

Shop a range of fresh produce and homemade foods and beverages at the local farmers market. Ann Arbor’s market is over 105 years old and features approximately 125 vendors from across the state. Shoppers can peruse a wide variety of goods, including fruits, veggies, farm fresh eggs, pastured meat, local honey, melt-in-your-mouth pastries, and gluten-free baked goods.

Ypsilanti Depot Town Farmers’ Market

100 Rice Street, Ypsilanti

Whether you’re looking for local agricultural products or artisan soaps that don’t feature harmful chemicals that can irritate your skin, the Ypsilanti market showcases small backyard farmers, full-time farming families, and even urban farmers. The market is a source of fresh, affordable food that families can feel good about putting into their bodies. Avoid the pesticides found on produce that could be months old before it reaches your kitchen.

BYOC Co.

25 Jackson Industrial Drive, Ann Arbor

BYOC stands for Bring Your Own Container, which is exactly how you shop at this refill store! To reduce single-use plastic consumption, BYOC invites consumers to bring containers from home to fill up on ethically produced cleaning and personal care products. The store sells a wide variety of products, including laundry powder concentrate, dish soap, wood and floor cleaner, toothpaste tablets, shampoo bars, sunscreen, and even deodorant. Swing by to see which of your products you can replace with greener alternatives.

Argus Farm Stop

325 West Liberty Street, Ann Arbor

With three locations across Ann Arbor, Argus Farm Stop is dedicated to making it as convenient as possible to buy locally farmed foods. By working in collaboration with over 200 farms, the stop has a robust year-round offering. Consumers can rest assured that the farmers keep 70% of the sale! If you’re in a rush, Argus Farm Stop offers a weekly produce box that is seasonally curated and filled with the finest fresh foods currently available.

By the Pound

1952 South Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor

This bulk store recently celebrated being in business for four decades, filling a niche in the market for consumers who prefer to shop in bulk. You’ll find dozens of different types of flour, as well as fairly sourced coffee sold by the pound and a range of bulk grains, tea, and even liquids. Avoid unnecessary plastic waste and bring reusable containers to fill with pure vanilla extract, soy sauce, dishwashing soap, spices and more. The kiddos will enjoy the seasonal candy selection which is also sold by the pound.

People’s Food Co-Op

216 North 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor

If you struggle to find time to swing by a farmers market, then People’s Food Co-Op can provide you with the same delicious all-natural and organic foods from local farmers and producers. Buy bulk ingredients, such as lentils, flour, nut butter, honey, and more, which can help you save on packaging and avoid that pesky single-use plastic.

Remember, Small Changes Add Up! 

Don’t worry about going out and making all these changes at once! Sustainable living and a green home can be achieved slowly and steadily. Take a look at your daily life and see where you can switch to more eco-friendly products or start researching an energy-efficient replacement for when your old washing machine finally calls it quits.