It’s a new year, and while the debate goes on whether we’re in a new decade or not (we’re not), the numerology of 2020 is still pretty awesome. Every new year, the majority of people everywhere around the world make new year’s resolutions for the betterment of themselves. We at Talius would like to offer some suggestions for sustainability practices that we can all achieve this year to make the world a better place.
Make Your Window Airtight
Windows are a focused point of your house for both heat loss and heat gain (depending on the season). By making your windows airtight, you will cut down on excess energy entering or leaving your home. To take it a step further, consider adding Talius Habitat Screens or rollshutters that will reduce heat gain in the summer and will insulate your home in the winter. All of Talius’ products are energy-efficient and will enhance the aesthetics of your property.
Set Up a Cistern
You can use large barrels (we recommend the 55-gallon plastic drums) and position them to collect rainwater from your gutter systems. Though this is not potable water, this water is great for watering your plants or washing your car. It is important to make the barrels watertight to make sure that mosquitoes don’t use it as a breeding ground, which can lead to other problems. During winter, it is wise to drain the barrel as frozen water will expand and can probably rupture the barrel.
Bring Your Own Re-Usable Shopping Bags
It may seem like a small thing but if enough people brought their own reusable bags whenever they go shopping the results would be dramatic for the environment. On a yearly basis, we use 5 Trillion plastic bags. Single-use plastics present a real problem because though they are utilized for a few months, they remain on the planet for hundreds of years. Plastic doesn’t decompose but instead gets smaller and smaller into units called microplastics. One single plastic bottle can break up into 10,000 pieces of microplastics.
Use Compost for your Vegetable Garden
Having a vegetable garden is, in itself, a sustainability practice, but using compost as a fertilizing agent can really make a difference. Use vegetable scraps, fruit peel, garden cuttings, coffee grounds, stale bread and eggshells to make good, well-rounded compost. Avoid meat, fats, and oils, bone or other protein-rich items because they will not decompose quickly enough and will only attract unwanted vermin like insects, rats, and mice.
Replace Incandescent with LED Lighting
One of the easiest and most achievable goals for starting a sustainable life is replacing your incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs. LED bulbs consume up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs The lifespan of LED bulbs is also exceptionally longer than their counterparts and they are safer.
In Closing…
Sometimes we may feel that as individuals the small changes that we make won’t have an impact on the global fight for our environment but in many cases being sustainable can also positively affect your bottom line too. Adopting sustainability practices is not only the right thing to do but also makes financial sense with just a little effort.
While Talius’ products are energy efficient, we as a company have made strides to be more sustainable in our practices and actively take on the fight against climate change.
