Green Living: 10 Tips to ‘Go Green’ in Your Apartment

Sipping on her morning tea, Aditi Sharma, a 30-year old art curator was flipping through the pages of the daily newspaper when a report caught her attention. Suddenly she was wide awake! According to the report, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had come up with their research findings on air pollution level in Kolkata.

CSE has found that the ambient air quality in Kolkata is not in a good condition – Particulate Matter is three times at 2.5 and NO₂ (Nitrogen Dioxide) is double the standard level. Her city is no longer safe to breathe and it must start taking measures to control this situation. With the winters knocking at the door, the conditions will only worsen. She has doubts that people will sacrifice travelling in the luxury of their car or if the public transportation will be revamped to use greener energy sources.

This is when she started thinking of ways to fight this situation with her limited resources. She introduced a few very essential, non-expensive, and green changes to her apartment. You can do so as well. Here’s a list of 10 tips to join the ‘go green’ bandwagon and help start a change.

1. Green energy consumption practices — it pays!

Save on your bills by getting rid of incandescent bulbs and installing energy efficient CFs (compact fluorescent). Another hidden pollution agent is the air-conditioner. Try to use it as less as possible. AC releases warm air which makes the outdoor ambience warm as well. So, why not set an example by reducing your dependence on electrical appliances and equipment? Eco-friendly blinds and wood shutters can be great alternatives.

2. Go Organic

It’s no surprise that the food we eat is too healthy — credits to polluted water, pesticide and genetically modified food. What we knew as green and leafy vegetables, fresh water fish and colourful veggies is no longer safe to consume. Instead of departmental stores, try local organic farms where you can get zero fertilizer vegetables, free-range eggs and meats.

3. Say no to non-recyclable products

Environmental experts couldn’t have stressed more on this than they already have. We see the warning signs everyday but we choose to ignore it. But if you are to make your apartment a green living space then abandon plastic bags and use jute or cloth tote bags.

The greener you live the better will be the environment for you and more so for the future generation. Instead of just putting your old mobile phones or computers in dustbins, you may want to search for retailers who would happily take in your old gadgets and replace them for new.

4. Use solar power to your benefit

If you can introduce your apartment to usage of solar power then there’s nothing like it. Though the initial cost of installing may not look too tempting, but once operational you’ll recognise that the investment was worth it. Electricity bills will come down and your apartment gets it’s dosage of green energy as well.

5. Save water

Conservation of water is important. Our planet’s resources won’t last forever. So, before scarcity of water comes calling, start saving water by avoiding wasting it. A common example of how water is wasted everyday is keeping the water running even while scrubbing utensils or washing clothes. So, turn the tap off when you don’t need running water.

6. Green household chores

Any housework that you need to be done can be done in a greener way. How? Let’s take a simple example of cooking. Blanch your veggies, or if you are bringing them to a boil then use that water to cook your gravy. Of course, you could use lesser utensils to cook so that there is less of dishwashing to do. Saving water, energy efficiency, green cleaning – are all part of taking care of housework in a sustainable manner. We can’t stress enough on the importance of these actions.

7. Indoor plants

Welcome indoor plants, they will condition your air naturally, giving you fresh oxygen and taking in all the carbon dioxide – yes, we know this from our school lessons.

8. Green Cleaning – yes it’s possible!

Need to wash clothes? Just pile them up and operate your washing machine as less as possible. So instead of getting your clothes washed in 2-3 sessions, try doing it all at one go. You can also choose less harmful cleaners and washing agents.

9. Save energy

Reduce machine usage and you’ll be saving more energy than you can possibly fathom. A number of energy consuming appliances form an essential part of your daily life. Try doing things differently and use only when it’s absolutely necessary. Just switching off an electrical appliance with remote control doesn’t mean it doesn’t consume energy. You need kill the power source by turning the switches off. For instance if you are not watching anything on the television, just switch it off and unplug it. It doesn’t take much of an effort, does it?

10. Waste management – something we often overlook

Managing wastes also mean managing paper wastes, and this implies you are indirectly saving wood. Limit usage of papers and use emails for paperless communications. Wastes can be managed better if you have lesser waste production at home. Take small steps towards managing wastes by using recyclable containers and accepting food take-outs only in recyclable boxes, not plastic containers.

So you see, it doesn’t take much to go green in your apartment. You can also share your initiatives to inspire more people to create green living spaces.

In the NK Realtors bouquet of best properties offerings in Kolkata, you are sure to properties with an emphasis on environment friendly living; contact us for more details on green homes.