It’s easy to see why driving a more fuel-efficient car helps save money and cut vehicle emissions, but why should it matter if your home or place of business is green or not? And what does it mean to go green?
If you’re going green in your home or business, it means that you are making the decision to live in a more eco-friendly way. It can mean that you’re making big changes like installing solar panels, or smaller changes like choosing more efficient appliances or non-toxic cleaning solutions. Here are some reasons to go green at home and your place of business.
Increase the Value of Your Home or Business
Using sustainable materials when building or renovating a home can lead to savings on utility bills and healthier indoor air. This not only improves the value of your home but also makes resale easier. For business owners, green building practices and environmentally conscious habits can attract customers who share the same values while also providing a healthy environment for employees.
Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
Not long ago, the term “sick building” was in the news as some employees who worked in large buildings noticed that some irritating physical symptoms seemed to happen only when they were at their place of work.
A lot of effort and research went into finding the cause of this problem. Most issues were related to HVAC and design flaws, but some cleaning solutions used inside buildings also contributed to these problems. Modern green cleaning solutions contribute to improved indoor air quality and help to create a healthier environment for employees.
This also applies to your home — if you go green and use fewer toxic materials for cleaning and for home projects, your indoor air will be healthier.
Go Green to Save Natural Resources
We all know that using less electricity or natural gas can save us money, but using fewer natural resources also helps the environment and lowers the impact on climate change. Saving our most important natural resource — water — is easier than ever with the advent of low-flush toilets and more efficient washing machines.
Toxic chemicals found in some cleaning solutions eventually wind up in our air and waterways, so if you go green with cleaning products you won’t contribute to toxic materials in the environment.
Green cleaning methods use products that have a minimal impact on the environment and do not contribute to indoor air pollution that can adversely affect human health.
Improve Your Health
Many building materials, including paints and adhesives, contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are toxic. These toxins can contribute to headaches, lung, and other health problems. Substituting those compounds for eco-friendly materials, along with green cleaning products, can give you peace of mind that the air quality inside your home is pure.
Whether you’re in the process of having a home built or having a renovation project done, using eco-friendly materials can protect the health of everyone in your home in the long-run.
Reduce Waste
Go green by reducing construction waste and either recycling discarded materials or reusing materials. Many cities have stores where you can find excess or used building materials. This is a case where going green can save some green in your pocket as these supplies usually cost less than if they were purchased new.
If you have old paint or other possibly hazardous materials, be sure to dispose of them properly. Most landfills have drop-off days or sites where you can dispose of those types of materials in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
Go Green with Less Toxic Cleaning Solutions
Green cleaning methods use products that have minimal impact on the environment and do not contribute to indoor air pollution. Whether you clean your facility in-house or use a cleaning service, you can choose eco-friendly options.
EMBRACE A GREENER FUTURE
Adopting green practices, whether at home or in your business, offers numerous benefits, from reducing environmental impact to enhancing health and increasing property value. By making conscious choices to use eco-friendly materials and solutions, you contribute to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future. Start implementing these green practices today and be a part of the movement towards a more environmentally responsible world.
Read about keeping your workplace sanitary here.
Story by Julia Osgood
This article was posted by Jesse Williams
