Arborists in Atlanta, GA share tips for homeowners to improve sustainability
Ways to Improve Homeowner Sustainability
Earth Day is almost here, and there is no better time to up the sustainability efforts than now! While sustainability might sound daunting, there are a number of basic strategies homeowners can employ to help keep the planet green. Some of these can even save money! Here are 6 easy ways homeowners can improve sustainability.
1. Recycle and Reuse
Homeowners should recycle and reuse whenever possible. Recycling prevents pollution/greenhouse gas release, limits waste, and saves energy. Homeowners should always recycle glass and aluminum since these take a lot of energy to produce. Additionally, homeowners should recycle newspapers to save trees!
Reusing is even better than recycling since the latter require some energy to re-manufacture products. Reusable food containers, plates, silverware, and travel mugs are a great place to start, as these can save a considerable amount of plastic waste.
2. Limit Home Appliance and Technology Use
Home appliances and technology consume a ton of energy; by being more energy conscious, homeowners can drastically decrease consumption:
- Adjust heat / cool thermostat settings
- Avoid preheating the oven
- Turn off lights in unused rooms
- Use energy-conserving light bulbs
There are countless other examples as well, and these not only save energy, but they also save homeowners from high-cost energy bills!
3. Reduce Water Consumption
Households often use significantly more water than they require. By conserving, this water can instead go to other uses – like nourishing plants and trees outside! Some easy ways to reduce water consumptions include:
- Take shorter showers
- Turn off the tap when brushing teeth, shaving, etc.
- Wash only full laundry loads (not half-loads)
As with technology and appliance use, lower water use also saves homeowners from high-cost bills!
4. Save Paper to Save Trees
Homeowners waste a ton of paper. And since paper comes from trees, this means homeowners waste a TON of trees. American businesses alone waste upwards of 21 million tons of paper per year! By reusing scrap paper, keeping unused paper napkins for later use, canceling paper bank statements or junk mail, and paying bills online, homeowners can easily save a lot of paper.
5. Plant and Maintain Trees
Planting and maintaining trees: the mother of them all! Tree planting is crucial to the environment, as trees produce oxygen, control air quality/temperatures, reduce runoff, provide natural habitats for wildlife, and more! Maintaining trees once planted is just as important because, like humans, trees need to stay healthy to function and survive!
Homeowners should periodically check in on their tree health care or hire a professional to do so. Professionals will not only help to identify any issues, but they also offer many tree services, including:
- Tree risk assessments
- Tree pruning
- Tree trimming
- Tree removal
Whether done alone or by hiring an arborist or tree service company, planting and maintaining trees is one of the most direct ways that homeowners can help to keep the planet green.
6. Spread the Word!
If all homeowners dedicated to making just one or two of these simple changes, the benefits to the planet will be immense. Share these strategies and spread the word to other homeowners!
About Boutte Tree Inc.
Boutte Tree Inc. of Atlanta GA is a tree service company that has been operating since 2001. They prioritize sustainable and ethical tree service practices, and they believe strongly in the power of trees to transform the urban environment. By putting “people first and trees a very close second,” their team of experts prioritize safety, quality, and customer satisfaction. Call them for help today!