
Is it time you made some eco-friendly improvements to your home? From reducing electricity usage to cutting down on disposable plastic, there are many green upgrades that you can consider. This post explores a few examples of how you can make every room of your house more environmentally friendly.
Living Room
Let’s start in the living room. Don’t worry – you don’t need to throw away your TV! In fact, your TV uses relatively little electricity compared to many other appliances in your home. There are however many other eco-friendly improvements you can make in this room.
Houseplants
Houseplants help to fight carbon emissions by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing fresh oxygen. They can help to purify your home of many of the toxins produced by chemicals, as well as getting rid of other unwanted contaminants like mold spores. Consider sprucing up your living room by adding some potted plants.
Sustainable furniture
Many sofas are made from synthetic materials that are hard to recycle once the sofa reaches the end of its life. Materials like cork, hemp, cotton and bamboo can be a much more sustainable option. Sofas made from recycled plastic are an option.
Natural fiber rugs
Similarly many modern rugs are made from materials like nylon and polypropylene. Consider natural fiber rugs as an alternative. This includes rugs made from materials like cotton, wool, sisal, hemp, bamboo and even banana fabric.
LED lighting
Living rooms can often contain a lot of lighting including overhead lights, table lamps and floor lamps. Instead of using traditional bulbs, consider switching to LED bulbs – these use much less energy and can therefore reduce your carbon footprint.
Cavity wall insulation
Cavity wall insulation can help you to keep your living room warm and cozy longer without having to keep turning up the heating. This involves filling the cavity inside your living room wall – which can help to reduce heat loss.
Kitchen
Next stop, the kitchen. This is where you may be able to make the biggest impact in making your home more eco-friendly. Below are a few examples of the green upgrades that you can make to your kitchen.
Energy-efficient appliances
Kitchen appliances like refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers can use up a huge amount of electricity. When buying these appliances, consider looking into newer options with a good energy rating. Such appliances will use less energy – saving you money and saving the planet.
Water filters
Prefer to drink bottled water than tap water? Plastic bottles are a huge source of disposable plastic waste. Drinking tap water is much better for the environment. If you’re concerned about chemicals or bacteria in tap water, you can always install a water filter in your kitchen faucet to remove these contaminants.
Local food produce
It’s also important to consider the food in your fridge and cupboards. Where does it come from? Is it all coming from different countries? Buying local produce is much more eco-friendly than buying imported food. You’ll also support local farmers in the process and get access to much fresher food. On top of making an effort to buy more local food, you can also make an impact by eating less meat and buying less food in disposable plastic packaging.
Sustainable countertops
Countertops can be made from all kinds of materials. When trying to make your home more eco-friendly, it’s worth considering sustainable options. Wood and natural stone are two examples of eco-friendly options. You can even consider countertops made from reclaimed timber or stone.
Reusable bags
The kitchen is where many of us keep grocery bags. Some of us have a bad habit of collecting plastic bags and then throwing them away in the general trash when we’ve amassed too many. Such bags are a big source of plastic pollution – by using a reusable bag instead, you can reduce plastic waste and prevent pile-ups of bags.

Bathroom
The bathroom is the next room we’ll explore. This room has relatively few electronics in it, but is a big source of plastic waste and water wastage. Below are some ways in which you can make your bathroom more sustainable.
Bamboo toothbrush
Most toothbrush handles are made from plastic. A bamboo toothbrush is a biodegradable alternative that is much better for the planet. You can even buy bamboo electric toothbrushes with replaceable bamboo heads.
Recycled toilet paper
Huge amounts of trees are cut down for toilet paper. However, it’s possible to make toilet paper out of recycled paper. Buying toilet paper made from recycled paper can help combat deforestation and promote recycling.
Cotton tampons
A lot of women’s period products contain plastic which ends up in landfill sites. Tampons made from materials like cotton are a much more sustainable option. Some are even flushable (although it’s still generally a better idea to bin them as tampons can clog up some toilet pipes).
Dual-flush toilet
Did you know that flushing the toilet accounts for roughly a third of household water consumption? Dual-flush toilets can help to reduce the demand on water companies by offering two flush options – a standard flush setting and a lighter flush. This lighter flush uses roughly half the amount of water, which is often all you need if it’s not a number 2.
Water-saving shower
Showering uses less water than a bath. However, showers can still consume a lot of water. Water-saving showers limit the flow of water, while mixing air with water to create larger droplets. This allows you to conserve more water while taking a shower.
Bedroom
Want to save the planet as you sleep? There are a few upgrades that you can make to your bedroom to help create a greener home. These include:
Sustainable bedding
Synthetic materials like polyester are sometimes used for bed sheets and pillow cases due to their wrinkle-proof quality. However, there are more sustainable organic options that are typically more breathable such as cotton and bamboo. Choose these materials when creating an eco-friendly bedroom environment.
Thermal curtains
In the winter months, you can keep your bedroom warmer longer without having to turn up the heating by embracing thermal curtains. These are made from heavy fabric that is designed to insulate your windows. Thermal blackout curtains will also block out all light and many are also able to muffle outdoor sounds.
Double pane windows
Double pane windows are another form of window insulation that can be useful for the winter months. These windows consist of two layers of glass, which can reduce heat loss by 64%. You can install these windows in any room in the home, however the bedroom could be a prime place to have them installed if it often gets cold at night.
Natural calming scents
A lot of people like to introduce soothing scents to their bedroom to help them sleep. However, you need to be careful of how you introduce these scents to the air. Regular air fresheners often contain lots of chemicals that are harmful to the atmosphere. It’s better to introduce scents like lavender and jasmine via organic scented candles – or, better still, by keeping houseplants in your bedroom.
Eco-friendly clothing
The bedroom is where many of us keep the bulk of our clothes. Our choice of fashion can also have an impact on the environment, so it’s important to not overlook clothing when trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Buying less clothing made from synthetic fabrics, shopping for more clothing second-hand and opting for timeless items as opposed to fast fashion items can all help the environment. This post delves more into eco-friendly fashion.

Attic
Got an attic? While this room often isn’t as heavily used as other rooms, it’s still a room worth covering – particularly given that it’s located directly under the roof. Below are some sustainable attic improvements to consider.
Sustainable insulation
Most heat in a home is lost through the roof. Attic insulation can help combat this. While you can install insulation made of synthetic materials, there are sustainable alternatives like sheep’s wool and recycled glass wool.
Cool roofing
In warmer climates, it could be more important to limit heat coming into your attic than preventing heat coming out. Cool roofs use a reflective surface in order to absorb less heat. This allows your home to remain cooler on a summer’s day so that you don’t have to consume as much energy to power air conditioning.
Timber framing
When it comes to the materials that hold your roof up, it’s often worth choosing timber. This traditional and reliable material is more eco-friendly than metal and other synthetic alternatives.
Skylights
Want to improve lighting in your attic? Instead of using artificial lighting, you can add skylight windows which let sunlight pour in from above. This can help to reduce electricity usage.
Solar panels
Technically more of a roof upgrade than an attic upgrade, solar panels are still worth mentioning as a home upgrade considering that they’re one of the most sustainable investments that you can make. With a large enough solar panel system, you can harvest all of your power from the sun instead of relying on fossil fuels. This can greatly reduce carbon emissions while also saving you a ton of money in the long run.
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