These days everything that matters have a green label to achieve. Going green isn’t beneficial only to the environment, but also saves our health and the green guys in our wallets. So what are the basic green things that we should take care of? Well, here’s a small list of what you can do in your day-to-day life. After all, it’s these small changes that an individual does that adds up to the big change in the environment.

1. Turn Appliances Off :- When not using any electrical appliances, switch them off. Don’t leave the trimmer plugged in if you are not using them or don’t leave the phone charger in the socket. When you plug in appliances that you are not using, phantom energy is utilised that can cost you money. Also, you are wasting the earth’s resources needlessly, so turn off anything electric that you are not using.

2. Prevent Heat And Cold Leakage :- This is a common problem at homes where proper insulation is not done to stop the heat or cold from escaping. Ensure there is proper insulation and cover to prevent leakages of heat, especially during the winter months. Energy leakage results in wastage and increasing costs so take necessary measurements to close your home to all types of leaks.

3. Energy Star Ratings on Appliances :- When purchasing electrical appliances, make sure they have certified energy star ratings. Trusted brands and products will have a proper energy rating system that would show how effective they are in saving energy. Purchase only products that have these ratings so that you save on energy and costs.

4. Plant Trees :- This is as simple as it can get. Just plant trees and plants in your apartment complexes or around your house. It is a really helpful way to make your place a better space. Planting trees and plants has its benefits, other than reducing the earth’s CO2. As we know, trees bring shade, but they also reduce the heat around our building, keeping our homes cool. Additionally, if your homes are attacked by insects at night, planting trees and plants will help reduce the invasion.

5. Use Homemade Cleaners :- Stop using chemicals for cleaning your home, instead invest in green cleaning products that are biodegradable and non-toxic. Vinegar, for instance, is a good cleaning agent and is also harmless to the environment as well as for you. When you use homemade cleaners, you can store them in used containers, thus eliminating the need for new plastic containers that will add to the waste.

6. Intelligent Housekeeping :- If you have a housekeeping staff in your apartment, talk to them and educate them on the need for green living. Instruct them on the usage of electrical appliances and management of waste and water and ensure they stick to green methods.

7. Ineffective Water Management :- Water is, as we know, the most important resource we have so selective and careful usage is more a need than just a mandate. Store water in buckets and use them for daily chores instead of running the taps each time. While bathing, try and minimise the use of shower and use devices that would help you recycle your sink water for your toilet needs. Recycle water to use for watering plants and washing and cleaning.

8. Segregate Waste before disposing :- This is an important factor that most of us do not give a second glance to. Waste is an inevitable output in our homes or apartment complexes, but the waste generated should be collected and segregated properly. Segregation of waste before disposing makes it much easier to recycle.

Usually waste is segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Biodegradable wastes include kitchen wastes, vegetables and fruits, garden wastes and other organic wastes. Non-biodegradable wastes are further broken down into recyclable wastes like paper and glass, toxic wastes like chemicals, medicines etc., soiled wastes like hospital wastes and E-wastes like CDs and DVDs.

9. Composting Facility :- Install a composting system in your home or apartment so that waste can be managed effectively. Composting units are not very expensive and can be purchased and installed quite easily. They help in proper disposal of waste and the mulch or slurry got from the units can be used as fertilizers.

10. Celebrate Eco-Friendly Festivals :- Conduct Eco-friendly festivals and gatherings to minimize pollution. Try not to burst crackers or if at all you do, try and minimize the amount of crackers. Ensure people don’t indulge in too much of burning plastic products and use green, organic or natural products for festivals.

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