If you’re making a conscious effort to be more eco-friendly in your everyday life, a great place to make a big impact is in your bathroom. The bathroom is one of the highest traffic rooms in our homes, so it’s no surprise there’s a lot of opportunity for green improvements. Here’s how you can make your bathroom more eco-friendly in 3 easy ways.
1. Stop Wasting Water
Being aware of your water consumption is the first step to a more eco-friendly bathroom. Simple things like turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can save approximately 200 gallons of water per month. Doing this simple task every morning and night could save you roughly 2400 gallons of water a year!
Cutting down your shower time is another easy way to save water. While you may love a long hot shower, having one every single day will not help you achieve an eco-friendly bathroom. Instead, try cutting down your shower time to 10 minutes or less in the morning and save the long steamy showers for the weekend (or get rid of them altogether if you’re really committed).
Another easy way to cut back on wasted water is to fix leaking faucets as soon as you notice them. Did you know that a tap that drips six drops a minute will lose approximately 1200 litres of water a year? That’s equivalent to seven bathtubs worth! Each drop adds up whether you notice it or not. If your sink is leaking, find a plumber on HomeStars to fix it asap.
It’s easy to see that a lot of the water being wasted is through mindless tasks like brushing your teeth, showering, and a leaky faucet. Think how much water could be saved if you committed to simple tasks like turning your tap off, cutting down your shower time and fixing leaks when you notice them.
2. Rethink Your Reno
The average bathroom renovation can easily cost you between $5000-$15000. Depending on how much you are looking to spend, there are 2 ways to make more eco-friendly renovation decisions.
Low-Cost Reno:
If you’re trying to keep costs down while renovating your bathroom, opt for recycled and sustainable materials. With so many resources available these days to help you obtain recycled or gently used items, there’s no need to buy another mass produced vanity when your neighbour down the street could be getting rid of their old one. Check local buy and sell groups, community forums, or go to resale stores to minimize the impact on the environment and preserve the planet’s resources. Your bathroom renovation pro can also help you find eco-friendly alternatives to help you cut costs and environmental impact.
Don’t forget to donate any materials from your own renovation while you’re there. While your old sink may not fit your new bathroom design, it might be perfect for someone else!
High-Cost Reno:
If you’re able to afford a bathroom renovation with a higher price tag, consider investing in eco-friendly materials to refit your bathroom. Typical bathroom cabinets and vanities are made from materials like particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) that use glues that contain formaldehyde. To avoid having these harsh materials in your home, opt for cabinets made from materials like solid, recycled or reclaimed wood, FSC certified wood, bamboo, recycled steel, or recycled concrete. When it comes to your countertops, consider one made from recycled materials like glass, paper, concrete, steel, tile or wood. You can feel good knowing that your newly renovated bathroom is built from sustainable and green materials.
3. Easy Electricity Saver
The easiest way to make eco-friendly choices when it comes to electricity in the bathroom is to use LED lights. While this tip has been around for a while, it’s always good to remind yourself to switch all your light bulbs to LEDs as they use only 10% as much energy as compared to their incandescent counterparts. Check your bathroom lights to make sure they’ve all been switched to LEDs.
Another tip when it comes to your bathroom lights is to remember to turn them off when the bathroom isn’t in use. While it may be tempting to leave your bathroom light on as a nightlight, think about all the electricity being wasted for hours while you sleep. Instead, purchase a motion sensor light that will turn on when you enter the bathroom and turn off once you’re done. This way the light is only on while the bathroom is in use — another simple way of making your bathroom a bit more eco-friendly.
If you want to take it a step further you can have dimmers and motion sensor lights installed in your bathroom. Speak to an electrician who can make suggestions to best fit your bathroom.
Now that you have a couple of easy tasks to do every day and you’re better prepared for an eco-friendly renovation, you can enjoy your bathroom knowing you’re doing your part to help the environment. Looking for a bathroom renovation company to help make your eco-friendly dream a reality? Start on HomeStars and find the right company for your project today.
