5 tips for sustainable everyday living

 Anita Anliker, 12 September 2018

With these tips, you can make your household more sustainable and contribute to environmental protection.

Sustainability is a ubiquitous topic today and has been a growing trend for some time. There are also various ways of living more sustainably and thus contributing to environmental protection. We would like to introduce you to a few tips today.

Tip 1: Heating properly

You can save a lot of energy when heating. Not only does the environment benefit, but also your own bank account.  The recommended room temperature is 20 degrees, a lot cooler than most of us have set the heaters in our homes. Since every degree less can save up to six percent in heating oil and heating costs, it is worth setting the thermostat lower just from a purely cost-technical point of view. You should also close the windows that are always tilted, and it is better to open all the windows completely several times a day for a short time and ventilate properly. Otherwise, heat is permanently lost and heating costs and energy consumption increase.  Further tips: replace old windows with better insulated ones, clear the radiators and have them professionally vented regularly.

Tip 2: Reduce power supply

You can also make many mistakes when it comes to saving electricity. Not only the running television eats up electricity, but also the devices that are in sleep or standby mode. That's why it's worth removing them completely from the power circuit as soon as they are no longer needed. A good tip is to use power strips that can be switched off. This allows you to switch off the power supply for several devices with a single click.

While some household appliances are real power guzzlers, there are also those that are energy efficient. When buying new appliances, you should therefore make sure that they have a low power consumption. Such appliances can be easily recognised thanks to the energy efficiency class. A+++ has the lowest consumption. If possible, you should avoid appliances with a class D rating.

Another recommendation is to use electricity from renewable/sustainable sources (such as solar panels). So-called green electricity is not only better for the environment, but in most cases also cheaper.

Tip 3: Reduce waste

Reducing your own waste and plastic consumption is easier said than done, as most food and products are packaged in plastic and generate a lot of waste. However, there are some ways to save on packaging materials. Zero waste shops, such as the Shop “FOIFI” at the Schiffbau in Zurich, are currently in vogue. They offer food and other everyday items that can be bought completely unpackaged and plastic-free. The goods can be filled in Tupperwares or other containers brought along. This way, no unnecessary waste is produced.  In addition, it is also worthwhile to bring your own shopping bag when shopping in all other shops and to do without the shop's disposable bag. But plastic can be reduced not only when shopping. Drinking bottles that are thrown away after a single use should be replaced with reusable, high-quality drinking bottles. Many everyday items such as cotton pads, make-up removal wipes and paper towels can be replaced with reusable, washable alternatives such as microfibre cloths.

Tip 4: Sustainable furniture

One point that is not so obvious and is often not considered is to go for sustainable products when buying furniture. Instead of rushing straight to the big furniture stores for new home furnishings, it's worth browsing platforms like ricardo or ebay and buying second-hand furniture. This is not only more sustainable, you can often find great bargains there! But if you don't find what you're looking for there, you should still pay attention to where and from what materials the products are made. It goes without saying that products made from tropical materials, which are produced on the other side of the world and transported around the globe, are less sustainable than furniture made from local materials. If you are not familiar enough with this, you can look for the FSC sustainability seal, which indicates sustainable products.

Tip 5: Saving water

Probably the best-known tip for sustainable living is to reduce water consumption. Although we are (fortunately) not yet facing a water shortage in Switzerland, it is still a good idea to think about this. Small adjustments such as taking a shower instead of a bath or turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can have a big impact. To save even more water when showering, you can buy a water-saving shower head. In addition, you should only run the washing machine or dishwasher when they are full and there is no room for anything else. 

Mit diesen Tipps alleine lässt sich zwar noch nicht die Welt retten, doch nur schon kleine Veränderungen sind ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung. Habt ihr noch weitere spannende Tipps zum Thema Nachhaltiges Wohnen? Wir freuen uns auf diese als Kommentar auf unserem Facebook-Post!