Tips and Tricks for an Eco-Friendly Home Renovation

As the seasons are on the verge of changing, many of us are starting to plan our spring-cleaning regimen. And since we’re straightening up our homes anyway, many of us are using it as an excuse to do a little home renovating.

But where there’s a home project, there’s always a way to make it a little more eco-conscious. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my favorite tips and tricks for an eco-friendly home renovation.

Buy used

When we’re refurnishing our homes, our first instinct is to head to the local IKEA to find a living room set to fit our space. This is not only the more expensive option, but it ignores the millions of tons of furniture going to landfills every year. The best way to keep furniture out of landfills is to buy used versus buying new. "Used" doesn't have to mean cheap or beaten up. There's a LOT of "barely ever used" stuff out there. And it's not that hard to find. Check local Facebook groups, Craiglist, consignment and vintage stores. 

 

Not only will doing this likely save you money, but it will also help you to find unique pieces to add visual interest to your space. This is especially true if you add your own touches to what you find. And in my experience, adding a coat of paint, refinishing a surface, or repurposing a piece gives you a one-of-a-kind piece you won’t find anywhere else.

Pro Tip: eco-friendly paints

Like I said, there’s always a way to make things even more eco-conscious, and the same is true for refinishing furniture. When you’re buying paint for your furniture, check to see if the company has made their paints sustainably. A good indicator is the paints being water-based.

 

 

Choose sustainable materials

Many materials used in home renovations are either not sustainable or contribute to pollution in some way. For example, new carpet tends to put VOCs into the air, which degrades the air quality and can potentially cause headaches and aggravated allergy symptoms.

If you’re looking to renovate your home without the headache, never fear. There are plenty of more sustainable options out there, such as:

• Reclaimed wood
• Cork
• Vinyl
• Bamboo
• Linoleum
• Recycled glass

 

Don’t forget cleanup

When it comes to post-remodel cleanup, it’s easy to want to toss everything in the dumpster and be done with it. But finding ways to make your home renovation more eco-friendly means making every step of the remodel eco-friendlier; this includes cleanup.

Here are a few ways we can make cleanup more environmentally conscious:

• Recycle unused building materials like wood, tile, or concrete.
• Don’t dump unused paint but recycle it with paint collection sites.
• Donate unused furniture pieces.
• Sell unused metal pieces to scrappers.