Earth day is just around the corner, and now is no better time to look at how we impact the environment around us! At Sadler Real Estate Group have been thinking of how we can make our homes more environmentally friendly. We all must share this earth, here are a few easy changes you can make right now to help the world!

1. Lightbulbs!

It seems like a small change, but on average, LEDs consume 80% less energy than regular old lightbulbs, which means that less energy is being harnessed from coal plants and other sources, meaning less pollution overall! But that's not all LEDs lack the harmful mercury that regular light bulbs have, which means their production is also environmentally friendly. So from a store to a socket, LEDs are much better for the environment and use less energy to produce the same light output as other lamp alternatives, which reduce their impact on the environment. LEDs also save you money on your energy bill! On average, a single 9w LED costs around $1.08 to run in a year, compare that to the average $7.23 it cost to run an average incandescent bulb. And the LED will still shine brighter! So really, LED bulbs are the best choice; they are friendly to the environment, cost-effective and brighter! So every time an old lightbulb goes out, stick a new LED one in its place and help the environment one bulb at a time!

2. Reuse Reduce Recycle.

Get serious about recycling. If you don't have a blue and green bin, now is the best time to get one! Recycling overall saves energy as making products from recycled material is much less energy-intensive than making new material! Don't believe me? Well, did you know that it takes about 20x the energy to create an aluminum can from fresh raw materials when compared to recycling? You could produce about 20 recycled aluminum cans for the exact energy cost as one brand new one! Recycling cuts back on energy use, which means fewer greenhouse gasses in the environment; it also means less garbage in our landfills! That's meaningful space that's not being polluted or taken up, which could be used for vital infrastructure! Overall, recycling is easy and reduces the waste over precious material, reduces energy use, cuts greenhouse gas emissions and reduces the amount of garbage being sent to landfills!

3. Compost Those Left Overs

Start composting! It's the best decision you could ever make for your garden and the environment. Organic waste that could be put towards other things makes up about 45% of landfill waste! As we talked about before, that's meaningful space being taken up to be used for other things. Not only that but the decomposition of all that material in landfills, combined with other harmful chemicals dumped alongside it, realizes a ton of greenhouse gasses straight into our atmosphere! Composting ensures that those gases don't get very far and instead get sucked up by the plant. By making a compost bin and feeding those nutrients to your garden, you are not only cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions and food waste, but you are also ensuring your garden blooms with magnificent! And if you don't want to compost yourself, at least by a green bin. Green bins are a neat, tidy and odour-free way of reducing food waste, and the contents often go to a community compost bin that everyone can use! So, the next time you think about throwing all the food in the garbage bag, consider chucking it into the green bin or your new compost pile!

4. Harness The Sun

I know it sounds crazy but, skip the dryer! Skipping the dryer is a great way to help the environment and your electricity bill! It cuts down on the energy use in your household, which, as we discussed before, means less pollution is entering our air! Air drying is also better for most clothes! Most clothes shrink, discolour when rumbled around in the dryer, which means your brand new button-up or dress is ruined! Overall it's a simple and easy change; don't place your clothes and beddings in the dryer if you don't have to; hang them up on a clothesline in the beautiful sun or just in your laundry room! It saves energy, it saves the environment, simple as that!

5. Cool Clean Water!

Finally, and most easily! Invest in a water filter! Whether in your fridge, on your kitchen tap, water filters clean your water and take away the need for pesky one-use water bottles! This again means less garbage in landfills and less energy being used up and polluting our atmosphere. From Britta Filters to Soda Streams, these super easy alternatives to plastic water bottles are a great way to save the planet one cool sip at a time!