Tip 1: Your choice: an electric fireplace
You can, of course, heat your house with a gas fireplace or a wood stove, but have you ever thought of an electric fireplace? Electric fireplaces do not emit harmful substances. Unfortunately, gas fireplaces and wood-burning stoves do because of the emission of carbon monoxide and the spread of fine dust. These are harmful to your health, especially if you already suffer from a respiratory disease. An electric fireplace is therefore good for your own health and keeps your living environment clean.
In addition, electric fireplaces can be energy neutral, thanks to solar panels or other forms of green electricity. With an electric fireplace, you’re making a choice that is environmentally conscious!
Tip 2: Choose a tap with a water-saving function
The amount of water that flows from a tap is much more than necessary sometimes. If you opt for a tap with a water-saving function or eco mode, you will avoid wasting a lot of water. It’s environmentally conscious and good for your wallet, too!
Tip 3: Provide for good insulation
Heat easily escapes through walls, cracks and holes. By properly insulating your house, you take better care of the environment and prevent your energy bill from getting unnecessarily high. Do you not want to insulate your entire house? Rugs or mats on the floor also help to keep out the rising cold. And if you choose a rug to your taste, it is also a wonderful decorative enrichment for your home!
Tip 4: Pay attention to the FSC quality mark
If you opt for furniture or home accessories made of wood with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) quality mark, you are opting for a more sustainable interior. FSC is an international wood label that applies strict requirements for both sustainable and social forest management. The FSC logo guarantees that the wood comes entirely from responsibly managed forests. You can also rest assured that the forest workers are working in responsible conditions and receive sufficient wages.
Tip 5: Recycle
Throwing away or burning old furniture or home accessories? If they can still be used, that’s a shame. Moreover, it is bad for the environment because of the CO2 emissions! Fortunately, there are a growing number of possibilities to reuse furniture, accessories, or parts of them. For example, you can sell them second-hand. Or you can use old materials as raw materials for a new product.
Furniture or home accessories made from recycled materials are better for the environment, and there is often a story behind them. As a consequence, your interior will have a unique and authentic character. An extra reason to choose this environmentally conscious alternative!
Tip 6: Buy your interior locally
If you buy more from local brick-and-mortar stores, you support the local economy. In addition, you contribute to a better environment because you do not have to travel to a store or send a delivery person on the road. An absolute win-win!
Tip 7: Choose flat-packed furniture
Flat-pack furniture is furniture that is packed flat and tightly. Screws, nails and glue are not required. You can also easily put them together and take them apart just as quickly. During transport, these pieces of furniture take up less space compared to assembled items. This allows the carrier to take more products at the same time, thus reducing carbon monoxide emissions. In addition, less packaging material is required. Environmentally conscious to the max!
Tip 8: Use LED lighting
An environmentally friendly interior starts with choosing LED lamps. These lamps use 85 percent less energy than incandescent lamps. In addition, they last much longer. They are therefore better for the environment for several reasons.
Did you know that Napoleon’s electric fireplaces also use LED lighting?
Top 9: Plants in your house
Plants give a nice atmosphere to your house, but they also act as a natural air purifier. They filter certain harmful substances from the air, produce oxygen, and increase the humidity inside.
Tip 10: Get rid of the dryer
A dryer is an energy guzzler. An easy solution: hang out your laundry and don’t use a dryer anymore. The open space can be used to store other items and you’ll save a lot on your energy bill.
