When architect Prakash Raj built his second home, he realized that his previous home was a monster of concrete and glass. He made the second completely different: it is illuminated by solar energy, water comes from rain, and only environmentally friendly materials are used in the interiors.
“I didn’t want anyone to cut wood for my house,” he says. – Building an eco-friendly house is not that difficult, but some people think it is very expensive. Of course, it takes more effort and hard work. But we are all responsible for the environment. Children should grow up with respect for Mother Nature and know that the Earth’s resources are finite.”
Not everyone can follow the path of the Raj. Some may have already bought and built their homes, and extensive renovations may not be possible for financial reasons. However, there are simple ways to help minimize our ecological footprint.
Don’t waste water
Today, water is one of the most perishable resources on Earth. Experts predict that soon about 30% of the earth’s land will become uninhabitable due to lack of water.
We can all start small. Take care to replace pipes and taps with leaks, install water-saving toilets. Do not pour water when not in use. We especially sin with this when we brush our teeth or do wet cleaning at home.
Collect rain water
Raj is sure that every homeowner should have a rainwater harvesting system.
They help recycle water, reducing our environmental impact while providing us with an already purified resource. In this way, we also waste less groundwater.
grow plants
Regardless of where we live, there are always opportunities to improve our green life. A window sill, a balcony, a garden, a roof of a house – everywhere you can find a haven for plants.
Growing organically pure fruits, vegetables, berries and herbs is possible even in the most limited space. So you not only provide yourself with useful fruits, but also supply the air with oxygen.
Separate waste
The segregation of wet waste from dry waste is critical. Wet ones can be used as compost for your garden, and dry ones can be recycled. These days, there are already a large number of startups that provide the opportunity to speed up recycling using the application.
You can also simply sort your garbage into food waste, glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, batteries and non-recyclable waste. Then take them to special points.
Take care of the tree
You can endlessly admire trees in parks and forests, but as long as our house consists of chopped poles, this is unfair. We can use other materials in the construction of a house, furniture, interior items without harming nature. Innovation allows you to design any furniture that will be as elegant and comfortable as wood.
In the end, use an alternative to oak, teak, rosewood. For example, bamboo, which grows ten times faster.
Use solar energy
If possible. Solar energy can heat water, charge small light sources and electronic devices. Unfortunately, far from the entire territory of our country is generously and a lot of sunlit, however, we can also use solar batteries (which can be found in the same IKEA) or at least energy-saving lamps.