Just because you live in a condo doesn’t mean you can’t live an eco-friendly life at home. There are many things you can do within your space to make living green a priority. A green lifestyle begins with many of your own personal habits, but many of them can be a part of your condo living lifestyle.
In celebration of Earth Day this April 22nd, we wanted to share some of our favourite tips for living green in your condo.
- Move into An Eco-Friendly Condo: If you’re a first-time buyer looking to make a move into a condo, a great first-step is to move into a building that has living green as top of mind – King Toronto is a great pre-con development to check out. If you’re looking for a resale condo, look for a recently updated one. These condos have energy-efficient resources which help in reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.You can cut down on the carbon emissions by opting to buy a condo that is within walking distance from your workplace and all of the amenities you need on a daily basis. Many neighbourhoods in Toronto have everything at your doorstep so this should be an easy one to accomplish.
- Grow Vertically: Gardening is relaxing, as well as good for the environment. In condos, it can be difficult to garden because the only personal, outdoor space you have is a patio or balcony. Some do not even have that. Vertical gardening allows us to continue growing our plants both indoors and outdoors, regardless of size and layout. Vertical gardening can be accomplished by creating hangers (typically wooden or wire, though they can be made from nearly any material) and attaching plants to them. Alternately, you can grow climbing plants where they will wrap around balconies, posts, furniture, etc.
- Unplug When You Can: Putting your computer to sleep when you are away from it for a bit but know you will be coming back to it within an hour or so can help reduce the use of electricity. Unplugging electronics and appliances when they are not in use is also beneficial. Even if they are turned off, they can still draw small, random amounts of electricity. Though it is a small amount, it does add up over time. Of course, there are obvious exceptions, such as alarm clocks, refrigerators, AC… but those go without saying.
- Recycling: Although you live in a condo, recycling is a no-brainer these days. Consult with management to see if your condo has a recycling system in place. If there are, be mindful of any rules and regulations in terms of what can and cannot be placed in recycling bins. Seek out battery disposals, and proper areas for lightbulbs so they can be recycled properly. If they do not recycle, you can always do so on your own and deliver it to your local recycling centre. You may even be able to talk your neighbours into collecting their own recyclables, which you can deliver for them. Perhaps you and your neighbours can alternate delivering the recyclables every couple of weeks or so.
- Install a Low Flow Shower Head: This is one of our favourite tips for condo owners. Placing a low flow shower head will help you save energy and helps you cut down on water consumption. The standard condo shower head uses close to 4 gallons of water per minute. However, a low flow shower head uses 2 gallons of water per minute. A small change like this can decrease your average water consumption by 40%.