Easy Steps to a Greener Lifestyle

We’ve all tried to achieve a greener lifestyle by eating local, organic foods and reducing the time spent in a car, but there are a few simple steps you can practice around your apartment to reduce your carbon foot print.  These steps will also help your wallet, brining you great savings for a healthier lifestyle.

 

Ingredients to make natural cleaning products

Get Rid of Toxic Products

Those household cleaning products you have hidden under the sink have multiple toxins-including petroleum, phosphates and solvents that can be harmful to your health. Even those products labeled as “eco-friendly” may still be made with multiple toxins. Buy cleaning products that list no toxic ingredients in the product. There are also some great natural cleaning products you can mix at home with some common household items. Like water and vinegar, great to clean floors and disinfect surfaces. Or an oil and lemon juice mixture to polish furniture and leave surfaces sparkling.

  

Grow Some Greenery

 

Living in an apartment means you don’t have ample yard space to grown a garden, but buy some small planters that can sit on window ledges or on your balcony.  Plants are great to keep indoors as the help purify the air and increase the amount of oxygen in your apartment. Some vegetables and herbs grow great in planters, and will add tones of flavors to your dishes. The benefit of growing these herbs, tomatoes or berries indoors is the fresh all year round supply they'll give off. Also, there are many stylish planters available that will make growing plants in your apartment a chic accent.

Stylish planters to grow herbs and fruits

 

Ditch Paper

Stop using paper towels to dry your hands or clean up every let mess, this adds up to quite a bit of garbage. Use wash cloths and kitchen towels instead, keep a bunch handy and throw them in the washer when they’re all dirty. This will save you money, as you will no longer need to stock up on paper towels. Instead stock up on kitchen towels, they’re great for drying dishes and hang nicely on your stove handle.

 

Kitchen towels drying after use

Reuse Old Furniture

Instead of buying new furniture, find something someone else is trying to get rid of. Whether it is a family member, friend or stranger on Kijiji, you can find some great bargain pieces to furnish your apartment without having to buy brand new furniture. Or if you have some old pieces of furniture that need some tender love and care, there are great DIY videos only that will show you how to bring light to your old dual furniture.  Remember, to stay green stick with natural and toxin-free paints and fabrics.

 

Restoring old furniture and making great new pieces

Recycle

 

Living an apartment might make it more difficult to recycle, as there may not be enough room under the sink for a recycling and garbage bin. So opt for buying two stylish bins that can sit on your kitchen floor, one for garbage and one for recycling. There are also ways you can help teach your fellow neighbours the importance of recycling, become a 3Rs mentor with the City of Toronto.

Dual garbage and recyclig bin

 

Turn it OFF

Reduce your energy consumption, turn lights off when you’re not in the room and don’t leave your TV running all day. Be sure to use power bars as much as you can around your apartment since you’re able to flip a switch and turn off power completely.  Even though you turn off appliances and electronics they are still using up a bit of energy, having a power bar is a great way to avoid the non-use consumption. Remember to always turn off computers, cable boxes, and game consoles right after you’ve finished using them.

 

It doesn’t matter where you live, a green lifestyle is easy to achieve. Visit www.flagshipcorp.ca and start your apartment hunting today.