For those looking for more sustainable ways of living, technology is increasingly providing tools and techniques to help achieve this. From apps that help you to buy more environmentally-friendly products, to smart technologies to help power your home, here are five ways in which technology can help you improve your ecological footprint.
- Invest In A Smart Thermostat
One of the easiest changes you can make is investing in a smart thermostat. Whilst many thermostats allow you to manually program them, smart thermostats are even better as they regulate your house’s temperature according to real-time data. This data is collected using a variety of sensors throughout your home and the adjustments made over the course of the day not only help to save energy, but in the long-run will also help you to save money on your energy bills.
- Invest In Energy Saving Appliances
Another important aspect of your home to adapt is lighting. If you’re not using LED lighting already, then consider adopting these. However, just as with smart thermostats, smart lighting is even more advanced and environmentally-friendly.
Smart lighting requires your lightbulbs to be connected to the Wi-Fi. Using an app, you can then easily control and even schedule when each lightbulb should come on. In this way, you can ensure that your lights don’t stay on unless you are actually using them.
“The great thing about many smart, energy-saving appliances is that they can be easily tracked and adjusted using apps which can be downloaded onto your smartphone, meaning you can control them from anywhere. Even better, over time, most of these smart appliances are able to learn your preferences and schedules automatically,” explains Michael Smith, a green lifestyle blogger at Draft beyond and Research papers UK.
- Streaming Services
Another simple way to reduce energy is to adapt the type of entertainment you purchase. Rather than buying physical copies of films or CDs, consider switching to a streaming service instead. Similarly, consider buying eBooks instead of physical hard copies. By purchasing digital content, you can reduce waste from packaging. Another benefit of this is that it takes up less space in your home. As a result, you require less furniture to store these items, reducing demand for new products to be made.
- Apps To Help Reduce Household Waste
Reducing household waste is an incredibly important step towards living a more sustainable lifestyle. Make sure that you are correctly recycling all items and packaging which can be recycled. Examine the type of products you are using and wherever possible, switch to either a reusable or biodegradable option.
You could also consider buying or selling items second-hand, which will reduce the demand for making new products which require energy and raw materials. In this way, you’ll help to prevent waste and reduce the number of items ending up in landfill.
“If you’re not sure which products are the most environmentally-friendly or you need some help and advice on reducing your waste, there are some fantastic apps on the market that can use,” explains Jennifer Ito, a tech writer at Writinity and Last minute writing. “GoodGuide, ForGood and Oroeco are just three apps that can help you keep on top of your lifestyle choices and help you make greener choices. If you’re looking to exchange, buy or sell items, then give OfferUp a try. This app allows you to get in touch with other locals interested in doing the same.”
- Renewable Energy Sources
Investing in a renewable energy source for your home is another fantastic option for leading a more sustainable lifestyle. Renewable energy options, such as solar panels and residential-scale windmills harness the energy of the sun and the wind respectively to generate electricity for your home. Even better, in recent years the price for these has continued to steadily decrease and there are often incentives or, in some cases, even tax breaks which are offered to homeowners who are making use of renewable energy sources.
Conclusion
For those who want to make changes to their lifestyle in order to become more environmentally-friendly, technology is increasingly providing resources to help. With ever more affordable and sophisticated technologies available, it’s easier than ever to reduce your carbon footprint and help to make our world a greener place for everyone.
Ashley Halsey is a professional writer at Luckyassignments.com and Gumessays.com. She has been involved in numerous projects throughout the country, including working with companies to invest in more sustainable technologies and developing ecological working practices. When not writing, Ashley regularly attends business training courses, where she enjoys staying up-to-date with the latest trends. A mother of two children, Ashley enjoys traveling and reading in her spare time.