Happy National Conservation Week! When thinking about conservation, some of today’s most important topics include protecting our natural resources and lowering our carbon footprint. Wondering what ways you can practice conservation methods in your home, neighborhood, and the broader Asheville community?
Here are some ideas to improve your carbon footprint, one step at a time.
Conserve Energy at Home
In an era of inflation and high energy bills, it’s not a bad idea to consider the smaller ways you can make a difference right in your own home. You can conserve energy, save money, and help the environment by utilizing some of these small ideas:
- Make use of natural sun whenever possible, for both heat and light
- Turn off lights and unplug electronics when not in use
- Replace old traditional bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs
- Install a smart thermostat to keep your energy usage at bay
- Reduce appliance usage
- Use less hot water when bathing and washing dishes
Simple changes at home can significantly affect your monthly energy bills and add to your conservation effort. While it would be ideal to see everyone take this seriously, just one person can truly make a difference.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In the 1970s, when conservation first became a national discussion, the 3 R’s of waste were coined. Reduce, reuse, recycle is an effective way to learn and engrain how to conserve the products we buy. Reduce means cutting down on the amount of trash we generate as individuals or households. Try starting a compost pile or buying reusable storage bags. Reuse is to find new uses for things you may have thrown away before. Ideas would be to upcycle empty spice jars for storage or washing out mason jars from store-bought sauces to use for jars or cups. Lastly, recycle means participating in programs that collect recyclable materials for other applications. Be sure to rinse out your containers before recycling and checking the codes to see what is recyclable. We’re lucky in the city of Asheville that recycling is part of the city’s trash collection, but there are recycling centers throughout WNC.
Get Involved
While conserving energy and recycling at home are great ways for families and individuals to participate in the conservation effort, more prominent programs are also available throughout the Western North Carolina area. Conservation programs exist for local plants and wildlife and always seek volunteers and donations. Here are some local organizations to look into:
- Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
- NC Wildlife
- The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina
- Conserving Carolina
How will you Conserve Energy in Your Home?
Reach out to the team at GoPrime Mortgage in West Asheville to learn how the homes in our market strive to assist in the conservation effort, and to help you find your next home in North Carolina.
