The topic of sustainable living is more topical than ever.
But what options can be implemented in your own home?
Here are five simple tips from the pro.
If you want to fight the climate crisis, you have to put pressure on politicians so that framework conditions change.
But not only that: our consumption is also a signal.
That is why sustainability expert Nathali Betancourt from the GreenTech company Enpal has put together five tips that everyone can implement in everyday life.
“Even if we only make minimal adjustments to our behavior, it already has a major impact on our environment,” she says.
“Even the naturalist David Attenborough says that nature is the most valuable thing we have and that we have to defend it.
He's right about that! "
Sustainable living - tip 1: Be (e) friendly in the garden
Of the more than 550 wild bee species in Germany, half are threatened with extinction.
Whether in the garden or on the balcony *, give your green thumb free rein.
Plant bee-friendly flowers
such as raspberries, blackberries or lavender and offer the endangered insects a natural habitat.
A positive side effect: these plants taste and smell good too!
Do you have a garden?
Great!
How about a herb bed or a cherry tree?
Tip: Let the hedge grow wilder.
Garden dwellers like hedgehogs, for example, like this best.
Also read:
Tip for the garden and balcony: You can use vinegar for these areas
.
Sustainable living - tip 2: Every drop counts
Even if it sometimes doesn't seem like it during all the rainy days in Germany, water is a scarce resource for us too. The heat years of 2018 and 2019 already led to regional water bottlenecks. Now the Ministry of the Environment even wants to ensure an adequate water supply for the future with a national water strategy. In Germany, the
daily water consumption is 127 liters per capita
.
About a third each is spent on flushing the toilet and personal hygiene, including showering or washing hands.
The average also uses around 6 liters of water when cooking.
In the kitchen and bathroom in particular, a lot of water can be saved with little tricks.
For example, turn off the water while you soap your hands.
This alone uses up to 15 liters of water.
Or wash vegetables and fruits in a bowl instead of under running water.
Use the rest of the water to water your house plants.
Also works great with cooking water from e.g.
B. Potatoes.
A positive side effect: the water contains valuable minerals and trace elements.
It's a shame if these end up in the drain, right?
Sustainable living - tip 3: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
This also applies in your own home.
Better to
repair than to throw it away
.
Be creative!
Maybe you can make a chic vintage decorative part out of supposedly useless objects.
How about, for example, chic flower vases made from old bottles, milk cartons, PET bottles and glasses?
With a little color and fabric (e.g. from old tops) you can quickly create a cool one-off piece.
Tip: Also very suitable as an individual gift idea for the next birthday.
Also read:
Fire in the garden: what should be considered when handling a fire bowl
?
Sustainable living - tip 4: A power plant on every roof
When choosing your electricity provider, rely on sustainable electricity from wind, water or solar power. If you want to be absolutely sure that you only use green electricity, you can simply produce it yourself on the roof of your home. This not only saves you resources, but also saves you money. Because since 2012, self-generated solar power has been cheaper than electricity from the energy producer. With providers such as Enpal you can
even conveniently rent
solar systems with energy storage
and usually pay less for them than for
your
previous electricity tariff. In addition, with a rental model you save the high acquisition costs of up to 20,000 euros for a system and also spare your nerves with the paperwork. Because the providers take care of everything.
Sustainable living - tip 5: love letters yes, but no advertising brochures please!
Put a "no advertising please" sign on your mailbox.
Sounds banal - it is too!
33.7 million households in Germany receive advertising.
Up to 90 percent of it ends up in the trash unread.
That's around 2 billion kilograms of printed paper every year that ends up in the mailbox and then unread in the garbage.
The solution would be so simple.
"Our tips may seem tiny, but they are all important in order not to exceed the 1.5 degree limit and head towards a cooler future," says the expert.
* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Source: Enpal press release
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Bees in the garden provide food
Bees in the garden provide food