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At Blom Contracting, we aren’t just committed to finding the most eco-friendly alternatives for your home, we also do our best to practice what we preach, and beyond. We hope that by giving you the information about green alternatives and eco-friendly options in your life, it will persuade you to go green too. The mistake that so many people make is doing nothing because they think they can only do a little, and that their efforts won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. However, if everyone started doing what they can, even if it’s something small, to help the planet, then everyone’s small effort would equate to a very large difference.

Follow along in the next week to read about green alternatives that are equal to the cost of their conventional counterparts, some switches that might be a bit more costly, but usually pay for themselves in the end, and check out our previous blog post about eco-friendly swaps that are completely free!

You have probably heard about green alternatives or more eco-friendly options, but might have thought to yourself… those must be so much more expensive. In some cases, this is true, but we wanted to share some of the ways you can help the planet that might not be as costly as you think. With these eco-friendly options, going green has some incentive other than just saving the planet… it can save you money! This begs the question – Why wouldn’t you switch to the eco-friendly alternative? There are so many things we can do to save the planet and with the added bonus that we save money, it’s a win-win.

•  Energy Star Appliances
  • When it’s time for you to get new appliances, Energy Star is definitely the way to go. They are the same price as regular appliances and help you save money because of their efficiency. They state that “certified appliances help consumers save money on operating costs by reducing energy use without sacrificing performance.” They use 10-50% less energy than their standard counterpart and they reduce greenhouse emissions. https://www.energystar.gov/

• Check out used items before buying new
  • Almost always, a used item will be less money than a brand new item, and you’d be surprised about how good of a condition they are in. Some people barely use something, realize they don’t like it, and then try to sell it. There are so many options for buying used, such as Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, Thrift Stores, Ebay, and more. You can also check out our Recycling Store on our website to see used items for sale: https://blomcontracting.com/recycling-store/

• Collecting rainwater to water your plants
  • Initially, you may have to spend a few bucks on a rain barrel, but it will eventually pay for itself in all of the water you would be saving. Rain barrels aren’t the only option though, as there are many DIY rain collectors out there that can save you some money.

• Eco-flow shower head
  • A simple switch of your shower head could save you a lot of money in the long run on water. Especially if you love taking long showers, this switch is essential. It saves you water and still gives you that strong pressure everyone loves. Not only thinking about showers… try and save water when you can, like when washing your face, brushing your teeth, washing dishes, or flushing the toilet.

• H&M Clothing Recycling
  • H&M has a recycling program in which they take donations of used clothing including clothes from any brand and any condition, even odd socks, worn out t-shirts and old sheets. Here’s what they do with it:
    • Clothing that can be worn again is marketed as second-hand goods
    • Textiles that are no longer suitable to wear are converted into other products, such as remake collections or cleaning cloths
    • Textiles that can’t be reused get a new chance as textile fibers, or are used to manufacture products such as damping and insulating materials for the auto industry. Any surplus from the garment collecting is donated to research on textile recycling as well as social projects
  • When you bring in a bag of old clothes, they give you some kind of voucher to shop at their stores, such as 10% off or $5 off a $30 purchase.

• Lush products
  • Lush is a cruelty free health and beauty company (with a lot of vegan products too!), and if you’ve heard of them, you probably know them for their bath bombs and cool soaps. They also have a line of plastic free products called “Naked”. These include shampoo and conditioner bars, which give you up to 2-3 times more washes than a bottle, and only cost a little bit more.

• • Their Naked line also includes deodorant bars, lotion bars, facial soap, bath bombs, and oil bars, also giving you more uses than a conventional bottle.
  • Using a bar of soap in a bathroom or kitchen for hand washing is also a great alternative to plastic dispensers, and most of the time they are cheaper.

• Using hand towels and dish clothes instead of paper towels
  • Instead of using paper towels to dry your hands, use a hand towel
  • Instead of using paper towels to clean up a mess, use a dish cloth
  • Instead of using paper towels for napkins, use cloth napkins

• Starbucks Reusable Drink Container
  • You can either buy a Starbucks grande reusable drink container for a dollar, or bring your own drink container (even a mason jar), and you will get 10c off your order. That may not seem like a lot, but if you’re an avid coffee drinker, you could save some money.
  • Say you drink 3 grande coffees a week from Starbucks at around $2 a piece. That’s $312 per year. If you bring your own cup every time, you save a little more than $15. Say you drink a Starbucks grande coffee 5 days a week… you save $26 a year. Say you don’t drink Starbucks drinks that often, you may not be saving a lot of money, but you’re still helping the planet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Turn off your lights
  • When you leave a room, be sure to turn the lights off. It will save you energy and electricity. This is such a simple way to help you save money and the planet.