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Earth Day_Five tips to invest in a more eco-friendly home

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Five ways to invest in an eco-friendly home

By Signify Singapore

Mother nature graces us with water, air and life. She gives us four seasons with blooming flowers in spring, warmth of sunshine in summer, multi-coloured leaves in autumn, and frosted snowflakes in winter. However, human activity has led to the over-exploitation of ecosystems, deforestation, global warming, and many other catastrophic events that threaten the survivability of our planet.

In line with Earth Day’s 2022 theme to invest in our planet, Signify would like to encourage all of us to practise sustainability and preserve biodiversity on earth by adopting eco-friendly habits in our own abodes!

Here are five ways you can contribute to better planet health from the comfort of your own home:

1. Do your laundry in cold water

Putting your washing machine on the cold water setting reduces carbon dioxide emission and preserves the condition of your clothes. On the contrary, hot water tampers with the colour and fabric of your clothes. If you are dealing with stubborn stains, you can switch to the warm water setting, which is still a more viable, energy-efficient alternative compared to the hot water setting. If you are not pressed for time, skip the dryer and let your laundry dry naturally - a valuable tip that makes your clothes last longer rather than shrinking them in the heat of the dryer.

2. Swop regular light bulbs with LED, energy-efficient bulbs

Using energy-efficient light bulbs serves many benefits - they are more lasting, cuts electricity costs, and makes your home more environmentally-friendly. If you are not sure where to start, Philips Hue makes a good start. Produced by the world’s leader in lighting, Philips Hue has a new range of high -quality, eco-friendly LED bulbs that is suitable for every occasion.

Do you know that by simply adopting LED bulbs instead of incandescent lighting, global energy consumption would be reduced by 53 per cent? Your choice will also place you as a part of Signify’s global sustainability endeavor. The company has already achieved carbon-neutrality in their operations in September 2020, and 21 to 25 per cent of their revenues come from circular products, systems, or services.

3. Use homemade, natural cleaning products

Detergents are not fully biodegradable, and they present harmful effects to the environment, including the contamination of our oceans and rivers with toxic chemicals like cadmium and arsenic. This affects the natural water quality, causing adverse pH changes in soil and water which impact the balance in our ecosystem.

Switching to DIY cleaning products would reduce the use of plastic containers or bottles which toxins or chemicals could pollute the environment. These natural and family-friendly alternatives are also safe for pets and young children. You can make your own cleaning products using vinegar, baking soda, or lemon juice. They are just as effective as the regular detergent.

4. Use cloth napkins instead of paper towels

Switch from single-use paper towels to cloth napkins as they are durable and multi-purposeful - you can throw them into the laundry when they get dirty. They can also be downcycled to become cleaning rags when they catch stubborn stains that cannot be removed. When it is finally time to get rid of them, you can cut them up into small pieces and recycle them in the compost bin. Opt for napkins that are made of natural fibres such as cotton, linen or hemp.

5. Go plastic-free

Always opt for products with plastic-free packaging to reduce environmental impact. For instance, by choosing Signify’s Philips Hue products mentioned above, you are choosing a process that uses 80% recycled paper for packaging and reduces the use of 2,500 tonnes of plastics per year.

Before leaving the house, make it a point to remind yourself to bring reusable shopping bags or better still - have one in your bag all the time. This will reduce the use of plastic bags that are non-biodegradable, made from non-renewable resources, and likely to end up as litter. We are creatures of habit, so over time we will get into the habit of remembering to bring the reusable bags out - a small responsible choice that will help to save our planet.

Let us not hesitate to do what’s right for the environment and the future of our planet. Each of us can play a part to fight the global climate crisis together. Let us start by inculcating eco-friendly habits at home, as our actions today could change the course of our future.

 

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