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Wondering how to reduce your carbon footprint at home? Making small changes—like using less energy, reducing waste, and switching to renewable power—can have a big impact on the environment and your wallet.
Though change may sound daunting, we’re here to help! As a trusted commercial and residential solar installer for over 23 years and a Certified B Corp, we know a thing or two about sustainable, eco-friendly living.
Here are some actionable ways you can reduce your carbon footprint at home.
♻️ 1. Recycling to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Recycling plays a crucial role in lowering household emissions. When you recycle plastics, paper, and glass, you reduce the demand for new materials, which cuts energy consumption and pollution.
Before condemning old, unwanted items to the trash, consider how you might minimize waste through recycling or reusing them! Here are a few ideas as food for thought:
Containers and Jars: Consider repurposing old containers and jars for food storage. They can even be upcycled into decor for your home. In the worst case, plan to clean thoroughly and recycle at a minimum.
Old Clothing: There are more options than ever to donate old clothing. A quick trip to the Salvation Army, Savers, or even a local church or school drop box is an easy errand on the way home from work. You can even opt for an online consignment option like ThredUp, where you get paid to extend the life of old clothing through resale, reuse, and responsible recycling.
- Home Textiles: Even soiled fabric items like curtains or tablecloths are recyclable through places like Goodwill. They sell any textiles they cannot resell (including scraps) to textile recycling plants.
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Electronics: Did you know it’s illegal to dispose of electronics through the trash? Not to mention, most electronics contain materials that harm our environment. Check out your county website for an electronics recycling service in your area.
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Home Goods: As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another’s treasure! Rather than dumping old household items in the can, check with family and friends first to see if they can be repurposed in their home. If not, gently placing these items by the road will more often than not lead to a pickup by someone on the hunt for such a thing!
2. Composting to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home
Composting food and other organic materials diverts waste away from landfills, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, recycles nutrients, and provides many other environmental benefits.
At GreenSpark, we utilize Impact Earth composting services for our workplace food waste. Their services apply to residential and commercial properties within Monroe County and beyond! Impact Earth drives to your home or business weekly to pick up your food scraps and turn them into compost. All you have to do is place the food scraps in the washless bucket and leave it by the curbside for pickup. It’s so simple!
The US Composting Council has an excellent resource for finding STA-certified compost participants in your area.
Did you know that globally, our food waste is approximately 1.4 billion tons of food each year? That makes up 11% of our global greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Eco-Friendly Shopping to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Less than 30% of plastic gets recycled in the US— according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
When you look around your home, it can be pretty distressing how much plastic abounds. Just walking up and down the grocery store aisles is disheartening.
The next time you find yourself in need of an item, new or replacement, explore whether an eco-friendly alternative exists. Here are a few resources for earth-friendly alternatives (bonus: they are ALL fellow B Corps!).
- Life Without Plastic has excellent options for zero-waste living containers.
- Grove Collaborative offers eco-friendly household cleaning, personal care, kitchenware, and pet products.
- Onya Life has a great list of eco-friendly products, kitchenware, and compostable bags.
4. Hosting Zero-Waste Parties at Your Home
At GreenSpark Solar, we improve recycling rates by setting a budget for reusable, recyclable, or compostable products at all company-wide events. You can also implement a similar approach for your parties, events, and activities!
For example, we use branded metal solo cups at company events to prevent unnecessary waste and encourage people to use and reuse them. We also avoid using plastic flatware, purchase compostable dishware, and have several bins for composting. These are easy changes that you can apply to plan more zero-waste events at home.
Did you know we only recycle about 67.2 million tons of a possible 267.8 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW)?
5. The Best Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Go Solar
Of course, the most impactful way to reduce your carbon footprint is to go solar. By installing a home solar energy system, you can play a more significant role in reducing your community’s annual carbon emissions. Not to mention, the savings potential of going solar is quite enticing.
GreenSpark’s average residential solar array saves over $100,000 in energy costs in its lifetime. What’s more, homeowners can take advantage of current state and federal incentives that cover nearly 50% of the costs to go solar, including NYSERDA’s residential solar grant that currently offers homeowners $.15/Watt.
This 6.66kW system not only saves this homeowner thousands of dollars per year on their electricity costs, but its annual environmental impact is equivalent to:
🚗 Over 13,000 miles avoided by gas-powered vehicles
📱 Over 650,000 smartphones charged
♻️ 222 trash bags recycled instead of sent to the landfill
Now, that sparks a huge impact! What kind of savings could your roof produce?
Are you interested in learning more about how solar, home battery storage, and EV charging work together to create a net-zero home? Explore our guide to home electrification next!
6. Reducing Your Carbon Footprint on the Road
If you’re considering switching to an EV this year, do it! It’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint dramatically, and there are tons of EV incentives you can take advantage of right now.
Plus, as gas prices continue to rise, you can save money by switching to an EV and contribute towards achieving the 100% zero-emission electricity goal by 2040 in New York State. It’s a win-win.
We offer (and install) a variety of EV chargers to fit your needs and can help you maximize available incentives.
