Green living isn’t always easy. Fortunately, though, there are ways to make your home more ecofriendly—even during Chicago’s coldest, snowiest months! Read on for some tips on how you can have an ecofriendly winter.
1. Set up your home for an ecofriendly winter
Despite frigid outdoor temperatures, winter is generally a time of warm homes. Family and friends visit for the holidays, your stove and oven get a workout with homemade comfort meals and freshly-baked cookies, and your utility bills rise! However, there are several ways that you can keep your indoor temperature up and your bills down—plus work toward having the most ecofriendly winter you’ve ever had.
Indoor energy efficiency tips
One of the best ways to save energy and money for an ecofriendly winter is to keep your home at a reasonable temperature. Cozy up in your favorite warm outfit and snuggle under a blanket before you crank up the thermostat. One of the best ways to save energy and money is to keep your thermostat around 68 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the winter. Drop it down a few degrees when you’re going to be away from home for a few hours—and remember to regularly replace your furnace’s air filters!
You should also do a walkthrough of your home to make sure there aren’t drafts sneaking in. If you do feel cold air near your doors or windows, stop the draft with some towels or invest in some plastic film to insulate your windows.
Ecofriendly outdoor tips
Once your indoor area is warm and ecofriendly, turn your attention to the outdoors. Opt for a manual shovel or an electric or battery-powered snow blower instead of gasoline-powered machinery. You can also use nontoxic products to remove ice and snow in order to avoid harmful chemicals from melting into the ground. A fringe benefit is that you and your neighbors won’t track these substances into their homes on their snow boots or on their dogs’ cold paws!
2. Give sustainable gifts
Whether you’re shopping for green holiday presents or an ecofriendly housewarming gift for a new homeowner, you can find the perfect sustainable gift to help your loved ones have an ecofriendly winter. Here are a few ideas:
- Reusable bags. Give them some sturdy grocery totes, mesh produce bags, and silicon sandwich or food storage bags so they can help save the earth one shopping trip at a time.
- A new travel mug. They can still get their daily caffeine fix at their favorite coffee shop—their barista will just fill up their reusable mug instead of a plastic or cardboard cup that’ll end up in the trash.
- Ecofriendly clothing. From socks that plant trees to winter coats made from recycled fishing nets, keep them warm while making Mother Earth smile!
To decrease your carbon footprint even further, shop locally as much as possible to avoid the emissions from those daily delivery trucks you see driving down your street. You can even get creative with ecofriendly gift wrapping ideas!
If wrapping isn’t your favorite winter activity, don’t worry. There are plenty of fun and environmentally friendly things to do in the winter!
3. Enjoy some ecofriendly winter activities
Winter is a great time to have some fun. Outdoor or indoor, at home or around town, you can find all sorts of ecofriendly winter activities!
Outdoor ecofriendly winter activities
Sure, Chicago winters can be cold and windy. However, there are always some nicer days sprinkled in. So when that sun comes out, go outside and get some vitamin D!
Outdoor winter fun isn’t only about playing in the snow. Just a simple walk through your neighborhood is an enjoyable and ecofriendly winter activity. Check out what houses have the most creative lights and decorations. Enjoy the adornments that your city or town has put up in public places. And take a walk through the park! After all, is there anything prettier than spotting a bright red cardinal in a snow-covered tree?
Indoor ecofriendly winter activities
Sick of the cold? No problem. There are plenty of fun things you can do indoors! Grab some reusable silicon baking mats or cups and go to town making some sweet treats. Or make a cozy pillow and blanket fort with the kids. If you want to get back into the kitchen, you can even create your own indoor herb garden to keep yourself stocked up on fresh aromatics all year long.
As you enjoy your nice, warm home, keep in mind that not everyone is so lucky. The cold months can be extremely difficult for those in need. If you want to give back to your community, look into volunteering at a local soup kitchen, foodbank, or shelter. You’ll get to stay indoors and make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Box Beaters is your partner in an ecofriendly way of life!
At Box Beaters, we specialize in helping customers have smooth, cost-effective, and ecofriendly moves. In addition, we’re always searching for new ways to help the planet!
If you have anything to add to our tips for an ecofriendly winter, please let us know. And if you just want to chat about how ecofriendly moving is an awesome revolution, give us a call!