Climate change is a massive concern these days, and everyone needs to do their part – you can make a big difference with a few smart moves in your new Lubbock apartment home.
Living green is not only good for the environment, but it can also save you money and encourage healthy habits. Here are a few top tips for reducing your footprint and embracing the eco-friendly life.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The City of Lubbock offers a recycling program – here’s more info on their locations. Unfortunately, they do not accept all recyclable materials, but here’s what they do accept:
- Plastics: type 1, 2, clear, color, or opaque
- Tin, aluminum
- Newspaper, office paper
- Cardboard
For glass recycling near your Lubbock apartment, local rock station KFMX recommends that you give Good Earth Recycling a try. For an affordable price towards a good cause, they’ll come pick up your glass, Styrofoam, and other recyclables.
Glass containers can often be reused to store other items after you remove the label. Try not to use disposable containers – instead, glass or silicone can be washed and reused many times over. Some stores are now trying to use less packaging, instead selling staples in bulk you can dispense into your own containers. Simply take your reusable vessels to the store and fill them back up.
Recycle your plastic toothbrush and pick up one made from bamboo – a sustainable and naturally antimicrobial material. For holding sandwiches and other snacks, try beeswax wraps; they’re 100% natural, reusable, inexpensive, and last for a year.
Go Natural
Another easy way to go green is to stop buying dangerous chemicals and poisonous cleaners. For just about anything you would need to clean in your
one bedroom Lubbock apartment, there are a multitude of recipes online for natural cleansers that really work. Most contain these ingredients for the heavy lifting:
- Lemon juice or zest
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Olive oil
Yes, the same stuff you cook with – EVOO is great for polishing metal cookware, jewelry, and hardwood floors. It’s also good for your skin and can be used in place of WD40 for things that squeak.
If you want to make your own aromatic and natural cleaners for yourself and every surface in your apartment, just login to Pinterest and search for the best rated natural cleansers.
Power Down
Using less power overall is better for the environment as well as your wallet. The Texas power situation has been national news since last year, so it’s best to make a plan to consume less power and be able stick with it during shortages.
LED lightbulbs are very affordable, use less electricity, and last a long time. Power conservation strips can save power and reduce your bill as well. Dimmers for all your lights will help you enjoy a mellow mood while you save money.
Ask your landlord about a programmable thermostat and ceiling fans for your apartment. These handy devices allow you to modulate the temperature to the degree and use less power. Small, portable fans and air conditioners that run from batteries or USB sources will also keep you feeling cool all summer without spending a fortune.
Go With the Flow
Conserving water is vitally important for the Lubbock area – but thankfully it’s effortless to use less water in your apartment. You can implement good habits immediately, like turning off the water while you brush your teeth or scrub dishes.
Most apartments come with a standard flush toilet, but you can easily hook up a dual-flushing doodad for under $100 that will reduce the amount of water used per flush and lower your water bill. Just search your favorite online shopping site for a “dual flush converter.”
Low-flow shower heads are awesome at conserving water without leaving you with low pressure. They’re also affordable, easy to install, and come in a huge variety of sizes and functions – the rainfall shower heads are particularly popular. If you're living in a
two bedroom apartment in Lubbock, make sure that you and your roommate on the same page with saving water.
Start Composting
While it might sound a little challenging, composting is easy, great for gardeners, and does good for the environment by reducing landfill content and food waste.
Composting is the process of using certain food scraps to create an enriching nutrient mix for gardening and natural soil fauna. Some items that can be composted are coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable scraps, fruit skins or pits, and old pizza.
You may want to purchase a tabletop composter – while these are a little more expensive, they will also keep the fragrant aroma of in-process compost from clogging your apartment.
Take Care of Texas has some other hot tips for making your own compost and how to best use it in your apartment’s container garden or at the community vegetable patch.
These are just a few of the ways you can live green in your new Lubbock apartment. Keep checking back for more tips and tricks on how to live your best life and enjoy all the Lubbock area has to offer!
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