Saving water is not a new practice, but it is important. Every little thing you do to conserve water in your apartment can make a big difference, not only to your water bill, but also to the planet.

Did you know that about 10 liters of water come out of a typical faucet every minute? Small changes in your daily habits can mean the conservation of thousands of liters of water. In the following article, we will explain 5 ways to reduce water consumption in your apartment.

Fix Leakage Problems

Water leaks are common in all homes, whether they are old or new. However, we don’t realize the huge amount of water that is wasted if leaks are not identified and corrected immediately. Therefore, before implementing any other water saving measures, the first thing to do is to look for leaks in the pipes and eliminate them.

Even if it is a small leak, it is important to address and eliminate it as soon as possible, as this problem can waste thousands of liters of water per year. So it’s important that you make sure your home doesn’t have a leak problem.

Use Low-Flow Faucets

One of the best ways to save water in your apartment is to make sure that all common and public areas are equipped with low-flow faucets. Low water toilets, sinks and showers are great options because they reduce the amount of water you use, without having to think about it.

Here, we recommend that all apartments for sale be equipped with low-flow faucets, so that tenants can save up to about 65% on their water usage. In addition, as an apartment owner, you should allow for water treatment for irrigation of green areas. This not only optimizes water usage, but also minimizes maintenance costs.

Buy Efficient Appliances That Use Less Water

It may not be possible to change your appliances that are still working optimally, but when it’s time to buy new ones, consider looking for models that use less water.

As technology develops, more and more technological equipment, such as dishwashers, are available with multiple features to optimize the smart use of water. In fact, newer appliances tend to be more energy efficient, while also being more water efficient.

Reuse Water

Reusing water may seem odd at first, but if you think about it, it could be a pretty smart move on our part in terms of contributing to the planet and the financial burden of monthly bills. Here are some ways to reuse water effortlessly:

• Reuse the water you use to wash vegetables when watering your houseplants. Remember, this water is rich in protein, which helps your plants grow stronger and healthier.
• Place a plate under the pots of your plants, this way you can reuse any excess water left over.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you clean them.
• Also, another way to reuse water is through wetland treatment, where gray water is treated to irrigate green areas.

Controlling Water Use

In addition to putting into practice some ideas to conserve water, you need to control the use of this natural resource, because this is the main aspect when you start saving water. Therefore, you should always be aware of its use and control it. Here are some ideas to reduce water consumption:

• Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, washing dishes, etc.
• Use the correct amount of water to water plants or water them with the water you use to wash fruits, vegetables, etc.
• Turn off taps when not in use.

In addition, you can educate your family and children about the importance of water and the value of saving it. This way, no water will be wasted in the future and you will certainly pass on this message of saving water to your friends for future generations.

Now you know how to save water at home. Don’t forget that by applying this type of innovative ideas, you can optimize the consumption of this natural resource so important for our planet, and at the same time you will contribute to the protection of the environment. We hope you have enjoyed this information!

The vegan diet is widely regarded to be better for the planet than those that include animal products, but not all plant-based foodstuffs have a small environmental footprint.

There is no doubt that meat – beef in particular – makes an unsurpassed contribution to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. It also devours more land and water and causes more environmental damage than any other single food product. The recent rigorous report by the EAT-Lancet Commission recommends reducing our consumption of animal products to not only benefit human health but the health of our planet. Even the “greenest” sources of meat still produce more greenhouse gases than plant-based proteins.

But anyone looking to adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet for environmental reasons may also want to consider whether there are some plant-based foods that also come with a heavy price.

Delicate fruits like blueberries and strawberries, for example, are often imported to Europe and the US by air to fill gaps left when local fruit is out of season. Research by Angelina Frankowska, who studies sustainability at the University of Manchester, recently found that asparagus eaten in the UK has the highest carbon footprint compared to any other vegetable eaten in the country, with 5.3kg of carbon dioxide being produced for every kilogram of asparagus, mainly because much of it is imported by air from Peru. She and her colleagues found, in fact, that the succulent green stalks have the largest environmental footprint of any of the 56 vegetables they looked at, including its land use and water use (which was three times greater than the next highest).

Is a vegan diet better for the planet?

Without carefully considering where our food comes from and how it is grown, our diets can have unintended consequences. Take the strange case of two vegans in an Italian study who were found to have an environmental impact considerably higher than many meat-eaters. When the researchers dug a little further, they discovered the pair exclusively ate fruit, particularly watermelon and cantaloupe.

The water, land, and carbon footprint of growing and transporting such large, perishable fruit meant the environmental impact was far larger than they had expected. Once the data from all 153 vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores in the study were taken into account, however, it showed that eating meat was on average worse for the environment.

But there are other general points to consider when we think about food crops that can drive up the environmental impact. Artificial fertilizers, for example, account for at least 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the industry. The production of synthetic fertilizer emits carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane into the atmosphere, while their use on fields releases nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas.

Agricultural practices such as the tilling of fields also release large volumes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and help to speed up erosion.

These all combine to differing degrees depending on the crop, but there are clearly some plant-based foods that have a disproportionate impact on the environment, like avocados, mushrooms, mycoproteins, cashew nuts, and more. What is clear is that while plant-based foods and meat substitutes can be far better for the environment than livestock production as a whole, if we really want to make a difference to the environment we need to take care about what we choose to replace meat with.

Sticking to locally produced fruit and vegetables that are in season is the best approach. The general recommendations end up being: reduce meat consumption, and pay attention, if you can, to how foods are grown and transported. Try to avoid heated greenhouse-grown fruit and veg, and stuff that may have been air freighted.

Eating a little less can’t hurt either – especially if you’re eating watermelon.

Green building construction involves the use of environmentally responsible materials and processes throughout the life cycle of a building. There is no fashion when it comes to green living, as it is a practical solution to many of the problems facing the world today.

Do you want to know the benefits of living in an eco-friendly apartment? All over the world, green buildings have been shown to offer a number of benefits, allowing people to tackle climate change to achieve a wide range of global goals. Keep reading to learn more!

Low Maintenance and Operating Costs

Green apartment features ensure that resources such as water and energy are used efficiently in their construction. For example, by using a lighting strategy and lots of natural light, green buildings greatly reduce the amount of energy. Users can save up to a third of their water and electricity bills.

With maintenance accounting for up to 80% of a building’s lifetime costs, reducing these costs significantly increases profits for apartment owners.
In addition, while green homes may be slightly more expensive to build and design than their non-green counterparts, the reduced operating and maintenance costs make them much more affordable and efficient in the long run.

Better Energy Efficiency

Another characteristic of green buildings is that they try, whenever possible, to reduce reliance on energy from non-renewable sources, such as coal. They do this by installing solar panels to harness the sun’s energy and by designing windows to let in as much natural light as possible, thus reducing the use of artificial light.

Led lighting, for example, and other methods ensure that the building uses energy efficiently. Energy efficiency is essential not only for the apartment owner, who will be able to save money each month on his or her electricity bill, but also for everyone else, as non-renewable energy sources are expensive and pollute the environment.

Improved Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor environmental quality depends on the internal conditions of a building and how they affect its occupants. These include lighting, ergonomics, thermal conditions and air quality. Good indoor environmental quality is one that protects the health of the occupants in each department, as it reduces stress and improves their quality of life.

Green apartments achieve this by installing large windows that let in as much sunlight as possible and by reducing the use of materials that may emit elements that are hazardous to health.

Better Water Use

Water efficiency is the use of natural resources in a way that optimizes the use of this resource and ensures a reliable supply of clean water for current and future generations. Water efficient faucets are one example.

Green homes allow for the use of alternative sources of water, such as reducing water waste through the installation of efficient plumbing fixtures and reducing the strain on shared water resources through the installation of systems that purify water and allow for its recycling.

Promoting Quality of Health

People who live in green apartments enjoy many health benefits due to the safety of the materials used in the construction of these buildings. For example, green building companies avoid using plastic by-products that have been found to release toxic substances.

Toxic substances, such as carcinogens, not only cause significant breathing difficulties, but also increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, if you are concerned about your health as well as the health of your loved ones, it is best that you consider living in this type of housing.

Increased Property Values

Many people are beginning to see more and more of the benefits that green homes offer, from reduced operating costs to a more sustainable and future-proof lifestyle.

Green condos are now in high demand and as such, they attract much higher real estate values than their non-green counterparts. So investing in a green home now is a step ahead of the future.

So are you going to invest in a green home? Let us know in the comments below.