In the home
Into: At home 
Choosing a home Sustainable homes
All products have an impact on the environment in some way which may be caused by their manufacture, use or disposal. The EU Integrated Product Policy (IPP) seeks to minimise this impact by looking at all phases of a products’ life-cycle and taking action on those areas which can be most effective.
The life-cycle of a product is often long and complicated and it can include:
extraction of natural resources
design
manufacture
assembly
marketing
distribution
sale
use (...) Read more
Energy
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In the home
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Sustainable building materials
Most of the products that are needed to build a home are available in ‘eco-friendly’ versions. Using sustainable building materials offer benefits to both the house builder and the house occupants. These benefits include:
Reduced maintenance and replacement costs over the life of the building.
Better energy conservations.
Improved health for occupants.
Reduction in environmental impacts.
Examples of the types of sustainable home construction materials that you can purchase are: (...) Read more
Raw materials
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Land
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In the home
Into: At home Furnishing a home Furniture
Eco-friendly furniture and furnishings are products that contribute towards creating a sustainable environment and life. As consumers look for more ways to reduce pollution and reduce waste, these types of products are becoming more popular.
When buying furniture for your home, you should remember that it is possible to buy eco-friendly items that are made from reclaimed wood, from FSC certified wood or recycled metal. Many of the materials used in sustainable home products come from (...) Read more
Raw materials
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In the home
Into: At home Furnishing a home Domestic appliances and multimedia
The EU Energy label provides an efficiency rating between ’A’ and ’G’ for each product and is designed to help you make informed decisions when purchase energy-consuming appliances. ’A’ rating is the most energy efficient and ’G’ rating is the least efficient.
The types of products that require an EU Energy Efficiency label include:
Washing Machines Tumble Dryers Refrigerators Freezers Dishwashers Boilers Electric Ovens Digital Televisions
More information on energy efficient use of (...) Read more
Energy
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Furnishing a home Lighting
The most environmentally friendly way to light a house is to use natural daylight. If you are looking to buy a home, then you should consider the position of the windows and doors to see how much natural daylight the property will benefit from.
Another way to impove the environmentally friendliness of your lighting is to ensure that you use energy efficient lightbulbs, which use significantly less energy and last longer than traditional lightbulbs. Many countries around the world are (...) Read more
Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Furnishing a home Energy Efficiency Labelling
The EU Energy label provides clear information and an energy efficiency rating from ’A’ to ’G’. ’A’ rating is the most energy efficient and ’G’ rating is the least efficient. This information should not only be provided on a clearly visible sign when appliances are dsiplayed for sale, but it must also be given in catalogues and included on websites.
More information on energy labels can be found at:
Energy Saving Trust
Energylabels.co.uk
There are a number of EU directives and regulations in (...) Read more
Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home Regular cleaning
Soap is known to have been around for thousands of years, initially made up of components such as vegetable or animal fats, herbs, plant leaves and other fragrances. Soap technology has inevitably advanced since then with many varieties now available on the market, including:
Fragrance free products
Dermatologically tested soap
Products free from animal fats or not tested on animals.
During World War I, synthetic products were developed as it was difficult to obtain soap ingredients. (...) Read more
Biodiversity
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Packaging
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Recycling
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In the home
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Recycling
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Natural environment
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home Disposable wipes
Although these wipes are convenient, they are very costly so a damp flannel or cloth can be just as effective and more environmentally friendly.
Disposable wipes have evolved and consumers can now buy:
Antibacterial wipes – for kitchen surfaces
Polish wipes – for windows, furniture, reducing dust static, smear free etc…
Floor wipes – can be used to clean kitchen and laminate floors
Cleansing wipes – can be used generally all over the home
Car cleaning wipes – designed specifically for (...) Read more
Waste reduction
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Health and fitness
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Personal care
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In the home
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home Biodegradability of detergents
The Regulation refers to different levels of biodegradability and gives definitions for:
Primary biodegradation
Ultimate aerobic biodegradation
This Regulation also states that manufactures should not use or produce detergents that do not comply with the regulation. Products that do not meet the standards set should not be available on or sold on the market.
The UK Cleaning Products Industry Association (UKCPI) website contains information about biodegradation and green claims.
In (...) Read more
Raw materials
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Biodiversity
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In the home
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Natural environment
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home Waste
Government initiatives and more environmentally conscious consumers are helping to reduce the levels of waste created by UK households. Media interest and documentaries about the global impact of waste and pollution are helping to educate consumers about why reducing waste is so important. Local councils also offer advice and initiatives on ways to reduce household waste.
Some local councils now offer different bins for refuse and recycling, free compost bins, easily accessible recycling (...) Read more
Packaging
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Reusing products
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Recycling
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Waste reduction
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In the home
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Recycling
Into: At home Living with my family Overview of family living
The living environment often contributes towards hindering or accelerating environmental and social pollution, due to issues such as closeness of shops and services, schools, leisure facilities, cycle paths, cleaning and landscaping services, green spaces, noise, security.
Sustainability can be affected by the way in which a family lives, so there are a number of changes that your family can make:
Local shopping
This can often reduce the environmental impact as there is not the need to (...) Read more
Water efficiency
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Sustainable building materials
Good insulation is very important for your home both in terms of environmental and personal financial benefits.
Approximately 80% of energy used in homes is for heating. Insulation can help to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer as it resists the flow of heat. A properly insulated home uses less energy for heating and cooling, which benefits the environment and your pocket!
Insulation is not just suitable for lofts and outside walls as it can also be installed in (...) Read more
Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Sustainable building materials
When building or renovating a home, you should consider using green building materials as these help to improve the conservation of reducing non-renewable resources.
Nowadays there is a huge range of recycled building materials on the market, as well as products that are made from a plentiful or renewable resource. If you want to be green when you build or renovate a home, consider the following issues when you are choosing and buying products:
Is the product recycled or does it contain (...) Read more
Recycling
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In the home
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Recycling
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Energy saving
A heating system for a home is a major purchase and it lasts a long time, so the technical function and safety aspects of a heating system are important criteria when it comes to making the right choice. With many consumers wishing to make their homes more energy efficient and sustainable there are now a wide range of sustainable heating systems available. Consumers may also find that having a sustainable heating system will be beneficial when trying to sell your home.
Sustainable (...) Read more
Raw materials
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Energy saving
As discussed throughout this section, there are a number of ways in which you can be sustainable when designing, building, or renovating a home. Below is a checklist to remind you of what you should be considering when working on your home:
Lighting - when choosing how to light your home, consider how you make best use of natural daylight. Also consider how you can use windows and sky lights to maximise natural lighting in your home.
Solar panels - consider whether you could use solar (...) Read more
Raw materials
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Efficient use of water and energy
Whether you are undertaking work on your own house or employing a builder to carry out renovation or building work, it is important to understand the ways in which you can effectively reduce water usage in buildings.
Also when undertaking any building or renovation work, it important that you are aware of Building Regulations and in particular Part H, which covers water usage and installation of sewage treatment systems.
You can find further details on:
Planning Portal website (England (...) Read more
Water
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Water efficiency
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In the home
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Saving water
Into: At home Furnishing a home Furniture
When buying furniture for your home, it is always worth considering the use of secondhand furniture as this has environmental, financial and social benefits.
If you buy second hand furniture, you will usually find it is a lot cheaper than buying furniture from new and you will, therefore, find that you have a wider choice of options to spend your budget on. You could also consider selling any old furniture that you have as someone else may be able to put it to good use and you may make a (...) Read more
In the home
Into: At home Furnishing a home Furniture
Before you buy new or secondhand furniture for your home, why not consider whether any of your current furniture can be restored or renovated. If you have antique furniture, then you need to consider getting restorations undertaken by an expert, however, it is possible to tackle some jobs yourself.
There are a number of television programmes and internet sites that gives consumers advice on how to renovate and restore furniture by changing its colour, texture or shape.
If you have a (...) Read more
In the home
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home Regular cleaning
Opening windows and doors to get natural air ventilation in our homes is a good way of circulating fresh air and getting rid of odours. This does, however, cause problems for some people who live in a built up area or near a busy road as it may actually bring more pollution into their home so may not seem a safe or secure option.
Air fresheners have become a popular household (and car) product as they can make a home smell nice and in some cases, can reduce bacteria or germs found in the (...) Read more
Air pollution
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In the home
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home Waste
Recycling and reusing goods are essential to help reduce waste but there are other ways that you can help to reduce household waste:
Water meters – by having a water meter installed in your home, you can monitor the amount of water your home is using. A water meter will ensure that you consider how you are using water and will discourage you from wasting water and encourage you to buy efficient household products.
Avoid excessive packaging – you should always pay attention to the amount (...) Read more
Water efficiency
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Energy efficiency
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Reusing products
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Waste reduction
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In the home
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Recycling
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Saving water
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Living with my family Examples of sustainable family living
There are a number of ways that you and your family can share transport:
Car pooling
This type of car sharing reduces the need for using your car everyday, which reduces traffic on the roads, parking issues and can save a lot of money as a car owner. If you have children of school age, it may be worth finding out who lives near by and may be interested in participating in a car sharing scheme. This can also be the case when starting a new job as you could find out if anyone can share (...) Read more
Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Travel and transport
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Children’s wellbeing
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Teenager’s wellbeing
Into: At home Living with my family Examples of sustainable family living
As a family, saving energy and reducing water consumption is something that all family members should be part of to help to make a difference. You should agree on a plan of action and monitor who is keeping to the plan. It maybe that one person is responsible for sorting out packaging for recycling or making sure appropriate electrical items are turned off at night to reduce wasted energy use. It may be that parents need to make reasonable adjustments to the home, such as;
making sure (...) Read more
Water efficiency
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Children’s wellbeing
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Teenager’s wellbeing
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Saving water
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Living with my family Examples of sustainable family living
It is estimated that up to two-thirds of household rubbish can be recycled, so it is important to know how different objects can be disposed of. You can contact your local authority as they will be able to provide information around doorstep recycling services, nearest recycling points in your area are and where to dispose of certain items such as batteries and wood. Further details are also available on the Directgov website.
When recycling try to encourage your children to join in: (...) Read more
Packaging
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Reusing products
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Recycling
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Waste reduction
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In the home
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Children’s wellbeing
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Teenager’s wellbeing
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Recycling
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Energy saving
Almost 50% of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions are generated by buildings. The EU has introduced a series of measures to help reduce energy consumption in buildings and tackle climate change.
In 2002, the European Parliament and Council passes Directive 2002/91/EC which covers the energy performance of buildings and deals with all the aspects of the energy efficiency of buildings in order to establish an integrated approach.
Legislation was introduced in the UK which means (...) Read more
Energy
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Energy saving
There are a number of energy efficiency grants and offers available to help you make energy efficient improvements to your home. These grants and offers are available from Government, you Local Council, energy suppliers and other organisations. The type of work that you may be able to get a financial contribution towards include:
Cavity wall insulation Loft insulation and draught proofing Heating Appliances Energy Saving light bulbs
You can find out more information about energy (...) Read more
Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Designing, building and renovating a home Efficient use of water and energy
When you are undertaking building or renovation work, it is important to consider energy saving methods, so that these can be incorporate into your home during building works. An energy efficient house is good for the environment, good for your finance and could also be a key selling feature if you want to sell your home.
If you are undertaking renovation work on an existing property, you could consider doing a ‘Home Energy check’ which will tell you how you can save energy in your home. (...) Read more
Energy
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Energy efficiency
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In the home
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Energy efficiency
Into: At home Maintaining and keeping a home
If you run out of ideas on how to be sustainable at home, check out the following websites for inspiration:
Act on CO2 Waterwise Energy Savings Trust Team Green Britain Read more
Tip
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In the home
Into: At home Choosing a home
Maybe you can live with a bug or two on your plants, as long as they do not eat all your roses?
If not, did you know that soap and water can be used to get rid of greenflies.
You can find further information in our ‘Garden’ section. Read more
Tip
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In the home
