5 easy ways you can go green for your condo
As more and more people move to Toronto for career and business opportunities, condo living has become one of the most sought after living options in the city. With our living spaces becoming much more densely populated, our environmental impact has become greater than ever.
As luxury fully serviced accommodation providers, we believe that it is imperative to take bigger and better steps towards incorporating greener practices, as a way of working, living, and being. With selecting buildings that are LEED-Certified and choosing energy efficient fixtures & appliances, this is one of many ways we strive to carry out our mission. There are many benefits to ‘going green’.
For our readers and guests alike, here are 5 easy ways you can go green for your condo:
1. Turn to Eco-friendly Settings
Check and see if your dishwasher has an eco feature. While they typically have longer washing cycles, eco modes often use lower temperatures and less water. Make sure that your dishwasher is loaded properly, and not overfilled to get the best results out of your cleaning cycle.
Another great way to save on energy is to embrace air drying! Forgoing the heated dry feature in your dishwasher will definitely save you some costs in the long run.
2. Cold Washing Your Clothes
A great way of reducing your eco-footprint is to opt for cold washing. By design, modern washers are well equipped to handle cold water. Not only are the machines equipped for this way of washing but there are also many detergents on the market that contain enzymes that can work in those lower temperatures.
What is great about it, is that your clothes, in the long run, will thank you for it! For most of your clothes and other items*, it is less likely to shrink, fade or ruin clothes – plus it reduces wrinkles.
*Be sure to always check your clothing labels, to make sure what materials may clean easier in warm-water than cold. Synthetic or knit materials, such as spandex, nylon, polyester, and rayon blends are examples of this.
3. Change Your Ceiling Fan Direction
If your condo features a ceiling fan, be sure to switch the blade rotation direction from anti-clockwise, to clockwise. By doing so, this allows the fan to create an updraft and redistributes the warm air that typically rises to the ceiling. This reduces your heating costs (typically up to 15%) and allows you, to better control the thermostat and give your A/C or heating unit a break, every once in a while.
To make this change, you can change the rotation direction, by using the remote or wall control. Or, look for a toggle switch on the fan’s motor just below the blades.
4. Commit to Reusable Items
There are many items on the market that you can use that will reduce your garbage waste. With the push for one-time use items, such as straws, plastic takeaway containers and many more to be banned, there has been an increase in selection for reusable items that you can use in your day-to-day life. Becoming eco-friendly has never looked so chic!
Besides the classic Tupperware market, other brands such as Swell, Prepd and Greens Steel, all have beautiful designs for food packaging, travel bottles, reusable straws (and more), to stand the test of time.
5. Green Decorations
Spruce up your home and bring in native greenery to your space! Increasing plants inside your suite have many benefits to them, both aesthetically and environmentally. Plants can act as a natural air filter for toxins and pollutants while replenishing oxygen into your home!
Plants, such as, the Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta), Philodendron (Philodendron sp.) and the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”), are all beautiful and excellent plants that are known to purify the air in your space.
We hope you incorporate some of these cost-saving and environmentally friendly tips into your space!
