How to Live Green In an Apartment or Rented House

apartment living

Green living can be more of a challenge when you live in a place that you don't own but it can be done. Here are some suggestions for living a greener life in a rental.

Things You'll Need

• a desire to live green, wherever you live
• a plan to live green

Instructions

1. 

   Nothing on earth can stop the truly dedicated recycler, certainly not apartment living, whether or not your building has a recycling program.

   If it does, great, you use it. If they don't you do your own recycling, and you might even want to suggest to the landlord that he or she start a recycle program for the apartment building.

   As a part of this recycling, reusing, and reducing idea, you can practically furnish your whole apartment with items you either recycle or reuse. For example, hand-me-down furniture and household goods from your parents would fall under this category. So would buying furniture from a thrift shop, or a garage sale, or picking it up off the street on trash day.

   It's easier to recycle if you rent a house, because often the city has a recycle program going already, and so you just follow their advice and recycle that way.

   Reduce means use less of the earths resources, and there are many ways for renters to do that. Everything from walking instead of owning a car, to buying only second hand furniture, to decluttering your excess stuff and donating it to those who need the items more than you do.

2. 

   Green cleaning for renters is very similiar to homeowners. You simply buy natural cleaners and green products to clean your home and you make a point to use them instead of harsh chemicals.

3. 

   To decorate your apartment green, as I mentioned earlier on, you just need to reuse furniture and household goods, either by accepting hand me downs from your parents or purchasing them used from a thrift store or a used furniture store.

   Instead of buying cheap plastic items from the local superstore, you might consider decorating your home with natural stuff like plants, shells, and things of that nature. Baskets are nice too.

   Try to purchase organic bedding, and towels if you can. Rugs and other items for your home should be organic and natural too. Avoid any and all chemicals on things coming into your home, rented or not.

4. 

   Other green living ideas include making sure you have replaced your light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, and that you try to cut down on your electricity use, water use, and any other energy or fuel needed to run your house.

   Avoid food waste too. Eat locally and organic as much as possible, and try to cut your meat consumption. Put in a water filter for your kitchen tap, and take a metal water bottle with you to work or school.

   If you live in the city, you might not need a car at all. Instead walk, bicycle, or take public transportation wherever you need to go.

   There are many ways to live a green life in an apartment or rented house, but these suggestions should get you started.

Tips & Warnings

• It's possible to live green in an apartment or rented house with some planning and preparation.