In preparation for Earth Hour, commencing at 20h30 on Saturday, 27 March 2021, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett encourages all homeowners to take a moment to consider the environmental impact their household is making.
Started by WWF in Sydney back in 2007, Earth Hour is meant to serve as a reminder for all individuals to make a positive environmental impact. Each year, people around the world switch off their lights for one hour to show their symbolic support for a greener, more sustainable future. One of the easiest places to show one’s support for this cause is to make a difference within one’s own home.
According to Goslett, becoming a more sustainable household is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a good way to future-proof one of your largest financial investments. “Demand for homes with sustainable features is slowly growing. New developments are opting to use sustainable materials and install more eco-friendly features, such as rooftop gardens, grey water tanks, and solar panel energy. Over time, it is likely that these kinds of properties will become the norm rather than the exception. Homeowners who choose to instal eco-friendly features now will be ensuring that their home remains appealing to buyers in the future,” he explains.
Those without the capital to invest in eco-friendly upgrades can still minimise their environmental impact in other ways. For example, RE/MAX SA suggests that households can minimise the amount of waste they create by purchasing items that: (a) have no packaging waste, and (b) can be reused or refilled when its contents have been depleted.
Instead of using cleaning protects with toxic chemicals, RE/MAX SA suggests that households use natural cleaning solutions such as white vinegar diluted in water. This solution is an eco-friendly alternative for a surface cleaner. Its natural acidity is strong enough to dissolve dirt and soap scum without emitting any harmful chemicals.
Another way to lower a household’s environmental impact is to compost kitchen and garden waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Items such as egg boxes, old newspapers, tea bags and coffee grounds, as well as eggshells and all vegetable scraps, can be used to create a great fertilizer mix. RE/MAX SA suggests that homeowners consult an expert at their local nursery to find out more about how to create an odour-free compost heap.
“The choices we make today will have a profound impact upon our future. While it might not always be easy to make these adjustments, becoming a more sustainable household is the right thing to do. Instead of just switching off our lights for Earth Hour, let’s use this as an opportunity to start living a more sustainable lifestyle every hour thereafter,” Goslett concludes.
