Explain how to make a sustainable home that uses less energy and water and increases the amount of recycling?

Question

Explain how to make a sustainable home that uses less energy and water and increases the amount of recycling

please help

Answer 1

Thats easy; make a smaller house.   Houses in most countries are much smaller than they are here.   Size is more of a status symbol than anything.   Do you really need all that open floor space?   All it does is take energy to heat.   Same thing for a yard.   The more grass you have, the more you have to water it in the summer when there is usually a shortage of water.

Answer 2

You can turn even an unsustainable home into a sustainable one with a few simple (though not always inexpensive) changes.

First add insulation to your attic.  Then seal air gaps by rechaulking, etc.  As you can afford it replace windows and doors with more energy efficient models.  Add awnings on windows and patio doors so only winter sun enters the house and the hot summer sun doesn't.  Plant evergreen trees north of the house and deciduous trees to the south.

Replace older appliances with Energy Star rated appliances to save electricity.  Replace older light bulbs with energy saving ones.

Build a compost pile.  Instead of watching your neighbors have their raked leaves hauled away take them, shed them and add them to your compost pile.   Make a habit of adding compost to your landscape.  Well maintained soil requires less water to keep grass green.  Speaking of lawns, rethink landscaping decisions to replace water hungry lawn areas with flower and plant borders native to your area that will require less watering than an entire landscape composed of just lawn.

Replace faucets, shower heads and gardening spray heads with new ones that use less water per minute.

Buy inexpensive bins for each item your town recycles.  That way recycling becomes automatic instead of something you have to sort later.

Check if your local utility company does free energy audits.  They can be invaluable sources of information.

Good luck

Answer 3

great question! but I dont know the answer sorry

Answer 4

Be aware of the site, seasonal weather conditions, and which way is north, etc.  Use unshaded windows facing south/ west for heat gain, the opposite to maintain coolness.  Consider plantings for shade and wind blocking.  Capture rainwater from the roof. Etc., etc.