The choices you make every day have an impact on the environment. From the food you eat, the mode of transportation you use, and the kind of clothes you wear, there's a corresponding effect that positively or negatively affects your surroundings. What will the world be like after a few years if you're not mindful of it, especially the wrong things?
Lighting is one of the key players that you should focus on. You use it daily and many times for extended hours. If you switch to energy-efficient lighting solutions, you’ll be able to lower your carbon footprint! So, what kind of lights should you be using? Is there a sustainable alternative that can help you protect the environment?
Understanding the Environmental Impact of Lighting
What kind of lighting fixtures do you have at home? Are they incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lamps or LED lights? If it’s the first two, head out now and visit your local lighting provider and purchase the third one – LED lights!
Traditional lighting fixtures like fluorescents and incandescent contain toxic chemicals like mercury, which will harm not only the environment but you and everyone living within your home. When disposed of, the substances inside the traditional fittings leak down to the soil, harming the environment and wildlife. In addition, conventional lighting solutions are energy-consuming. Because of this, more fossil fuel is burned, resulting in energy wastage and more greenhouse gas emissions.
LED lighting is the opposite of these energy-consuming traditional fixtures. They can contribute to creating a greener planet and help you make a healthier environment for everyone in your home!
Advantages of LED Lighting for a Greener Home
How can LED lighting make your home greener? Here's a closer look at its advantages and what to look forward to if you switch!
Energy-Efficiency
LED lighting is famous for its energy efficiency. It can transform most of the energy it consumes into light with very minimal becoming waste. Because of this, even if it requires less power, it can still produce outstanding illumination! If you use LED lighting, your electrical consumption will go down, and together with this, your expenses.
Reduced Carbon Emission
When your energy usage goes down, your carbon emission decreases with it. Reducing your carbon emission can mitigate the consequences of climate change, improve the global economy, enhance public health conditions, and maintain biodiversity. If the carbon emission significantly diminishes, there will be cleaner air, water, and food for this generation and the ones to come!
Long Lifespan and Waste Reduction
LED lights are known for their extended average lifespan. More or less, a single bulb can live up to 20,000 hours to 30,000 hours! If you replace your incandescent bulbs that only live for around 1,000 hours, you can bring down your maintenance cost and reduce waste generation!
Choosing sustainable products, especially when it comes to lighting, can contribute significantly to the efforts of protecting the planet. So, what do you plan to do?
Tips for Making the Switch to LED Lighting
If you choose to go green with LED lighting, here are some tips for your transition!
Selecting the Right LED Bulbs
Because there are many types of LED fixtures, you may be overwhelmed by the variety of options. To make things easier, begin with determining the needs of the space. After, choose a colour temperature and brightness level.
Typically, cool white light and natural white light are excellent for task lighting, while warm white light is suitable for ambient lighting. As for brightness level, choose a higher lumens count for work-heavy rooms like the kitchen and lower lumens for relaxation areas like the bedroom. The living room and dining room will benefit from dimmable fixtures because those places can be used for play and work!
Also, when it comes to LED lighting, the brightness is not equivalent to the wattage. So, don't be surprised if you see low wattage requirements because those can still produce sufficient luminance. Have it tested if you want to be sure, and only buy from trusted suppliers if you're purchasing online!
Replacing Bulbs Strategically
While it's best to change all your fixtures in one go, it's difficult for many. So, to maximise the advantages of LED fixtures, start with areas which you often use. If your budget will only allow you to convert one or two rooms, begin in the kitchen or bathroom or the places where you spend your time often.
Make a transition plan to keep track of your expenses and the duration of the project. You don't need to rush into changing everything in one go. Even if you're taking it slow, at least you're making an effort to begin!
Disposing of Old Bulbs Responsibly
When disposing of traditional light bulbs, remember they contain toxic chemicals, so you cannot throw them carelessly. While you can put them in disposal bins, always secure them so they will not leak. Also, look for recycling programs or drop-off points where you can donate your old fixtures. Maybe your community have centres where you can bring them?
Conclusion
LED lighting will enable you to design a greener home and help you contribute to the efforts to heal the planet. You may think that starting at home is nothing compared to the initiative more prominent organisations do. However, that's not true at all! Everything begins with an individual. What you do today, switching to a sustainable lighting solution, will undoubtedly positively impact the environment!
If you’re looking for top-quality LED lights, visit our website, LED Supplier. We have an extensive collection of indoor, outdoor, and commercial lighting solutions!
