Moving to a new shared home is often a good opportunity to think of new resolutions and start fresh. Being in a new environment is perfect to rethink your habits and re-evaluate your impact on the world and the environment.
In this list, we will show you some simple alternatives to help you save money, the environment, and that every roommate in the house will love to use.
Drinking water
Product: Smart faucet water filter
Replacing: Water Bottles
Money saved (/person/year): $500
Environmental impact: Single-use plastic bottles pollution is the single most found type of plastic waste found in the oceans. Plastic bottles take up to 500 years to decompose, and the water content is not as healthy as the bottling companies make it out to be. Very often, bottled water is just municipal water, sold at a premium. Bottled water is more expensive than gasoline. Using a smart faucet water filter such as TAPP 2, will remove the need to buy single-use plastic bottles. Unlike pitcher filters, they filter instantly without the need to wait for a container to fill - making it ideal for larger households such as shared houses. TAPP 2 smart faucet water filter works with an app to tracks your consumption and lets you know when to change the refill - no matter how many roommates. Say goodbye to bad tasting water, microplastics, lead and 80+ other contaminants.
Moreover, TAPP 2 refill cartridges are biodegradable and can be disposed of with organic waste.
Shower water
Product: Low flow shower head
Replacing: Regular shower head
Money saved (/person/year): $50
Environmental impact: Sharing the bills is always a little bit tricky. Do you split, do you try to estimate each person’s consumption? Whatever you do, and to avoid any surprise bills, the best is to consume less! Thanks to low flow shower heads, you can save 70% water while showering.
Moreover, you and your roommates will realize that you don’t actually need as much water as you thought and will be more conscious your water usage in general.
Coffee
Product: French Press or an Italian Coffee Maker (aka Moka pot)
Replacing: Nespresso or other brands using disposable pods
Money saved (/person/year): $200USD
Environmental impact: The disposable pods are made from a combination of plastics and aluminum with organic matter inside. They are not biodegradable. It takes 150 to 500 years for aluminum and plastic capsules to break down in a landfill. They can't be recycled by conventional methods because the collection facilities are not equipped to deal with items that small. Even if Nespresso now does offer a system to recycle, this will mean you having to send them back to the original location, contributing to more greenhouse gases. Use your coffee maker withTAPP 2 faucet filter to avoid microplastics, lead and 80+ other contaminants.
Moreover, you’ll be able to make larger quantities of coffee to share with your new roommates.
Tea
Product: Stainless Steel Tea Pot Infuser/Strainer
Replacing: Disposable tea bags which contain plastic and are not recyclable
Money saved (/person/year): $50
Environmental impact: Using a strainer instead of tea bags, means you will be able to combine as many varieties of tea as you like, creating an infinity of possible teas. Loose tea is much better for the environment, you can buy it by the weight without packaging, and can reuse each serving up to 4 times - unlike tea bags which can only serve once. Use it withTAPP 2 faucet filter to avoid microplastics, lead and 80+ other contaminants.
Moreover, you’ll be more ready than ever for afternoon tea. Prepare your best Queen’s English and don’t forget the scones.
Can you think of any other items which would benefit everyone, allow you to save money and contribute positively to the environment?