How to ensure a sustainable home

You want to feel comfortable at home while at the same time showing respect for the environment and climate? Our expert has the best advice to make sustainable living a success. For example, by using ecological building materials as well as furniture and furnishings made from renewable and recyclable raw materials. Quality seals like the EMICODE^® point the way to a sustainable and healthy home.

Tip 1: Use natural materials and avoid long transport routes

Especially your own home offers many opportunities for sustainable living. There is a whole spectrum of measures you can take – from energy-saving lamps and the economical use of electricity and heating energy to the purchase of furniture made from renewable and recyclable raw materials. Wood is considered to be a particularly ecological material. Being a natural resource, it stores carbon for many decades and therefore features a positive energy and CO₂ balance. Cabinets, tables or floor coverings made of high-quality real wood can be sanded down and re-sealed or oiled at any time. With good care, they do their job for a whole lifetime. It is best, however, to use certified wood from sustainably managed European forests instead of exotic tropical woods. This helps avoid long transport distances and also ensures environmentally friendly production. Of course, there are also furnishings made of other natural materials from sustainable production, ranging from bamboo lamps and seaweed carpets to furniture and decorative items made of cork.

Tip 2: Take a closer look at building products

Apart from items like furniture and furnishings that are visible at first glance, there are also “invisible” ones like building materials. These include adhesives, wall panels, insulation underlays, sealants, primers, parquet varnishes, fillers and joint sealants. They as well should be checked for their environmental compatibility. In addition to the economical use of natural resources, also our personal well-being is of vital importance. Building and installation materials should therefore not emit any substances that are harmful to human health. In other words: They should be healthy for living. After all, we spend around 90 percent of our lives indoors, where floor coverings – next to walls and ceilings – account for the largest surface area.