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Eco-friendly apartments
Creating an environmentally friendly living apartment presents a few challenges. Without your own garden and roof, for instance, you may not have the space to compost, install a rainwater tank or solar panels and hot water, or grow your own food. Yet, paradoxically, apartment living can still be "greener" than living in a house.
Environmental benefits of apartments
1. All other things being equal, a smaller home such as an apartment will require less material and energy to build, and less energy to heat and cool.
2. Apartments allow greater urban density - that is, more people living closer together. While that has its downsides, it makes public transport more viable, with more people living within walking (or cycling) distance of public transport, shopping and business hubs. That makes it easier to live without a car.
3. Apartment complexes can include shared facilities such as swimming pools, gyms and gardens. This is a more efficient - and so more eco-friendly - use of resources than a string of houses each with its own garden and pool.
4. Shared walls and ceilings means you have less external walls, so your neighbours’ apartments help to insulate your apartment, meaning you need less energy for heating and cooling.
5. Ironically, having no garden can be greener because you don’t have a thirsty lawn to water.
A green balcony
If your apartment has a balcony - or just space for some window boxes - you can still grow some of your own food. Potted herbs such as basil, coriander and parsley; vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce and capsicum; and fruits such as strawberries and small citrus plants are all good for balconies.
When planning a balcony garden, work out where and when your balcony gets sunlight, then find appropriate plants. And consider how windy it is, especially if your apartment is high up – not all plants can tolerate wind. You might need to put up some clear plastic screening as a wind barrier. You can also use a balcony for drying clothes, saving the energy of using a tumble dryer.
Composting
Even if you don’t have a garden, composting is still a good way to dispose of food scraps. That’s because composting turns organic matter into harmless, soil-enriching fertiliser, which is better than putting it into landfill, where it breaks down anaerobically (without oxygen) to produce the greenhouse gas methane.
You can buy odourless indoor composting units, such as Bokashi bins. Or you can buy or build your own worm farm for your balcony. If you are limited for space, you can make a small worm farm using ice-cream containers or similar plastic tubs. Use the compost on your balcony plants – or give it to a friend with a garden.
Roof Gardens
It might be possible to turn your building's roof into a green roof / rooftop garden, either for growing food or just as a communal green space for residents to enjoy.
Indoor Plants
Fill your apartment with indoor plants. Not only are they attractive and soothing to look at, but they act as air fresheners, absorbing toxins to improve the air quality of your apartment.
Energy
The same energy-efficient steps apply in an apartment as in a house. For instance, you can fit energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs, water-saving shower heads and tap aerators; avoid leaving appliances on standby; and put draught-excluding strips on doors and windows. Choose energy-efficient appliances by looking at the red energy star ratings. Close doors to only heat or cool one room at a time. And make sure you shade north- and west-facing windows to keep your apartment cool in summer.
If you have a balcony you may still be able to have solar hot water in your apartment by using a heat pump system. These do not have roof-mounted panels to heat the water, but instead work like a fridge in reverse, taking heat from the air to heat your water. Heat pump solar hot water systems don't even need to be in direct sunlight to work. You can also buy renewable energy by subscribing to GreenPower through your electricity supplier.
Water saving and chemical free living
As with energy, you can take similar water-saving steps in apartments as in a house. Key tips include not letting taps run, taking shorter showers, fitting tap aerators and water-saving showerheads, fixing any leaks, only running the dishwasher and washing machine when full, and fitting a cistern converter if your toilet isn’t dual-flush. And use natural cleaning products and microfibre cloths and mops to reduce toxic chemicals in your home.
The power of community
Try talking to other residents of your apartment complex, or the body corporate, to explore ways to make the complex more sustainable. For instance, you could provide a communal composting bin for all residents, or look into creating a communal rooftop garden.
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