How to live sustainably in Manchester

Living more sustainably at home

There’s no way to hide it, the planet needs our help. But when you actually think about it, it can start to feel too overwhelming – after all how can one person tackle such a big issue on their own? Well, the good news is, you are not on your own. If every person takes small steps towards being more sustainable then as a community, we can tackle a portion of the problem. Making small changes in the way you live your life at home is a good starting point, so we’ve put together a list of things you can do at home that you may not have thought of before.

Unsubscribe from unwanted e-mails

Did you know that sending and receiving emails leaves behind a carbon footprint? An average person adds 136kg of Co2 to their carbon footprint from the emails they send and receive each year! Now think back to how many emails are sitting in your spam folder… thousands right? There’s no need to feel bad though, we are all targets of spam mail, but next time you have a few hours to spare, consider unsubscribing from all those unwanted newsletters.

Wash your clothes in cold water

Cold water can be just as effective, if not more effective, at washing your clothes and removing stains – plus, most modern detergents are still effective at even lower temperatures such as 30°C. So, if you can get your clothes squeaky clean and help the planet out at the same time, why not make it the new norm. Bonus points if you wash your clothes between 6-8 am and 8-11 pm as those are non-peak hours for some utility companies.

Make your own cleaning products

You would be surprised how much a little white vinegar and baking soda can fix – from hard kitchen grease to your mouldy shower head. Just mix some baking soda, white vinegar, and water in a reusable spray bottle to create your homemade cleaning solution. It’s that simple, no need for fancy products.

Changing your daily habits

So now you know a few ways to be more sustainable at home, but what about when you’re out of the house? Here’s a few ways to tweak your daily routine and make it more eco-friendly.

Rethink the way you travel

Often when we need to get somewhere our first thought is to hop in our car, after all it’s the fastest and most convenient, we don’t blame you – but transportation is the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, so where possible it’s worth reconsidering your travel options. Alternatives such as walking, cycling, public transport, or even lift sharing are great options for reducing your carbon footprint.

Bring a reusable cup with you

If you’re anything like us then you love to treat yourself to a coffee, or another drink of your liking, while you’re out and about, but what if we told you there’s a more sustainable way to do it? Carrying a reusable cup with you is a great way to reduce the amount of paper and plastic you consume, and most café’s now offer a discount if you bring your own cup – winner, winner! If you want to go a step further, consider supporting an independent café, our personal favourite is Just Between Friends.

Don’t buy more than you need

Simply buying less is a super effective way to lower your emissions but we know that differentiating between what you need and what you want can be quite the task.

Say you’re going to a fancy event, your mind might immediately tell you that you need to buy a new outfit, but before you run off to the shops, stop for a second and consider if there’s something already in your wardrobe that you could wear, and then ask yourself if you could borrow a nice piece from a friend. If you still can’t find anything to wear why not consider renting? There are so many great places that allow you to rent clothes and accessories for a fraction of the price if you were to buy it new. Our point is, it’s easy to automatically buy new things because that’s what we’re used to, but if you give yourself some time to consider your options then you might shock yourself with the choices that are out there.

What we are doing to make our apartments more sustainable

At Manchester Apartments, we place sustainability at the heart of our business, and we don’t plan to ever stop. Here’s an insight into what we do to make our apartments more sustainable so that if you choose to rent with us, you are instantly making your first and biggest step towards sustainable living.

We build sustainability into each apartment

When designing our apartments, we want to help the planet, not harm it. To do this, we utilise things like Airsource heat pumps, underfloor heating, and smart technologies, not to mention that our properties also come fully furnished to the highest standard, meaning that you don’t have to worry about replacing the furniture regularly, decreasing the impact on landfill.

Smart technologies

By utilising sustainable technologies, our developments ensure they produce low carbon emissions or are almost completely passive in their carbon output – helping to protect the local environment and the planet.

Dedicated Energy Manager

Our dedicated energy manager is responsible for a number of things that make us more efficient, including monitoring the energy output across all of our developments and responding to fluctuations as soon as they happen, thanks to their hard work we are able to ensure efficiency.

Whether you choose to implement all of the tips we recommended into your daily routine or just cherry pick a few, the planet will still thank you for it – little change is always better than no change.