These days sustainability and eco-friendly concepts have evolved beyond just cars and smart home appliances. They have finally evolved into the world of home storage solutions. So, if you’ve been thinking about going green in your closets and storage spaces, you might want to look into one or more of the following options.

Get Rid of Plastics

Plastic is everywhere, not just in our lives, but in our landfills and oceans. In the past, it used to be unavoidable. Yet modern-day storage solutions have embraced eco-friendly concepts in a way that makes it easier than ever to get plastic out of our lives and closets.
From wooden pole sockets to metal hangers and beyond, there are a lot of simple ways to remove plastic from your home closets or keep from introducing it in your upcoming closet renovations.

You can also swap out plastic storage containers for more sustainable options. This includes things like:

  • Wicker storage baskets
  • Fabric tote bins
  • Glass pantry storage containers
  • Wood totes
  • Recycled cardboard boxes
  • Wicker laundry hampers
  • Cloth bags
  • Fabric pouches
  • Metal hanger hooks
  • Stainless steel containers

Choose Energy Efficient Lighting

Most people who update, upgrade, or completely renovate their closets choose to improve their lighting systems. Of course, there’s nothing Eco-friendly about incandescent lighting.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting

While compact fluorescent lighting has its merits in other parts of the home, where the lights can be left on, it isn’t always ideal for closet spaces. As they take time to fully light up to full brightness, which can be inconvenient in a closet where you just need to grab something at a moment’s notice.

So, if you are going to go with CFLs in your closets, it’s best to invest in the newer, slightly higher priced bulbs and fixtures which come on quickly. They also tend to buzz and flicker less than cheaper versions.

Energy-Efficient LED Lights

LED lights are arguably the best eco-friendly lighting solutions for home closets. Not only are they incredibly energy efficient, but they also are available in a staggering array of colors to add accent lighting.

Newer LED lights are also light enough and energy efficient enough to run on batteries. You can use Velcro or contact adhesives to mount the touch-activated LED lights just about anywhere. This makes them a great way to strategically update the lighting in your closets without having to sink a ton of money to have an electrician wire in new light fixtures.

Updates Your Hangers

Plastic hangers are one of the biggest sources of waste. They aren’t ecologically friendly and ultimately have a very short lifespan. When one breaks, it can’t be repaired and must be discarded only to be replaced by another. Plastic hangers also tend to bow and bend easily, which puts them at risk of dropping out your most valuable clothes.

Wood and metal hangers tend to have much greater longevity than plastic. While they are a slightly larger investment up front, they easily pay for themselves over time compared to plastic hangers which might only make it two to three years.

Use Eco-Friendly Wardrobe Bags

A lot of seasonal clothing storage bags are made from plastic and other non-sustainable materials. Though recent advancements in fabric and polymer recycling have now made them available in fabrics. There are even some airtight polyester-based bags that can be vacuum sealed for compact hanging closet storage. They’re reusable, which lets you swap summer and winter items with ease.

Buy Bamboo

If you’re thinking about renovating or just upgrading your closets, stop thinking oak and pine and start thinking bamboo. When you cut an oak tree down for closet lumber it takes another forty years or more for a replacement tree to take its place.
When you cut a stand of mature bamboo down, it can grow back in as little as a year. Innovation in bamboo processing has made it more versatile than ever before. You can find bamboo shelves, bamboo baskets, and even a wide range of bamboo-basted pantry organization systems. It can even be used as a wood substitute for shelf and drawer dividers.

Only Use LEED Certified Materials

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, (LEED) is a nationally recognized certification system for green building materials. It’s administered by the United States Green Building Council, which places strict standards when it comes to sustainable, eco-friendly materials.
So, if you’re thinking about an update, a major renovation or you’re designing the closet of your dreams for your new home, make sure your contractor knows that you only want them to use LEED building materials.

In many cases, there are LEED points and/or federal tax credits for building owners who use LEED materials. Not only can this help shave down your overall budget costs for your closet renovation, but it can help your new closet’s return on investment.

Consider Changing Your Shopping Habits

Of course, one of the best ways to create and maintain an eco-friendly closet is to shift your buying habits to prioritize sustainable products and clothing. This starts with staying away from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. Then replacing those items with organic versions made from materials like cotton and hemp.

Even something as simple as choosing products with recycled cardboard packaging over single-use plastic containers will go a long way toward minimizing the carbon footprint of your closet or pantry.
You might also want to apply this mentality to your laundry supplies. Eco-friendly detergents, cold-water formulated detergents, and similar products can do a great job of keeping your fabrics fresh, while also minimizing the ecological footprint of your closet.

Partner with Eco-Friendly Closet Designers & Contractors

If you’re thinking about a major closet renovation or you’re planning the future closet of your dreams, the designers and contractors you choose matters. At Closettec we have a staff of experienced designers who are well-versed in a wide range of eco-friendly storage solutions. Our in-house fabricators and installation specialists can use eco-friendly projects wherever possible in your closet renovation project.

We have an extensive showroom that’s ready to inspire with sustainable, eco-friendly closet solutions for modern living.