Dave And Jenny Marrs' Everyday Sustainable Home Habits You'll Want To Follow

Incorporating sustainability into your everyday life can seem like an impossible task. There are so many different things to consider when going green. While you might be told that every little bit you do around the house can help improve the environment, it is hard to know where to start your efforts. Luckily, Dave and Jenny Marrs of HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous" have a new series dedicated to helping their viewers do just that. "Jenny and I are advocates for sustainability, but we realize the idea of sustainable living can be overwhelming," Dave told Plygem.

The six-episode "Sustainability Series" follows the Marrses around the house and around the world as they set out to make eco-friendly living easier for everyone. No matter the amount of time you have, your budget, or space in your home, there are changes to your lifestyle that are easy to make for the earth's benefit. Not only that, but each of these habits and accessory swaps tend to make your home cleaner and lower your bills, too. "Making one choice at a time, no matter how big or small, makes a positive impact on our environment," Dave said. These are the Marrs' everyday sustainable home habits you'll want to follow.

In the first episode of "Sustainability Series," Dave joins Marc Bellanger from Daikin Comfort Technologies to discuss the little changes people can make around the house and in their everyday lives to improve the planet. The one-time swap that makes a lasting impact is ditching single-use plastics when grocery shopping — particularly plastic bags. While most households might have a plastic bag full of other plastic bags in the pantry or under the sink, it is time to put this common practice in the past. Instead, switch to reusable grocery bags to reduce the overall amount of waste created.

Plastic bags are a major threat to wildlife and the environment. They never break down and instead eventually turn into microplastics, which persist for hundreds of years. In addition, the manufacturing and disposal process of plastic bags contributes to environmental degradation through the over-extraction of fossil fuels and energy consumption. To help stop this, invest in grocery bags that you can use again and again. Most grocery stores sell branded bags on-site. If you prefer more options, you can shop online in places like Amazon. You can even use canvas tote bags to carry your groceries. When shopping, avoid the smaller plastic bags for produce and choose netted bags instead. If you have a grocery order delivered, ask for paper bags, which are biodegradable instead of wasting all that plastic. 

When looking around the average American home, it can be difficult to know where to begin when making the pivot to greener living. You might feel like you need to remodel your house and make everything eco-friendly, or completely overhaul your lifestyle, but this simply isn't true. "Sustainability, the word—sometimes, it can feel overwhelming. Oh my gosh! What do I have to give up? What do I have to do?" Jenny Marrs told House Beautiful. "But really, it's about teaching simple things like turning the light off when you leave the room and being conscious of how you're using water and turning it off when you're not using it."

These tiny actions only take a second each, but over time, can add up to larger victories for both your pocketbook and the environment. Using less water around the house is important because less than 1% of Earth's water is usable by people. Most of the water on the planet is either saltwater or permanently frozen, making it unusable for drinking, bathing, cleaning, and cooking. You can save the planet and lower your monthly usage bills by only running the dishwasher and washing machine when they are completely full. You can also take shorter showers or install aerators on each of your faucets to save up to .7 gallons of water for every minute of use.

Viewers catch a glimpse of the Marrs' butterfly garden in the first episode. Butterfly gardens are a great way to create a healthy ecosystem near your home. The insects play a major role in pollinating plants which helps keep your garden healthy. These gardens also provide a safe environment for butterflies to go through their lifecycle, ensuring many more generations of the animal thrive. The great news about a butterfly garden is that other animals like birds and bees tend to also like the same things. Their continued presence can ensure your yard is healthy and well-pollinated.

To set up a butterfly garden in your yard, there are a few simple things to think about. First, consider choosing native plants that will offer plenty of nectar. Native plants are species that naturally occur in your area. Flowering plants are best, so the butterflies have something to eat. Next, set out a few shallow water dishes with wet sand or pebbles inside of them. Butterflies need to be able to drink, but they don't like to hover and drink at the same time and are unable to land on water. By filling the bowls with landing pads, they can access the liquid they need while resting. You should also avoid using pesticides in your garden, as the chemicals might harm the butterflies.

A key point throughout "Sustainability Series" is that Dave and Jenny recommend converting your HVAC system to a more eco-friendly option. Specifically, installing an inverted heat pump instead of using a more traditional central air conditioning system. They explain that using inverted heat pumps can significantly reduce your carbon footprint through less overall energy consumption. In fact, 10% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from families burning fossil fuels at home. So if you are in the market for a new HVAC system, it does make sense to go green. The same can be said for other appliances around the house, too like dishwashers, washing machines, and even refrigerators.

However, making big (and expensive!) changes to your house just isn't a realistic step that everyone can take. Luckily, there are other smaller (and cheaper) choices in the same theme that can still set you on the right track. For example, if you don't plan to swap out your entire HVAC system, consider starting by installing a smart thermostat instead. This way, you can better control the temperature of your home and even adjust it on the go from your phone. You will waste less energy and create fewer emissions by being on top of the temperature. You should also change your HVAC filter every 90 days. A clogged filter causes the system to work harder which wastes too much energy.

Dave and Jenny Marrs do a lot of construction on "Fixer to Fabulous" and address this during their new mini-series. The couple wants to make sure that they do everything in their power to create sustainable job sites and encourage all their viewers from DIY aficionados to professional contractors to do the same. "We want to think bigger than the job site and consider what happens after the build is over," Dave told Ply Gem. "Can the scrap from our remodel be recycled so it stays out of the landfill? Are we helping the environment by using products that can deliver a lifetime of energy efficiency? With Mastic vinyl siding, the answer is yes."

While the Marrses have chosen to partner with a specific siding company, those at home can achieve the same green impact, no matter the brand — as long as the siding is vinyl. This is because the material contributes up to 40% less emissions towards climate change than its traditional fiber cement counterparts and up to 83% less than brick-and-mortar homes. These reductions come from the way the material is manufactured and the fact that it can be easily recycled during any further renovations. By choosing eco-friendly building materials for your next home project, you are making an effort to live more sustainably.

Episode four of "Sustainability Series" is all about air. The Marrses emphasize that poor-quality air is bad for both your health and the planet. More than 99% of people on earth breathe in air polluted far beyond the limits that WHO recommends every single day. Constant exposure to pollutants can cause adverse health outcomes like heart disease, stroke, and even lung cancer. These pollutants also contribute to heatwaves, fires, and stronger and more frequent major storms. The Marrses use their platform to recommend that a big part of the solution to these problems can start at home.

On a larger scale, you can choose to reduce your home's emissions and improve its air quality by swapping out your current HVAC system for a reverse heat pump. If you do not have the budget or interest in such a large renovation, you can make the more immediate choice of purchasing an air filter. While no filter is perfect, most portable brands do well to pull harmful particles and gases from your home. However, the Marrses also recommend that nothing works as well for home ventilation and circulation as good old-fashioned fresh air. Instead of constantly running your HVAC system, to freshen things up simply create a breeze by opening your windows. This action will lower both your home's carbon emissions and energy bills.

While promoting the new show, Dave and Jenny both emphasized their long-term interest in and commitment to an eco-friendly lifestyle. "We live on a farm. We have lots of animals, we have blueberries and a garden, and we have five kids," Jenny told heavy. "So sustainability is very important in our everyday life." While not everyone can pack up and move to a farm, there is one part of Jenny's idea that is easy to replicate, no matter how much land you might have: A backyard (or back porch!) garden.

Backyard gardens are great for the environment. The plants can attract beneficial bugs like bees and butterflies. The abundance of plants can also act as natural air filters, cleaning the air that we breathe. Finally, growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs instead of relying on store-bought food can drastically reduce your carbon footprint. To start your garden, find a suitable sunny spot with good soil. You can also build a planter box if you are working with limited space. Next, consider starting with foods that are easy to manage for beginners, like bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, or strawberries. Once you master those, your garden can grow! By having a backyard garden, you can enjoy fresh, pesticide-free food, connect with nature, save money at the store, and of course, reduce your impact on climate change and food waste.

When speaking to Valley News Live to promote the new mini-series, Jenny Marrs revealed that sometimes the most sustainable thing you can do is harness nature to keep you comfortable at home, instead of relying on technology that produces emissions. "Just simple things like having window coverings like shades [and] curtains on your windows, so that when you're gone during the day, closing those, keeping your home cool inside," she said. "Having those layers to really use natural things like sunlight to help heat and cool your home [helps the environment]."

Window coverings really do conserve energy and lower your overall impacton the planet. Certain types of coverings, like reflective blinds and solar shades, can even block out most sunlight and reduce the need for air conditioning. Plus, choosing the right kind like insulating drapes, along with sustainable materials like bamboo, can maximize their environmental impact. In addition to being so eco-friendly, this temperature regulation can also help save you money on energy bills, protect you from harmful UV rays, and provide some much-needed privacy.