In the process of being environmentally responsible, it's possible to see how your efforts are occasionally sabotaged. There are a number of things that can sabotage your sustainable habits, most are linked to poor quality and excess. Five of the most common include substandard products, frequent replacement of household and commercial fixtures, food waste, non-recyclables and hazardous items.

Substandard Products Sabotage Sustainability

Poor quality products sabotage sustainability by requiring frequent replacements. For example, poor quality insulation results in loss of proper heating and cooling retention in homes or commercial facilities.

Check the "R" rating before purchasing insulation. This helps determine precise levels of insulating quality and properties of the product. A leaky roof, according to a specialist from T. Simpson Roofing, can actively sabotage sustainable indoor heating and cooling habits. To prevent this, roofing materials should be of highest quality to insure durability and longer wear. Roofs should be installed or replaced with an underlay of top quality protective roof sheeting between outer roofing materials like slate, asphalt, vinyl clad aluminum and other types of shingles.

Products That Lack Quality

When products purchased for use in homes or commercial facilities are manufactured from poor quality materials, they are replaced and repair with greater frequency. For example, the reason so many claw-footed bathtubs are still in existence today is that they were built to last virtually a lifetime. Today, tubs are manufactured to be replaced frequently. Surfaces become thinned from cleaning chemicals or due to surface chipping. Laundry equipment, furnaces, water heaters and computer equipment are also replaced more frequently. This sabotages sustainability when these items can't be recycled properly. Inevitably, they end up in landfills that do not complete the cycle of sustainability you strive for.

Excess Sabotages Sustainability

Buying in excess only adds to the lack of sustainability. Too often, high quantities purchased go unused, resulting in higher volumes of trash. This applies to clothing, food and household items. Food waste in the most developed countries is the reason many landfills cannot manage the enormous volumes of food that end up in the trash. Restaurants regularly throw out tons of food annually. A better method of sustainability would be for proper food waste disposal programs that create greater need for local composting centers.

Non-recyclables and Hazardous Items

Commonly used items can sabotage sustainable habits. Non-recyclables, like ordinary household cleaners and chemicals, enter local sewage systems and often result in runoff in soil after rain events. Hazardous items like flashlight batteries, car batteries and items that contain flammables and potentially explosive parts are other examples.

To create substantial sustainability habits, always read labels on products purchased. Purchase higher quality materials that offer greater durability to avoid frequent replacements.