Environmental Benefits of Living in a Studio Apartment

Guest post by Chloe Taylor

More than ever before, people are moving away from the countryside and into the cities. But, with the population growing rapidly every day, housing has become a real challenge, especially since most people want to live in urban areas. This rise in costs has led many city dwellers to exchange their standard homes for studio apartments, which allow them to adapt to changes, ensure affordable prices and stay at their desired location. Having less space has its cons, but it also has a lot of perks for consumers and the environment. How can living in studio apartments benefit the world around us?

Lower energy consumption

The first environmental benefit of studio apartments is the fact that they spend a lot less energy than average homes. It takes much less energy to heat up or cool off a small apartment, which equals less carbon emissions. By simply downsizing, you can keep the air cleaner and save resources.

Heating and cooling a home are especially harmful to the environment, regardless of the heating and cooling systems you use. Every time you fire up the air conditioning, you’re producing a negative impact on the environment. But once you downsize your living space, your heating and cooling usage will drop significantly, and you’ll be able to save a lot of resources and money. A small space runs on a sliver of energy as compared to a big house. After all, warming up, cooling down or illuminating a small studio apartment doesn’t take much energy or time. Also, in some cases your utilities are included in the rent when you’re living in a studio, so you also don’t have to bother with complicated budgeting.

Lower retail consumption

Another benefit for the environment that comes from living in a small apartment hides in the fact that small square footage limits your retail consumption. Since you’re lacking storage space, you have to be smart about your shopping habits, minimize the number of items you buy and choose quality over quantity.

Did you know that an average American household contains circa 300,000 items? Imagine the amount of materials and resources that were wasted on producing these items! Living in a studio apartment reduces your need for shopping, forces you to declutter and encourages you to donate or repurpose the things you don’t use. Once you break the habit of mindless shopping, you will reduce your consumption of goods and reduce the amount of waste going into the landfills. All in all, you will cut back on production, transport, packaging, and general waste. 

Fewer materials

As compared to homes and traditional apartments, smaller units require fewer materials to use and transport during the building process. This fact widens the possibilities of saving forests from deforestation, reducing pollution from the production of steel and reducing the water waste in the mixing of concrete. Using fewer materials also has beneficial effects on your budget, so you’re left with extra money to spend on (often more expensive) eco-friendly materials and supplies, which can lessen your overall emissions.  

Community-shared resources

Instead of choosing a traditional apartment, many people today choose serviced apartments that are a part of a larger complex with communal areas like kitchens, living rooms, lounges and laundry rooms. These practical studios for rent in urban centers include private sleeping areas and bathrooms, together with additional perks like housekeeping. But, since you share some facilities with the other tenants, the energy and water consumption (and the costs of living) are usually reduced when divided among a larger number of people.

Lower chemical pollution

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that cleaning a larger apartment requires more time and more chemicals. So, if you downsize, you will get to reduce your chores and make them less harmful to the environment. Cleaning any living space requires various chemical cleaners, sometimes even whole bottles of them. A smaller space has fewer surfaces that require cleaning, so you can reduce your chemical cleaner use and help keep our rivers and soil free of pollution while also saving money and time.  Better yet, use eco-friendly cleaners. As these are often more expensive than commercial brands that contain harmful chemicals, you’ll save money in the long run by reducing your need for cleaning supplies.

Shorter commute

Small studio apartments take up less space and require less time and money to be built, so they are becoming more popular all over the world, especially in busy urban centers that are struggling to accommodate a large number of people. Today, many career-focused people, tourists and digital nomads are looking for small housing solutions in major metropolises. Thanks to their small size, these apartments are usually conveniently located, so you don’t have to rely on a car at all. This fact allows you to reduce your daily travel, which will, in turn, greatly reduce your personal carbon footprint. Additionally, you may need to relocate or move to a bigger space in the future, which is significantly easier, faster and less polluting when you’re moving from a small space with less stuff.

More time spent outside

Living in a tiny apartment is not all roses. It can often get a bit claustrophobic and boring, so people who live in these small modules tend to spend as much time as possible outside. This can be very beneficial for a person’s health and social life. Spending time outdoors makes people feel happier, so you can expect to see your mental health improve. Being outside also means you'll be more physically active, so you’ll manage to maintain a healthy weight and get enough vitamin D by exposing your skin to natural light. When you’re spending more time outdoors, you’re also reducing your electricity consumption, which boosts your energy saving and helps the environment.  Finally, all of these health advantages translate to less time spent in hospitals and fewer medical goods required for wellness, which helps us further reduce our impact on the planet.

One of the easiest ways to do your part when it comes to saving the planet is to downsize to a studio apartment. You’ll get to live in a good location and have low living costs. Also, by reducing your commute and your daily energy consumption, you’ll help the environment and ensure a brighter future for everyone.

Chloe Taylor is a graduated journalist from Adelaide, Australia who loves exploring everything related to decor, aesthetic and organizing. She is also very passionate about sustainability and enjoys writing about it. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world and take some stunning photographs of beautiful places. Besides all this, she enjoys drinking coffee and reading a beautiful book from time to time.

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