Discover the Eco-Friendly Benefits of Houseplants: Insights from Eartha

Dear Eartha, I love plants and have quite the collection at home. Does taking care of all these plants help curb my environmental impact?

Houseplants brighten up your home and bring a touch of nature indoors. If you have a home filled with greenery, you may wonder how they affect the environment. The truth is, houseplants have both benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a closer look.

Benefits of Houseplants

We often think houseplants help fight climate change by soaking up carbon dioxide. They do absorb some CO2, but the overall effect is small. A single plant captures about 0.16 pounds of carbon each year. In comparison, the average American’s carbon footprint is around 32,000 pounds. So, plants alone won’t offset your carbon emissions.

However, houseplants have some great advantages. For one, they can improve indoor air quality. A NASA study showed that certain plants reduce pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and harmful gases. VOCs can lead to headaches and other serious health issues. While having a plant for every square foot would be ideal for full air purification, just a few plants can still help reduce these harmful elements.

Another perk is that plants help regulate indoor temperature and increase humidity through a process called transpiration. They release moisture into the air, which can keep your home cooler in summer and combat the dryness often found in mountain areas.

On top of that, houseplants can boost your mental health. Studies show they help reduce stress and anxiety, and can even improve focus. They create a calming atmosphere that connects us to the outdoors, which is especially nice when we can’t get outside often.

Drawbacks of Houseplants

While houseplants offer many benefits, they are not without their environmental challenges. Many plants travel long distances to reach your home, which contributes to their carbon footprint. This is particularly true for exotic or tropical varieties.

Furthermore, large plant nurseries use energy-intensive greenhouses that require significant heating and watering. This process can lead to more carbon emissions than you might expect.

Houseplants also often come in single-use plastic containers that aren’t recyclable, ending up in landfills. Moreover, many plants are grown in peat, a resource that takes thousands of years to form. Harvesting it can damage delicate ecosystems.

Ways to Keep Houseplants Sustainable

Even though the environmental impact of houseplants is relatively small, there are ways to be more sustainable:

• Grow new plants by propagating cuttings from your existing ones and trade plants with friends instead of buying new ones.
• Use local, natural alternatives like compost instead of peat-based soils and synthetic fertilizers.
• Choose durable, reusable planters to reduce plastic waste.
• If you do have plastic pots, consider recycling them. Programs like Breck Create’s Precious Plastic can use these materials for art projects.

While houseplants won’t single-handedly save the planet, these small, mindful choices can make a positive impact. You can enjoy your indoor jungle while being kinder to the environment.

Ask Eartha Steward is a feature from the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit focused on waste reduction and resource conservation. For questions, contact Eartha at info@highcountryconservation.org.