Buildings are one of the most prominent contributors to climate change. Not all homes are created equal, though. It all depends on how it’s built and your lifestyle behaviors.
The bigger the house, the greater the carbon footprint — so what about something with a little less square footage? Trailers and tiny homes are the most popular options. Which should you choose if you want to live an eco-friendly life?
Environmental Impact
Begin by analyzing the composition of trailers and tiny homes to see how they are built and use water and energy.
Building Materials
Many people dreaming of living in a tiny home build it from the ground up. They tend to choose reclaimed or recycled materials, such as wood, bamboo or steel. Some incorporate sustainable 3D-printed facets made with anything from recycled plastic to wood waste.
Their foundations are less reliant on concrete or similarly carbon-intensive materials. Slab-on-grade or piers are typically sufficient. Even if you don’t build yourself, the minimalist structure already lends itself to smart resource use.
Conventional trailers usually rely on typical construction materials with varying environmental impacts. If it uses poorly sourced plywood, vinyl and toxic insulation, it’s not as sustainable as it could be. However, mass production and modular construction could lower emissions from a manufacturing standpoint.
Energy Efficiency
Smaller houses use less energy, but this doesn’t necessarily equate to efficiency. Insulation and layout have a lot to do with how well the structure retains hot and cold air. For example, a tiny home or trailer resident must turn up the air conditioning if the unit has large windows and no awnings. However, a smaller area will be easier to heat and cool, especially if there aren’t as many heat-emitting appliances.
Thankfully, it’s easy to incorporate solar panels or other renewable systems into both homes, so long as there aren’t limitations based on zoning or from property managers. Trailers and tiny homes can have this alongside energy-efficient appliances and smart home tech to monitor power use.
Water Usage
Trailers don’t always come with gutters, and sometimes they are not customizable. Tiny homes can, and it’s easier to retrofit them if the owners want to set up a rainwater harvesting system for water recycling and conservation. They’re also more likely to have composting toilets, whereas trailers have standard plumbing.
Trailers may also be more restricted when upgrading water heaters. For example, tankless options tend to be more eco-friendly, and it’s not always certain if the space will allow the installation.
However, each housing style could incorporate basic eco-friendly water tactics, like installing low-flow fixtures and increasing consumption awareness.
Long-Term Analysis
After comparing structural aspects, continued climate impact depends on the home’s strength and environmental resistance.
Durability and Longevity
The longer the house stands, the better it is for the planet because it avoids landfills and all the resources it would require to rebuild.
Both have life spans of about 50 years, which may extend with attentive maintenance. A few factors influence these specs, including climate, building materials and how often you move the home. For example, a tiny stone home will outlast a trailer any day, but a nomadic tiny home will obtain more wear and tear than a stagnant trailer.
This makes both options available for those wanting to age in place, especially if damage from water, pests and age is minimal. Both options could be a forever home and passed down to another generation of owners with the right mindset for upkeep.
Resilience
Severe weather is more likely with the climate crisis ramping up in intensity. Structural damage causes pollution and debris to pollute water and soil. Therefore, the ability of a trailer or tiny home to withstand the forces of nature is critical when considering how eco-friendly it is. Weatherproofing is more associated with tiny homes than trailers. Still, the mobile propensity of both setups makes them less sturdy than conventional homes.
Lifestyle Considerations
The home may be made of eco-friendly materials and has stood strong for many years, but your lifestyle also matters, influencing its carbon footprint daily.
Mobility is a vital consideration in the name of sustainability. How frequently will you be moving the house around? Trailers and tiny homes can be built on chassis for temporary movement or be transitional, but the resources required to transport them have an impact, especially if you travel a lot. The heft of a trailer may exert more stress on the planet than a tiny home.
Consider how well a trailer adapts to new environmental tech and standards compared to a tiny home. Whether or not you own the property greatly influences how much agency you have over it to make it more sustainable.
The opportunity to customize and retrofit a tiny home is greater than most trailers because they’re frequently built to order.
Little Green Living
Tiny homes and trailers have smaller footprints — literally and environmentally — than the house down the street with a white picket fence.
Each option can be a sustainable dwelling, especially if you’re willing to customize and upgrade it with efficient features. Pair this with an eco-conscious lifestyle and willingness to learn, and your home can be sustainable, no matter if it’s a trailer or a tiny house.
