6 Tips for Living More Sustainably
The headlines we often see about climate change can quickly put us in a defeatist, pessimistic mindset. How on earth are we supposed to change the world when so many other people—including large companies—don’t seem to care about the environment? Living more sustainably can sometimes seem like a lost cause.
It’s a valid concern, sure, but the best way to combat these feelings is to transform them into actions. You don’t have to completely transform your life by selling all your possessions and start living off the grid to make a difference. There are small but powerful actions you can take today that will help reduce your carbon footprint and make Mother Earth a little happier than she was when she woke up this morning.
All it takes to make a difference is one person, and that person can be YOU! Read through these six tips for more sustainable living to discover ways you can start to make a difference in your community.
#1: Think About Your Water Usage
What’s the first thing you do when your alarm clock rudely wakes you up in the morning? If you’re like most people, you might brew a cup of coffee, brush your teeth, or take a shower. All three of those tasks involve water consumption, which is an important factor in helping reduce the effects of climate change.
Easy ways to reduce water consumption include turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers (5–10 minutes), washing your clothes with cold water, and refraining from using the washing machine until you have a full load to wash. Find out about other ways to reduce water consumption with this resource from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
#2: Cut Down on Driving
The last thing we want to do is make you feel guilty about using your car to make essential trips to the pharmacy, school, or your job. We recommend using an electric car instead of a gas vehicle, but the sticker price on electric vehicles can be too high for many people. Fortunately, there are ways you can cut down on your gas usage.
You can combine errands; hitting the grocery store on the way home from work, for example, is one way to do this. Using your bike for shorter trips is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your physical health. Keeping your car in tip-top shape is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions when you need to drive a gas-powered car. If you’re in a position to switch to working from home, consider asking your boss to allow such a policy.
#3: Reconsider Fashion Habits
Staying on top of the latest fashion trends and being stylish is important, but you can do both of those things without engaging in the fast fashion industry. In a nutshell, fast fashion involves cheaply mass-producing clothes to help meet trends. Clothing companies do this knowing that many consumers will soon latch on to the next fad and ditch their current threads.
You can go against the fast fashion grain by connecting with local second hand shops and consignment stores. There’s plenty of room to make powerful fashion statements with pre-owned clothes and garments made from sustainable materials. Learning to sew can also help you extend the life of your current wardrobe.
To find eco-friendly, healthy clothes from sustainable brands, check out our clothing page.
#4: Recycle When You Can
You’ve probably had it hammered into your head since you were a young child—reduce, reuse, recycle. We understand it can be difficult to know which materials, exactly, are recyclable and where you need to take them. Spending a few minutes once or twice a week to separate trash from recyclable products can really make a difference, though.
In addition to plastics, recyclable materials include paper, cardboard, scrap metal, glass, steel, and aluminum. Some municipalities offer curbside recycling services; if you’re not lucky enough to live in one of these places, there are probably some nearby recycling facilities you can make use of. Purchasing products made from post consumer materials is another way to extend the usefulness of recycling.
#5: Use Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Scrubbing the shower and toilets is nobody’s favorite chore. Cleaning the kitchen is also not the most fulfilling way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Being more discerning about the cleaning products you’re using might help make these tasks a little more fun while cutting down on headaches and skin rashes.
We encourage you to take a closer look at the cleaners sitting under your kitchen sink and read the ingredients on each label. Some of these ingredients might seem like unintelligible, made-up words, but you generally want to steer clear of products that contain ammonia, bleach, parabens, phthalates, BPAs, and volatile organic compounds. Many sustainable cleaning products that only include plant-derived substances are usually just as effective as cleaners packed full of toxic chemicals.
#6: Use Your Voice—and Your Vote
If you live in a country with a democratic system of governance, which less than half the world’s population currently does, you have a valuable tool: your voice. Pressuring your elected officials to adopt green policies is a great way to make your voice heard in the democratic process.
A central tenet of democracy is persuading other voters to align with your way of thinking, and the internet allows us to do that in ways previous generations never imagined. No matter what anyone else says, a trending hashtag CAN change the world. There’s nothing stopping you from making your mark on the world and joining the likes of these world-changers.
Our Thoughts on Sustainable Living
Any action, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to you, makes a difference in the fight against climate change. Cynicism and pessimism have never been forces for good in the world; we much prefer empowerment and positive actions.
It might take a few days or weeks to start a new healthy habit, but soon enough, you’ll have more bandwidth to take on more environmentally friendly habits. This snowball effect can rub off on your family, friends, and neighbors. A brighter tomorrow starts with you and your choices!
Featured image Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
