Sustainable living is a philosophy that aims to reduce environmental impact by making changes in daily life to counteract climate change, along with other environmental concerns. It’s also a method of reducing one’s carbon footprint. Here are 15 easy steps you can take to live a more sustainable life!
By using less energy at home, you’re actively helping reduce carbon emissions. You can do so by switching off appliances that aren’t being used, open windows during pleasant weather instead of air conditioning, hanging clothes to dry rather than using a clothes dryer and using electric appliances to heat up food or water rather than a stovetop. You could also replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
Single-use products may be convenient at times but they end up in landfills and sometimes the ocean, causing harm to the environment and wildlife. Using reusable and eco-friendly products can help cut back on the toxins released into the environment from our single-use waste. This includes reusable water bottles and cloth bags when shopping.
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This one is more obvious but it needs to be said. Reuse your items for as long as you can reduce waste, and make sure you’re disposing of them in the correct bins when you’re finally done with them.
Growing your own produce like fruits and vegetables will eliminate the need for pesticides which can contaminate water and contribute to air pollution. Growing your own food at home will also reduce fossil fuels being used to transport produce around.
Rather than throwing them away, you could resell or donate items that you aren’t using anymore to prevent more waste at landfill sites. You may also donate said items to charity organizations that can redistribute them to those in need.
Use public transport when you can! Or better yet, ride a bike or walk if your destination is close enough. An increase in cars on the road leads to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
If you need to clean up around the house, try to use a cloth that you can wash, rather than paper towels that will just end up in the trash.
It’s very easy to waste paper these days. When shopping, ask stores to email your receipt rather than printing it out. Send letters over email rather than physical copies. Print only those documents that are vital. If you do have lots of unneeded paper lying around, make sure you recycle them!
Small changes here and there can have a massive impact on water conservation. Turn off taps when they aren’t in use (while brushing your teeth, washing your hair, etc), install water-saving showerheads, check water pipes for leaks regularly – these small habits can help you save water.
There’s an alarmingly high rate of people who want to use straws when consuming beverages and these always end up in the ocean and cause serious damage to wildlife. It’s projected that we will have more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050. If you must use a straw, invest in reusable steel or glass straws that you can carry around with you.
It’s not as intimidating as it sounds! Food scraps, eggshells, old herbs and veggie peels can easily be composted to be transformed into nutrient-rich soil. This is a great way to reduce landfill waste.
Not only do cooler temperatures prevent color bleeding and shrinking, but it also helps use less energy as machines are known to need more energy when using hot water.
The average person is known to use around 70 gallons of water in a day. Turn off your water when lathering up and try to shorten your showers by a couple of minutes to be more proactive in saving water.
Products that are exported to other countries often result in large amounts of fossil fuel energy consumption. Instead of shopping for imported items, try shopping for local products that are sourced and grown on your own home soil.
Producing meat happens to be one of the biggest contributors to climate change, as well as pollution. Simply reducing the amount of meat consumed daily can help minimize your personal carbon footprint and reduce the impact that the meat industry currently has on the planet.
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