10 Tips to Live Sustainably
Living sustainably is defined as:
“a lifestyle that aims to reduce the use of the earth's natural resources.”
Living sustainably sounds challenging but it’s more practical than most people think. Yes, it's great for the environment but it can also save you money, improve your health, and help you connect with your community. Here are some tips on how we can start living more sustainably:
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Make use of reusable or washable items instead of single-use ones. For example, use a reusable grocery bag instead of a plastic/paper bag or drink out of a canteen instead of buying plastic water bottles, etc.
Start recycling. When you do, the need to process raw materials (the process can be bad for the environment) is decreased. Recycling can save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Make a compost bin. All of your food scraps and yard waste can go in the compost. When it's mature, you can put it to good use like adding it to potting soil. Plants love it!
2. Buy Quality, Lasting, or Recycled Products
Have you ever thought about what happens after we discard items we don't use anymore? They go to landfills. That's why it's better to choose the best quality for ourselves. Find a product that lasts a while or is made of recycled materials.
3. Choose Nature-Friendly Products
With so many products in the market today, we have a wide variety to choose from. Can you imagine how much material is used in creating mass products and packaging? If we choose products that are nature-friendly whenever possible, we help the environment as everything eventually goes back to to the earth.
4. Live Minimally
Before buying anything, ask yourself if you truly need it. Living a sustainable life means that you try to live with what you need, not with an excess of what you want. When you consume less, you throw away less. This was a great life lesson Sunny and I learned while living van life.
5. Make Your Living Space GREEN
One’s home should be a safe space where one can go to relax and be themselves. If we can change our lifestyle we can also change our homes to make them more environmentally friendly.
How do we do that? You can replace your current lights with LED lights that use less energy and last longer. You can also make use of solar panels as your home’s energy source, get an electric car, buy non-toxic kitchen and mattress/bedding supplies, etc. Only buy home goods from companies that use part of your purchase towards an environmental charity.
6. Grow a Garden
How satisfying is it to grow your own produce and prepare it for your family? Having a garden has tons of benefits. The main one being food security. Of course, you can start small but the bigger your garden is, the less produce you will need to rely on the big agriculture industry.
7. Cook Your Own Meal
Have you had enough take-out? Then cook yourself dinner tonight because it's actually more sustainable for the environment. Not only do you get to choose the ingredients in your dish, you also avoid using plastic from take-out packaging.
8. Switch to Paperless
In this digital age, we have the choice to go paperless. That means we have the opportunity to save trees by using less paper. When we need to write something down, we can simply use the notepad on our phone. Request companies/services to send you an electronic bill instead of a physical one.
9. Smart Electricity Usage
Call your energy company and make sure to opt-in for their clean and renewable energy sources. It might be a few cents more each month but so worth it! This helps to lessen the carbon footprint we leave on the planet.
10. Check the Label
Thankfully, we have so many stores that offer options for those who have decided to be more environmentally conscious. Because of consumer demand, more and more brands have started to cater to sustainable and environmentally friendly customers. Which makes it easier and easier to read the label and make a better decision for your health and the environment. Always check the label and choose brands that have a minimal impact the environment.