This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Rest assured, I do not get paid or compensated in any way to promote any specific products.
Sustainable, eco, green…
Whatever you call it, sustainable living is important not just from an environmental standpoint, but also just plain makes sense.
If you have ever thought about how you can be more environmentally conscious but weren’t sure where to start, start here! There are so many things you can do help the planet, your health, and your wallet, that won’t take much time, money, or effort at all. Here’s a rundown of 6 easy steps to a sustainable lifestyle!
Reduce
Humans consume (and waste) a disgusting amount of things: food, clothing, fuel, energy, personal and home care products, the list just goes on! When it comes to becoming more environmentally conscious, one of the first things you should do is to reduce your consumption of products as much as possible in the first place. This means simple steps like carrying a reusable water bottle, using cloth tote bags for groceries or net bags for produce, and using cloth rags instead of paper towels. (I feel like I should buy stock in the paper towel companies, but I’m working on that!)
Reuse
Think about ways to reuse any items you can’t cut out. If you end up with a million plastic grocery sacks because you forgot your bags in the car (or worse, at home), how can you reuse them? Plastic bags aren’t sustainable, are they? I see professional organizers saying, “nobody needs this many plastic bags; just throw them out!” Well, as a pet owner, I can easily use all the plastic bags I get from the store! So, I don’t worry too much about it. I use them for trash can liners, kitty litter scooping, and dog poop scooping. I even keep a few in my truck to clean out the trash while I’m pumping gas.
Old ratty shirts (my husband has plenty) and worn out linens can be cut up for rags to help reduce the use of those paper towels I talked about earlier.
What else can you reuse in your home?
Recycle
Everyone knows about recycling, but what many people don’t know, is that what’s recyclable depends on your community. The most commonly recycled items almost everywhere are cardboard, aluminum, metal cans, and #1 and #2 plastic. There are several types of plastic, but not every community takes all of them for recycling. Just because that iconic recycling triangle is on a plastic bottle, does not necessarily mean that it is recyclable in your community. Call or go on your city’s website to find out exactly what materials they take for recycling. One great resource for recycling information is Earth911.
Simple energy saving tips
Most of the energy that people use on the earth is powered by fossil fuels, which eventually will run out, and are pretty bad for the environment, polluting our air and water supply. That’s not sustainable in any shape, form, or fashion! My home is solar powered (off grid), so saving energy is pretty important to me!
Obviously, turn off the lights when you aren’t using them. On the topic of lights, you should know that standard incandescent light bulbs produce a lot of heat and use more energy than other types. Consider replacing your light bulbs when they burn out with halogen, CFL (compact fluorescent) or LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs. I don’t recommend just going to Home Depot and buy all new ones, though. Just replace them as they burn out.
These other types of bulbs will cost more, but in the long run may very well be worth it for the energy savings. LED bulbs are the most energy-efficient and are very long-lasting. Second is CFL, and lastly, halogen. There are pros and cons to each type of bulb, so research to see what type will be best for your situation. The Sustainable Living Association has a nice little guide to help you choose the best light bulbs.
Other easy ways to reduce your energy use include turning the temperature down on the water heater and home thermostat, especially while you are not at home. If you have kids and/or husbands, train them to close the door. No sense in trying to heat/cool the outside! (I’m still working on this one, after 27 years…it might be a lost cause!)
Washing laundry in cold water saves a lot of energy too. Truthfully, I only wash in cold (except for rags and pet beds) and very rarely do I separate colors (except for those red jeans), so I can usually run one load instead of two, which adds up to even more savings! If you have the space for it, and the neighbors don’t complain, cut back on using the dryer and put up a clothes line.
The oven can be a huge draw on energy, so for small meals, try using a toaster oven instead. And, you know that green-lit clock on the microwave? Yeah, it draws energy too. I have my small appliances, including the microwave, all on power strips, so I can just switch it off.
One last energy-saving tip: your fridge does not have to be on 24/7! We frequently turn it off at night. Solar, remember? (And tonight I got to eat soft ice cream because I forgot to turn the fridge back on before I left this morning). The fridge is a huge draw on the battery bank (off grid talk here…more on that another time.) and if it’s cloudy, we are likely to lose power at night.
Sustainable Clothing
If you are just starting on your eco-journey, don’t stress too much over your clothing choices. As you get more into the habit of things, you might want to consider things like organic cotton, but let’s keep it simple for now. The biggest thing you can do to green up your closet is to buy less clothing to begin with. All the clothing we own takes a ton of energy and, often, chemicals and sweatshop labor, to produce.
The second thing I recommend is shopping at thrift or secondhand stores. Consider thrift stores, like Goodwill or Salvation Army, that give back to the community. They will often have great clothes and unique finds at incredible prices. A lot of times I go to Goodwill and find new items with tags still on them for a tiny fraction of what you might pay at retail. I once picked up a $75 dress for $10. Remember that a big part of their sales (90 cents of every dollar, last I checked) go back to serving the community, not just the CEO!
Sustainable Transportation
You don’t have to go all-out and buy an Electric Vehicle or even a hybrid to save energy and fuel on transportation. You may not even be in the market for a car at all. If you want to reduce driving (and gas and stress), think about who you know that you might be able to carpool with. Of course, this can be challenging depending on your work schedule. When you do have to drive, maintain your vehicle properly and don’t let the tires get low on air. Good maintenance helps your car run more efficiently. And be aware of your driving habits (*ahem* no comment).
Other options are, of course, walking, riding a bicycle, or taking the bus. Our town is very bicycle-friendly and has a very good public transportation (read: bus) system. Sadly, where I live, none of these options are practical so I have to drive a lot.
Bonus Tip:
If you are a DIY type, check out DIY Sunscreen & Bug Repellant!
Conclusion
There are tons of great resources online to explore sustainable living. A few of my favorites:
- TreeHugger has been promoting sustainable living for over 20 years!
- GoingZeroWaste does just what it sounds like: promotes a sustainable lifestyle with as little waste as possible.
- Take a look at Energy Star for tips on saving energy at home and energy-efficient appliances.
So there you have it, folks! Six simple things you can do today to start living a more sustainable life! What steps will you take today? Do you have any other great tips you would like to share? Leave a comment and let me know!