Easy Ways to Live More Sustainably

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I believe in protecting the earth. Think about it, you probably wouldn’t like it if someone came into your house or apartment, threw trash everywhere, sprayed a bunch of chemicals into the air, and ran all of your faucets until your rooms started to flood. Well that’s pretty much what we all do to the earth everyday. Scientists have been saying if we don’t clean up our acts now, the damage may become irreversible. I am by no means perfect with living sustainably and I still have tons of room to grow, but I thought I would share some tips for things I currently do, and am trying to incorporate to help protect the earth. 

Try to only buy things when you actually need them

As an American I’m going to say that we are really wasteful people. We buy something, then the new version comes out, so we toss the old and buy the new. I’m especially trying to work on limiting what I buy with makeup. I’ve purchased a lot of new products lately, and while it’s fun to play with new stuff, I think it can lead to a lot of waste. I’m going to try to use up what I have and only buy something new if I’m out of an item I use all the time.

Quality over Quantity

Though it may cost you more to begin with, buying higher quality items will save you money, and the planet’s resources in the long run. For instance, the fast fashion industry uses crazy amounts of resources to produce new trendy clothing all the time (not to mention, horrible labor conditions). There’s also been a lot of talk about fast fashion stores throwing away clothing that didn’t sell versus donating it. These items aren’t made to last, so buying higher quality, classic pieces will stand the test of time. This is another one I’m currently working on. 

Limit your use of disposables

Water bottles, paper plates, paper towels. Can you use a reusable version of these items? Of course you can. 

Limit animal products

When an animal is slaughtered for it’s meat or skin, it releases methane gas into the air, which, you guessed it, is bad for our climate. I’m not saying you have to become a vegan (I’m not one) but having a meatless day every week or choosing to not buy leather goods can help. 

Don’t use things if you’re not using them

What I mean by this is, turn off lights when you leave the room, unplug your chargers when your phone or laptop doesn’t need to be on them, and turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth. I know these are things we always hear, but do you actually do them? I know you may think it only saves small amounts of electricity or water, but I’m a big believer in every bit counts. You also may notice your electric or water bill is less. And on that note…

Use less electricity

This one will save you money too! Turn your air conditioning or heat up or down a couple of degrees. You probably won’t really notice the difference and it actually will save money and energy. 

Air dry your clothes when you can. Not only is this good for the planet and your electric bill, it’s better for your clothes and will make them last longer! Win, win, win!

Drive less

I have about a 30 minute drive to work. I sometimes have to do some local traveling for work, and I also have appointments that aren’t all super close to me. Still, if I can combine trips or not drive at all one day, which basically means I don’t go anywhere, I try to do so when I can. I am eventually hoping to move somewhere where I can walk places more, but right now driving is pretty much my only option. 

Use less plastic

This is the big one. Plastic is pretty much the worst when it comes to environmental friendliness. For one,  a lot of it is made from petroleum, aka a fossil fuel, aka bad for the earth’s temperature. Two, even if you recycle it it’s not really going to help things. Because plastic is so cheap to make, a lot of companies will just make new plastic versus recycling old stuff. If you want to learn more about reducing your use of plastic check out Kathryn at Going Zero Waste. This girl is all about living the sustainable life and has so many tips and tricks for reducing your impact on the planet!

What kind of things do you do to be more sustainable? Let me know!