Living a more sustainable life is vastly important to the survival of our planet. If you’ve taken an interest in how connected our planet is lately, you’ll see that almost everything we do to it has an impact on how Earth does in the future. Plastic, carbon emissions, even drug use (we highly suggest checking out Connected on Netflix to see how our sewage affects aquatic life) make Earth more and more uninhabitable. We need to collectively, as a species, agree on the green legislature that moves us forward, not backward. While we’re waiting for our government to make moves, we can start to be more sustainable. Money moves mountains, folks! If humans like us consumed more plant proteins, wasted less, and took public transportation, we could change the world.
We’ve come up with 15 different ways to be more sustainable, and it’s not really as hard as you think. Keep reading for more.
15 Easy Ways To Be More Sustainable
1) Stop with the use of plastic utensils and get yourself a set to carry around with you:
This lunch kit by Inka World is perfect for taking your lunch to go with you. Zero waste used here! There’s even a cute, tiny container for your sauces!
2) Recycle, recycle, recycle!
There is an incredible amount of plastic and other substances that take centuries to biodegrade. That’s frightening. Recycle anything that you can to put Earth into a cycle of reusing. Also, as a friendly reminder, please wash all of the items you recycle! Recycling bags are clear and if your sanitation department sees any form of food in your recycling, they’ll toss it into the trash.
3) Donate your used clothing:
There are plenty of people who could use that blouse you don’t love anymore or pair of jeans that you’re not into now because your style has changed. Even leather boots take 50 plus years to biodegrade. Take the time to drive to a donation bin near you, or better yet, use this tool we found for you.
4) Don’t shop in fast fashion:
Fast fashion and it’s waste uses severely underpaid workers to staff its factories, on top of all of the waste they produce. Fast fashion also wastes precious water resources, something the world desperately needs right now.
5) Do shop sustainable clothing brands:
Sustainable brands are constantly using their platform to spread awareness regarding climate change. There are so many brands that are sourcing sustainably, paying fair wages to their employees, and even giving back in some instances. This Brazilian brand, Cariuma, plants two for every sneaker purchased. Absolutely incredible.
6) Use an energy tracker:
Brand Sense has a tracker that you can use to track how much electricity you use. It can show you exactly when an item is on or off and even save you from a disaster like leaving your flat iron on. Shop here.
7) Take public transportation or get an energy-efficient vehicle:
If everyone in the U.S. switched to electric cars like a magic switch, our CO2 emissions would drop by almost 10% immediately. Energy-efficient cars are well worth the investment and you can actually get money back for purchasing a vehicle that helps our planet. With more and more cities trying to build incredible public transportation, the money you save in the future could even mean that you might not need one anymore. We like the sound of that!
8) F*** a water bottle! Get a reusable one:
We’re all about a reusable bottle. Plastic bottles actually use petroleum to be made (yuck), so the harmful effects of using plastic are still unknown. Save your planet, use a reusable bottle, like this one from SoL Cups. Until we get a clean water system like Paris (they have water fountains and even sparkling water fountains all over the city), invest in a water filter to make sure you’re getting the cleanest kind.
9) Support your local farms:
Buying produce from a farmer’s market is guaranteed farm to table. No harmful ingredients, no not knowing what’s going into your food or how it’s being made. Bonus points for making sure those hard-working individuals get paid their fair share.
10) Purchase fair-trade products:
To truly make it a point to support the food industry and cut back on industrial farming, it’s really important to make sure that your products are fair-trade. This ensures that employees of that company are being paid well and that they’re taken care of. If you can afford it, paying an extra $ 1 or $ 2 for this type of product ensures it came from a place of love.
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11) Eat less meat:
With less demand, comes less factory farming. In fact, if everyone in the country reduced their consumption of beef, pork, and poultry (that’s less than two days of eating meat), we’d save 82 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Plant-based diets also result in less disease, less illness, and more incredible nutrients. We love plant-based food so much. Our new favorite is Nuggs, the so-called Tesla of Chicken. It’s completely soy-based and raved about.
12) Don’t go for the grocery bag:
With more and more cities banning the use of plastic bags, it goes to show that buying a small tote (less than $ 1 at Trader Joe’s) goes a long way. They produce so much waste. To be honest, they’re even hard to carry! If you have to use your store’s bag, go for the paper one, it’s much more sustainable.
13) Get reusable cleaning products:
Blueland’s cleaning essentials are in the spotlight at the moment and for good reason. They are super great for the environment and are free of tons of harmful ingredients. Pop in their refillable tablets to save money, the environment, and the use of plastic!
14) Get sustainable kitchen products:
Don’t use foil and plastic wrap in the kitchen either! It all goes to waste. There are so many alternatives that are sustainable. You can use this Bee’s Wrap to get your leftovers safe to go. These Stasher bags are perfect for on the go snacks too
15) Install solar panels:
Solar panels can save you a lot of energy, and a lot of money. If you have the means, the investment can mean money back in your pocket and way, way less spent on your electricity bills. Over time, you will save way more than you did on their purchase.
16) Vote, vote, vote:
Your voice creates demand. With the U.S. on the border of implementing a new infrastructure plan, your vote could determine what happens to our planet. Sustainability and climate change are hugely important in the outcome of local and national elections. With the power of you and your government working together, we can change the planet.