There are a lot of ways to make easy changes in our lives that can lead to a more sustainable existence. Being proactive and making sustainable choices can be very rewarding and make an important difference for our planet, climate change, and our health. Sustainability may be new for a lot of us and may seem like a daunting process to begin, but you don’t need to change everything in your life all at once. Being conscious of our choices may be the first step to creating a more sustainable lifestyle!
Single Use Products
Single-use products are products we use once and then either throw away or “recycle”. However, only 10% of recycled stuff actually gets recycled, so that leads to a lot of waste. The amount of waste we contribute may not be something you have ever thought about, but it is something we should all be conscious of. So if possible, limiting our single-use products is a great way to make serious cutbacks on waste.
- Not only are a lot of our cleaning products not great for us or the environment…they are also packaged in single-use products! There are a bunch of clean refillable brands you can check out!
- Q-Tips…these small products collectively produce a huge (harmful) footprint. Looking for an alternative?…
- Did you know that reusable paper towels are a thing? Well, they are! Here are seven of the best for you to choose from!
- Make a note to bring silverware for lunch at work! Want a cute new set? Check out any of these ones on Etsy.
- Get a reusable water bottle, (this is not just refilling your plastic water bottle! You may be unaware but plastic in those, and many to-go food containers are not made with plastic that is meant to be re-used, and actually can be deteriorating into your food and water when you re-use them! Gross.)
- Try opting for glass food containers…
- Reusable floss pick! Quip makes a great one!
These are all ways you can easily cut back the consumption of your single-use products, and in turn, create less waste! But they are by no means even close to the number of single-use products we use daily. Try looking out for more things that could be swapped for a better option in your own life.
Plastic Plastic Plastic!
First off, plastic kills. Period. Second, plastic never goes away. Like as in every piece of plastic ever made is still on the planet! The long-term effect plastic has on the environment is devastating. Species of animals, ecosystems, our ozone, and more are negatively affected by plastic from production to garbage. The initial process of making plastic in big factories produces many pollutants. The plastic then pollutes our topsoil and fills our oceans, killing marine life. Plastic is even being found in women’s placentas, and people’s bloodstreams. I can give you millions of reasons why plastic is bad, but instead, let’s discuss ways we can avoid it!
- Plastic garbage bags can easily be swapped out for biodegradable bags…and shopping bags can be replaced with reusable bags! It can be annoying to always remember to grab your bags before heading to the store, so keeping a few in various locations…your car, office, etc, can make it so you always have one when needed!
Biodegradable Garbage Bags to Try!
- Plastic water bottles are creating an insane amount of waste (1.3 billion bottles are used EACH DAY alone), try any of these awesome reusable bottles! And if you really need a disposable option, Just Water is a great alternative to a 100% plastic bottle.
Best Reusable Water Bottle Options
- To-go plastic food bags (like zip-blocks)
- National Geographic states “ If you laid out the toothbrushes thrown away in the U.S. in a year, they would wrap around the Earth four times!” That’s crazy!!
Click for a cooler toothbrush option!
- Re-fillable natural deodorants!
There are actually a few options, find them here!
- Try to cut back on online shopping (all those Amazon and Shein plastic bags add up!)
Just paying attention to how much plastic you use/dispose of in a day can help you make important changes. Remember that the plastic you use is not going anywhere and just creates more issues!
Food
Food may not be something you think about when discussing sustainability, but one egg takes 53 gallons of water to produce and the meat industry is the number one leading cause of climate change! So it’s very important, and our choices matter.
-Eating less meat can help with pollution, water use, and habitat destruction.
-Being aware of the food you’re buying and when/how you’re going to use it will help you decrease food waste. Studies show nearly 40% of edible food in the US goes to waste! Before shopping, try planning the meals for your week that use similar ingredients, that way you’re getting the most out of what you’re buying! Buying less can also lead to less waste…you can always
-If you’re interested in really making the most of your food, and getting as close to zero waste as possible, try composting! This is not as daunting as you may think it is. Composting. like most things, exists on a spectrum from super beginners to seasoned experts. Check out this blog on how to begin your composting journey!!
Clothing!
Omg, this is a big one that people always seem to forget. Fast fashion is the phenomenon of buying inexpensive clothing that you only get a few wears out of, and then end up either throwing out or not properly recycling. I completely understand the desire to buy clothes at the least expensive cost possible, but you will end up spending more money in the process! Buying quality products at an admittedly higher cost will lead to something called “slow” fashion…which is good!
This is when you’re able to reuse quality clothing for years to come, and then when you’re ready to get rid of it can be donated and reused by someone else! This will slow down textile waste by an enormous amount…and give thrift shops quality clothing.
If you’re having the itch to add new things to your wardrobe there are several ways to achieve this without dropping a bunch of needless money on the textile industry that is affecting so much water. “Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products. Washing synthetics releases an estimated 0.5 million tonnes of microfibres into the ocean a year.” -Europa
For online thrifting try any of these great spots! Poshmark, Depop, thredUP, Thrifted, Swap, Goodfair. And for new products from sustainable brands check out this article!
Sustainability is something we should all be conscious of and be actively incorporating into our lives. It is not okay to say “I am just one person, I can’t be making that much of a difference”, because you are! Even individuals leave a big impact on our environment.
Making good decisions and being aware of our impact adds up and helps everyone! From our digital products to cigarette butts the need to be more aware is becoming dire. Things you may have never even thought about could be causing a lot of damage. Being a sustainable person doesn’t need to be a difficult thing! Just get curious and be cognizant of your choices!
