Want to Lead a More Sustainable Lifestyle? Start with These 6 Tips
Want to Lead a More Sustainable Lifestyle? Start with These 6 TipsEvery single day, people make different choices that affect the environment. Even seemingly mundane decisions like what you eat, where you shop, and the cleaning agents you use in your household impact the environment.
Scientific research has produced plenty of data concerning everyday human activities that affect the environment, paving the way for the concept of sustainable living. Simply put, sustainable living is about reducing your reliance on natural resources that are rapidly being depleted. It’s also about supporting sustainable products such as organic mattresses and adopting practices that enable you to replace what you use or a portion of it.
Individuals, families, and groups have experimented, tried, and, ultimately, succeeded in adopting a sustainable lifestyle. So if you’re ready to make a change or want to lead such lifestyle, there are a lot of things you can try, including these six tips:
1. Make your home greener
Like they say, change begins at home. Look around your household and find ways to:
- Improve insulation
Proper home insulation not only makes it easier to regulate indoor temperature for comfort and improve sound control but also contributes to household energy efficiency.
You can improve insulation by subjecting your house to an energy audit and getting it insulated. There are also simple things you can do yourself to improve insulation. These include weather stripping and caulking around doors, thresholds, and windows, installing storm windows, and planting leafy trees in a lawn that’s facing south to deflect summer heat.
- Make your home energy-efficient
You can make your home more energy-efficient by installing solar panels, which can also save you money in terms of electricity bills and tax incentives. Another way to improve home energy efficiency is to replace conventional light bulbs with LED lights. LEDs have a longer service lifespan, are more eco-friendly, and significantly more energy-efficient than traditional lighting.
- Reduce water waste
There are several methods you can adopt to reduce water consumption. These include reusing greywater and using water collected in a rainwater barrel for watering your garden and indoor plants, as well as your lawn. You can also install low-flow bathroom fixtures. Even something as simple as turning off the tap while washing dishes in the sink, brushing, or shaving can save you thousands of gallons per year.
- Use eco-friendly furnishings and other materials
Buying furnishings made of organic materials, such as natural mattresses and reclaimed furniture, and appliances with the Energy Star label, can contribute significantly to your goal to live sustainably.
2. Mind what you buy when shopping
While making your shopping list, think twice over every single thing that makes it to your notes and keep the 3Rs in mind: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Every item you buy has an environmental footprint – from the time the materials used are cultivated and processed through to the moment the products are packaged and transported to stores, and even during disposal.
Always ask yourself if what you’re buying is a necessity. Check if there are better alternatives, if you can find something pre-loved or slightly used, and if a product is reusable or recyclable.
Buy fruits and vegetables in season, preferably farmed in your area or a place close by. Always be on the lookout for products with natural ingredients and minimal packaging and shipping involved.
3. Reduce or eliminate plastic use
Plastics are among the most environmentally damaging products humans have invented. They don’t degrade; they pollute the oceans, poison and kill animals, and, ultimately, make their way into human food systems.
In 2018, global plastic production totaled around 359 million metric tonnes. There are already five major gyres made up mainly of plastic spread across the world: the North and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyres, the North and South Pacific Subtropical Gyres, and the Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre.
If you’re determined to cut down on plastic use, you can use reusable cloth bags for shopping, refuse plastic utensils when buying takeout, bring your own utensils when eating out, patronize establishments that do not use plastic bags and packaging, and ditch single-use water bottles, straws, etc.
If you need to shop online, purchase only what you need as the amount of plastic packaging used for online buys is massive.
4. Read labels
Anytime you buy something, scrutinize the label.
Whether it’s the detergent you use or the milk, coffee, fresh produce, and clothing you buy, make time to read labels to find out about their origin, material composition, and what chemicals are used or added.
Look for brands that prioritize the reduction of their carbon footprint or overall environmental impact. Better yet, support local establishments that use materials and ingredients that are both natural and sourced closer to home.
Support Fair Trade Certified goods that are produced sustainably. Buy organic whenever you can as it’s not only pesticide-free but also protects the health of workers, wildlife, and consumers.
5. Modify your driving habits
Trade your old gas guzzler for a hybrid car or a greener automobile. Opt to walk, cycle, or carpool instead of driving solo. Opt for transportation whenever possible (but practice social distancing).
Plan your trips so you can hit two birds (or more) with one stone. You can do this by combining two or more errands, such as dropping by the supermarket on your way home from work. Stay on top of vehicle repair and maintenance to ensure optimum fuel efficiency. Tune-ups can improve fuel efficiency from anywhere between 4 and 40 per cent.
6. Eat less meat
Animal agriculture contributes massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide – about 14.5 per cent – which is a lot more than what’s produced by the transportation industry.
Raising livestock on a commercial level requires the application of carbon-intensive processes, including deforestation, digging up soil to cultivate animal food crops, and fertilizer use. And, the “joke” about cow passing methane gas is actually not a joke. Ruminant emissions from cows do add more methane gas into the atmosphere.
To improve the health of the Earth and help arrest climate change, try to consume less meat. If possible, opt to eat meat once a week or remove at least one meat dish from your weekly food planner.
Also, reducing your food waste should be one of your food-related sustainability goals. Remember, everything you put on the table uses energy and resources that will go to waste if you throw food away.
Start today
Making a conscious effort to live (more) sustainably is a noble goal.
And there’s no better time to start than now. The Earth is losing more and more resources every single second, and there’ll be a time when all the planet’s resources would be exhausted.
Take baby steps, commit to sustainable living, and know it’s the right decision.
