With more awareness of our role in how the earth survives, most of us are starting to consider sustainable living ideas – whether in our home or lifestyle. It seems easily attainable but for many applying the practices can be difficult. There is so much information out there to digest that it can be hard to know where to start. Our best advice is to start small. Look around you and brainstorm ways you can make a sustainable decision that doesn’t require purchasing anything extra. Little wins can encourage you to make bigger changes. We have listed some small, but manageable, changes you can instill into daily practices.
Food
Buying food in unnecessary packaging is one of our many sustainable living ideas. With less packaging, you’re bringing home fewer possible landfills. Going to the grocery store or farmer’s market with reusable bags ensures you don’t pick up more plastic while shopping. Most produce aisles offer both pre-packaged or loose products. Once you’re home, transfer your food into a reusable glass mason jar.
When it’s time to go grocery shopping, go through your fridge and pantry to create a detailed list of necessary items. With this practice, it’s important to stick to the list. Doing this ensures you have less food waste throughout the week. It’s still possible to have some fruits and vegetables leftover. Instead of letting them go bad, freeze them in reusable freezer bags and throw them in your smoothies or soups.
When food has to travel between cities, states, and even countries, the earth has to pay the prices from over fertilization for increased mass production to carbon emission. Buying local food helps alleviate this immensely. Local farmers can be more intentional with how they farm. Most times they produce in small batches, reducing waste and travel time. This is a great way to also support your local small businesses.
HOME
Doing your research and finding brands that align with your ethics and views on sustainability is a great way to help you stay on path. These brands often give you inspiration and provide new ways to explore this lifestyle change, without feeling too overwhelmed. It also opens up a world of new products you probably didn’t know existed. Some of our favorite home sustainable brands include Our Place for cookware, Ruggable for rugs, and of course Dreams Jumper for all bedding.
- Replace Cleaning Products with at Home Ingredients
Sometimes, we think so much about the big picture and forget the little things. When you’re trying to live a more sustainable/clean life, your cleaning products are worth looking at. By making a practice of reading ingredient labels, it will help you to decide what brands you should invest in and which ones to stay away from. For linens, we recommend replacing your softener with white vinegar.
Fashion, Skincare & Makeup
- Create a Capsule Wardrobe
Building a capsule wardrobe allows you to clean out your closet, keep only items you need for every season and have a streamlined wardrobe. In doing this, you can purchase sustainable items that are versatile and will last you a long time. Having sustainable clothing items in your closet ensures you don’t fall victim to fast fashion, which is unethically produced.
- Do Your Research On Conscious Brands
When going through skincare and makeup products, look for ethically manufactured brands. Nowadays, even your local drugstore carries affordable clean makeup products. An easy place to start is getting rid of makeup wipes and single-use cotton pads. Instead buy a pack of reusable cotton rounds that you can throw in the wash and reuse.
Find ways to repurpose your clothes by donating. When setting up your capsule wardrobe, donating is a good way to repurpose the clothes you’re removing from your closet. It also allows people to sustainably shop and buy versatile pieces to add to your closet. You can also shop for clothes donated by other people and continue the sustainable cycle.
Start small and enjoy the little wins through these sustainable living ideas.
