5 things you can do to live a more sustainable life

Here are 5 easy ways you can make your life a little more environmentally friendly.

Want to help the environment but don't know how to get started? Taking small steps to live a slightly more sustainable life is a great place to start. It may not seem like it, but you do have an impact on the environment and these small-scale changes will really make a difference.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” -Robert Swan

5 things you can do to live a more sustainable life

1. Ditch Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles and Bags

Single-use plastics are a major threat to the environment. Plastic water bottles and grocery bags are just two of the main culprits but they are really easy to cut out of your life anyway. Investing in a reusable water bottle would not only help the environment but it could save your wallet too! You could be saving around $100 each year simply by using a reusable bottle for just $5-$20.

We've all seen the photos of sea turtles and seabirds suffocated by plastic bags, but are they really that significant? Well according to the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthday.org, and Plasticoceans.org Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags a year and less than 5% of that is recycled. All of which could be easily reduced by choosing to take reusable bags to the store.

2. Reduce Food Waste

Remember when you were younger and your mom used to tell you to eat all of your food because there are kids starving in Africa? You may be surprised to hear that there is some truth to that. The problem with food waste has less to do with kids in Africa and more to do with the waste of water it takes to produce the food and the release of methane gas in landfills contributing to climate change. So what can you do? I would start with being careful with the number of groceries you purchase because we find ourselves buying food that ends up in the trash. You could plan out what you will need over the month or week in terms of groceries and stick to that plan. Remember overfilling your fridge is bad for you and the environment. This is the most beneficial way for you to reduce food waste but check out our other blog for more details!

3. Minimize Fast Fashion Consumption

Although fast fashion is convenient, the environmental impact is dangerous. The synthetic microfibers in these cloths often times end up in the sea which contributes to the upcoming issue of microplastics which you can learn more about here. So shopping from second-hand stores like thrift shops is a good alternative or places like Plato's Closet where you can get trendy clothes at a cheaper price. For more on affordable brands check out the section of our blogs titled: eco-friendly products and brands.

4. Reuse and Reduce Before You Recycle

A common misconception is that recycling the number one way to help the environment. However, it is better to reduce and reuse before you recycle. This simple change in your life will have a big impact on the environment and make the most of the items you have purchased. The first step is to reduce the amount of paper, plastic, and glass that you consume. Perhaps instead of buying single use sandwich bags every week you can purchase a few reusable sandwich containers to last you for years. The second step is to reuse these items once they are already in your possession. For example, a cute trendy way that people reuse is by keeping their mason jars as drinking glasses! Lastly, if all else fails, try to recycle all single use items like soda cans, water bottles, and plastic bags.

5. Donate or Resell Items

We all have old clothes in our closet that do nothing but take up space. Throwing them out is bad for the environment as mentioned before because of micro plastics so try donating them to a clothing drop off such as Goodwill. If your looking to make some money and be sustainable you can try selling gently used clothing at Plato's Closet or for a higher yield you could selling your items on Facebook Marketplace or Curtsy.