Sustainable living: 14 simple tips to sustainability

Making better decisions today will lead to a brighter future. How do you want to live your life? Exploring, experimenting and learning are all a part of sustainable living. Reducing your carbon footprint is at the core of sustainability. It's not an easy thing but there are many ways to reduce your impact. Here are 14 easy ways that you can use to start living a sustainable life today!

Lifestyle

Recycle: We all know the horrors that plastic has on our environment. In 2013, 299 million tons of plastic were produced worldwide. This was a 4% increase from 2012. Globally, the use of plastic has continued to rise every year. This plastic ends up in landfills where it takes up to 200 years to decompose or it ends up in our oceans.

A conservative estimate is that over 5 tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, weighing almost 300,000 tons. In addition to this having negative environmental effects, the chemicals used to make plastic can negatively affect our health as well. One of the simplest ways to combat this is to recycle any plastic you use and also to switch to reusable items such as bags and water bottles. This will save energy and cut down on carbon emissions as well as saving you money in the long run. Recycling just half of your household waste, can cut down on 2400 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.¹

Tip: Recycle your plastics and paper. You can start doing this by setting outside any plastic and paper that you use so that you may take it be recycled. Most sanitation departments now offer bins for recycling as well as garbage so it’s easier to sort. These products are then disposed of properly and many companies are beginning to reuse them and turn them into products.

Start using reusable glass Tupperware. Glass Tupperware can be found at your local supermarket or on multiple shopping sites such as Amazon. If you don’t want to use glass, there are also eco-friendly plastic options that you can use in addition to regular plastic Tupperware. Another great way to live sustainably, is to stop using plastic bags. Many stores sell reusable canvas bags that you can use at the grocery store or while you are running errands. http://theecoguide.org/pacific-garbage-patch-6-effortless-ways-you-can-make-difference
Compost your food: Composting is the process of naturally allowing your food to decompose in a nutrient rich soil known as compost. Composting is done by not throwing your food scraps into the garbage but instead using the soil and compost to naturally dispose of your trash. This reduces the use of plastic garbage bags, the CO2 emissions used by the garbage trucks to collect the trash, and the trash sitting in landfills waiting to decompose. This process helps to allow what nature would do naturally and will decrease your carbon footprint. It’s estimated that for every pound of food thrown away, 3.8 pounds of CO2 emissions are released.²

Tip: Look into ways that you can compost in your community, whether through a community if you live in an apartment or in your own backyard. There are now specific garbage cans designed to help you compost in your home, even if you live in a small space. If you don’t want to buy a garbage or compost in your home, you can save your scraps and take it to a center which will compost it for you. This option might not be as green as composting in your house, but it’s a good start for someone looking to make this lifestyle change. This option is also more cost effective than buying a composter since some of them can be costly. For gardeners, the use of compost can be a great way to save money on fertilizer because the compost can be used in its place.

A great experiment to try, is to put your food in a glass jar with soil so you can watch your food decomposing over time. This will really help you to see the process and it’s a great science experiment for kids. It will take some time to get used to seeing the food decompose and depending on where you keep your bin or jar, you might feel a little grossed out. I would advise you to keep it someplace where it won’t be in constant sight but not so far that you forget. http://theecoguide.org/how-much-can-composting-help-reduce-my-carbon-footprint
Stop buying fast fashion: Fast Fashion is a term commonly used for stores such as H&M and Forever2; clothing companies that produce a high amount of clothing with a very quick turnover rate. This turnover rate creates demand within the stores so you always feel as though you need to keep purchasing items to stay current.

Not only is fast fashion cheap it is also cheaply made and often uses slave labor to keep costs so low. Switch to other options such as buying vintage or buying from companies that produce sustainable clothing. This will cut down on environmental issues such as the use of harmful pesticides and dyes. By reusing clothes, 3 to 4 pounds of carbon emissions are saved for every pound of clothing that is recycled.³

Tip: Head to your local consignment store to see what treasure you can find. There are great options such as Buffalo Exchange as well as companies such as Goodwill. Or sell your own clothes back to sites such as Thred-Up. Thred-up will buy back your clothing and give you a percentage of what they are willing to pay. You don’t always get the best offer but it’s a good way to make a little extra money. The benefits of shopping at consignment stores are that you can find more unique items since it is not mass produced. You also have the satisfaction of knowing you are making a positive impact on the environment.

Consignment stores might be more expensive than stores such as H&M and Forever 21 but you can often very good designer clothes for up to 50%-60% off. Another great option is to support stores that are taking strides to stop harmful environmental practices. There are several retailers that you can find online such as Zady, People Tree that are selling sustainable clothing as well as making sure they practice ethical treatment of their workers. The clothing from these stores are more expensive but the quality is very good and you will have these clothes for long time. http://theecoguide.org/fast-fashion-and-its-environmental-and-social-impact
Change Your Way of Transportation: If you live in a city that has mass transportation, this is a great alternative that can have a major impact on reducing our carbon footprint. Switching from a car to mass transit can reduce your carbon footprint by 4,800 pounds in a year.⁴

Tip: If mass transit is available to you, try taking it to work or when you run errands. The summer months are a great time to try since it’s not freezing outside. In addition to taking mass transit, walking or biking are great alternatives to using a car. Both walking, and biking are great sources of exercise so not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint, but you will also be doing something good for your body as well. Many major cities are now offering bike sharing programs where you pay a monthly fee to have unlimited access to bikes all around the city. There is cost involved in that you will have to pay for mass transit such as buying a MetroCard or token but it will probably be equivalent to buying gas once a week if not cheaper.

If you live in a major city, taking mass transit is a great way to save some money and for many of us the cost of owning a car is not something that we can afford right now. If you don’t have mass transit readily available, a great option is to carpool. By just carpooling twice a week, 1600 pounds of CO2 emissions can be saved every year. Carpooling is a great option for work or if you’re attending the same event or venue. You can find coworkers that live near each other and rotate on a weekly basis who will be driving. This will help to save greenhouse emissions as well as money on gas. http://theecoguide.org/benefits-public-transportation-calling-all-montreal-commuters
Take a 5 minute shower: A great way to limit your carbon footprint is by taking quick showers. Running the hot water for 5 minutes creates the same amount of energy as running a 60 watt lightbulb for 14 hours. By cutting your shower from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, you can eliminate 4 pounds of carbon emissions.⁵ Over time this will make a huge difference on our environment.

Tip: Try putting on your favorite song (5 minutes or less) as a timer for your shower, so you know that when your song is finished you should be too! A good start is to time yourself to see how long of a shower you take, you might be surprised! If you have a family, you could set a family shower playlist with everyone’s favorite songs so that the whole family can partake in this. It might take some time to get used to taking longer showers and for days when you have to wash your hair it might not be practical but just incorporating a few 5 minute showers a week will make a big difference in our environment over time.

For those of us who live in cold climates or just enjoy long, hot showers this will take some time to adjust. But by taking shorter showers you will be helping your skin; Long, hot showers dry out your skin even though it feels very relaxing. Another great option is to buy a showerhead that uses less water. You will have to do some research to compare options and price points but this will help you to reduce water waste and can give a nice update to your bathroom. Over time, taking longer showers will not only help the environment but it will help to cut down on the cost of your electric bill. http://theecoguide.org/have-you-tried-five-minute-shower-challenge

Household

Try using Motion-Sensor Lighting: Something that we might not think of as making a big difference is the use of electricity in our homes. Electricity is run using fossil fuels which creates carbon dioxide emissions. In 2010, the EPA estimated that for every hour of electricity used by a megawatt bulb 1300 pounds of carbon dioxide were produced.⁶ Using motion-sensing lightbulbs could save you on average up to $70 dollars a year on your electricity bill.

Tip: If you are out of the room for longer than 15 minutes remember to turn off the lights, as well as fans or air conditioning units. A good start, is whenever you leave a room unless you know you are coming back immediately, to just turn off the light. For home owners, motion-sensing outdoor lighting is a triple-threat: you help to cut down on carbon emissions, you cut your electric bill, and it is also a great way to deter thieves from entering your house. It will also alert you to any activity outside your house helping you to stay safe. You can incorporate these lights in your home as well helping your family to remember to turn off the lights.

If you have children, this will be a great addition as they often forget to turn off the lights or leave the lights on if they are scared. Another way to reduce your carbon footprint is to unplug items that you are not currently using such as unplugging your cell phone and laptop chargers once you are finished with them. These devices that are using power even though they are not being used are called “vampire waste” which means it is using some electricity and not all of it. By unplugging your chargers, this will not only help to reduce your carbon footprint but your electricity bill as well. http://theecoguide.org/benefits-using-motion-sensor-light-switches
Switch to all natural household cleaners: Everything that we use on some level has a carbon footprint with our household cleaners being no exception. They can produce as much as 0.70 pounds of CO2 for every pound of product.⁷

Tip: Switch to all natural cleaners or make your own. Many name brands are now offering all-natural alternatives. Be sure to check the ingredients and don’t just go based off of the label. If you are unsure of what brands to try, you can shop at a wellness store or at a store such as Whole Foods. These stores have taken a promise to only stock items that follow certain guidelines so you know that you will be getting the correct products. Buying all natural cleaners can become expensive since they are often sold at a higher price but another great option is to make your own. You can find many solutions online on how to make your own products from dishwashing liquid to laundry detergent. This is a great option because you will know exactly what is in the products that you are using.

You can customize your cleaners to your liking by incorporating oils and scents that you want. It might cost some more money up front because of the products that you will need to buy but you will be surprised to find that you probably own many of the products already. By switching your cleaning supplies you can save 0.70 pounds of CO2 with each product that you switch. A good app that looks at the truth behind our products is called Good Guide. Changing our cleaning supplies not only helps to limit our CO2 emissions but also helps to improve our overall health. Chemicals used in household cleaners have been linked to low sperm count, asthma, skin irritation, and bronchitis. http://theecoguide.org/carbon-footprint-household-cleaners
Give your washing machine a rest: One of the greatest inventions (in my personal opinion) of the modern world is the washing machine. It saves so much time when washing clothes. Unfortunately it also uses a tremendous amount of energy and creates up to 990 pounds of CO2 emissions.⁸ One load of laundry, once a week can create up to 60 to 160 gallons of water usage a month.

Tip: Hand Wash your clothes. I understand that this might not be feasible if you have a family or if there is a ton of laundry that needs to be done. If you want to hand wash your clothes, I would recommend doing it every day. So at the end of each day you wash what you wore. This should decrease the amount of laundry piling up. For each load of laundry that you hand wash, you will be saving 7 pounds of CO2 emissions 8. If hand washing your clothes is not the most efficient option, there are many washing machines that are now eco-friendly. You can find these at major retailers and they are usually marked as environmentally friendly.

These machines are usually high efficiency meaning that they will not only help to save the environment but will use the least amount of water per load. If you live in an apartment try and find a laundromat that uses environmentally friendly machines. There are actually small machines that you can use in your home that do not use any electricity and only small amounts of water. While this may cost you more in the beginning to buy this product it will save you trips to the laundromat as well as saving you money and electricity. http://theecoguide.org/hand-wash-clothes-effortlessly-all-while-saving-earth
Don’t dry your clothes: One of the best feelings is taking your freshly washed clothes or sheets out of the dryer but unfortunately drying our clothes doesn’t have Mother Nature feeling the same way. The electricity that is used to run your dryer can create up to 2300 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.⁹

Tip: Hang dry your clothes to cut down on your carbon footprint. You can hang your clothes on hangers and hang them up in the tub. Also you can find racks online which can be used to hang your clothes on. The clothes are placed on the rack and then the rack can be placed in the tub or outside. If you own a home, you can create a clothes line by stringing a clothesline between two trees. By hand washing and air drying your clothes, you will not only be helping to save our planet but will also be lowering your electricity bill in the process.

A great way to eliminate the amount of clothing that needs to be washed, is if you can, wear your clothing more than once. This will help to decrease the amount of clothes washed and dried in each load. This might not work for everyday items such as blouses and your work clothes but this is a great alternative to items such as pants, jeans, sweaters, and hoodies. If you have a family, by re-wearing your clothing it will greatly decrease the amount of laundry that your family creates. Hang-drying one load of laundry can save up to $10 for each load. Over time this will make a significant difference on your monthly expenses. In addition to your lower electric bill, you will be saving 4.7 pounds of CO2 emissions in one week and 18.8 pounds of CO2 for the month. http://theecoguide.org/save-your-favorite-sweater-and-environment-hang-dry-your-laundry

Food

Use a reusable mug for your morning coffee: As I write this post, I am currently sipping tea from a disposable coffee cup. I personally drink a cup of tea every morning so in one week, that’s 5 disposable cups every week filling up our landfills. By using a reusable mug or coffee cup you can cut your carbon footprint by 101 pounds in the first year!¹⁰

Tip: Purchase a reusable tumblr or mug. These can be found in most stores and come in many different styles and designs. There is something for everyone, you just have to look! Many stores such as Starbucks offer discounts each time you bring in and use your own reusable tumblr. If you are going to be drinking your coffee in their store, you can get it in a ceramic mug. This offer helps to save waste build-up over time and reduce your carbon footprint. Another great way to start living sustainably is by buying organic tea and coffee and making it at home. By buying organic goods, you know that they are making the food in the most environmentally friendly way possible. You also know that you are doing something good for your body by not filling it with harmful chemicals and pesticides.

Yes, organic tea and coffee will cost more but it will be worth the savings from making it at home as opposed to going to your local café every morning. You will also get the satisfaction of not rushing out to the door to get coffee before you head into work that morning. You can make your cup and spend a little time getting ready or reading through emails. There will also be more options available to you if you purchase the tea and coffee yourself. Whole Foods has a great selection of choices. http://theecoguide.org/join-mug-movement-say-no-disposable-coffee-cups
Eat Sustainably-Made Chocolate: Many of us have huge sweet tooth’s (I’m one of those people) and chocolate is our vice. While it’s delicious, the chocolate industry not only contributes to our carbon footprint but is also rampant with child labor and slavery. A regular bar of chocolate can create up to 0.66 pounds of CO2 emissions for each bar produced.¹¹ The production of chocolate has led to widespread worldwide deforestation. Deforestation accounts for 15 percent of all CO2 emissions produced annually. It also displaces the animals and wildlife that live in these areas which creates an opportunity for these animals to become endangered and extinct.

Tip: Buy organic fair-trade chocolate. Many holistic stores such as Whole Foods and specialty markets sell chocolate that is organic as well as sustainable. They might be more expensive than a typical chocolate bar from the pharmacy but they taste just as good if not better and are making a positive impact on our environment. Organic fair-trade chocolate also makes a great gift to give especially during the holidays. A sustainably made chocolate bar produces 0.07 less carbon emissions than a typical bar as well as providing local support to the areas where they are produced.

Fair-Trade chocolate is made without the use of harmful pesticides which are not only harmful to the consumer but incredibly devastating to the farmers and the workers, many of whom are children. One of the major problems of the chocolate industry is the rampant use of child labor. Many of the children involved have been trafficked from their homes and are forced to work long hours with little to no pay under horrific working conditions. By buying fair-trade chocolate this not only ensures that you are supporting sustainable practices but also that you are supporting fair labor. http://theecoguide.org/buying-chocolate-v-day-buy-eco-friendly-organic-chocolate

Pets

Buy Sustainable Pet Food: I don’t personally have a pet (hopefully one day), but I have several friends that do and have never given thought their pet having a carbon paw print. From the food that your pet eats, to the clothes that they wear in the winter all of this can produce as much as 8000 pounds of CO2 waste per year.¹²

A study done in Canada, in 2013 estimated that pets produced 716,502 pounds of Carbon Emissions in a year. While many pets are able to eat our food scraps, a study was done to look at a pet’s carbon footprint in relation to the amount of land needed to produce pet food. A well-fed domestic cat requires up to 16,000 square miles of land for their food. The researchers then took the average of small, medium, and large dogs in the United States to find that over 1 million square miles of land are needed to produce dried dog food to feed this population. After reading this research, it’s easy to see how our animals can create their own carbon footprint.

Tip: Changing their food to either a vegetarian diet (if possible) or making their food at home can have a huge impact. Head to your local pet store and ask for some assistance in getting vegetarian food for your pet companion. For cats, check with your vet first to see if this is a healthy option. If not, try and get food that is produced in a way that is better for the environment. Making your own pet food can reduce your pets’ carbon footprint by 2000 pounds per year. This option will also help you to know exactly what it is that your pet is eating. Many pet foods claim to have top notch ingredients such as meat and veggies but are filled with additives. http://theecoguide.org/surprisingly-big-feet-why-your-pets-carbon-footprint-matters-and-what-you-can-do-reduce-it

Sustainable Living Technology

Apps to Help You Live Sustainably: There are several apps that you can use that can help you find out if the products that you are buying are matching your sustainable lifestyle.

JouleBug is an app that rewards you for taking sustainable actions. You can even sync it to your bills to see how much you are saving per month. Average savings are $200 a year!

Rippl allows you to set sustainable goals for yourself and keeps track so you can the progress that you are making.

HowGood reviews products based on multiple factors such as waste emissions and treatment of workers. You can review thousands of products while you’re out shopping so you can feel confident in your choices.

Another app that helps you to research the products you buy is GoodGuide. It compares different products right there in the app so you can see if there’s a better option for what you are looking for.

Another great app is RecycleNation which gives you the proper location for items that you want to recycle from furniture to batteries.

PaperKarma is an app that helps you to get rid of junk mail by sending a letter on your behalf asking the companies to stop. This helps to eliminate paper waste. 51,548,000 tons of CO2 emissions are created by junk mail every year. I personally use PaperKarma and it really has decreased the amount of junk mail that I receive.

Another great app that I just discovered is called ThinkDirty. It helps to break down the ingredient information listed in your cosmetics, so you have a better understanding of what you putting on your body. You scan the barcode of whatever product you’re considering and it pulls up the information on the app! So head to your phone’s app store and take a look! http://theecoguide.org/apps-healthy-eco-friendly-lifestyle

These are just a few of the ways that we can start to incorporate sustainable living in our lives. Good luck!!

Sources

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