Are you curious to learn about sustainable living and how you can make a change? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
The pandemic has forced the world to take a pause.
Our lifestyles have inevitably become slower and more sustainable, at least in small ways. However, these sustainable living changes have been offset by the tremendous revival of single-use plastics during the pandemic!
As the world is slowly opening up, it is essential that we continue to live sustainably and make it a priority. Conscious consumption, small swaps and reusing is the way to go.
Here are 13 mindful ways to help you make eco friendly choices that will make a difference!
1. Careful consumption
For many of us, online shopping used to be a guilty pleasure, but now, it has become a necessity. Due to the pandemic restrictions, shopping in-store has dramatically reduced, even for groceries!
While shopping online, try your best to avoid returning items. Even if the website offers free returns, there is a significant environmental cost for every return that we make.
Cardboard boxes, bubble wraps and printed labels are all wasted resources for a return, along with emissions polluting the air. In addition, small sellers on Amazon often have to pay for the return shipping charges themselves.
Before you buy online, make sure to read the product description and check the reviews for any suggestions or images.
If a product absolutely did not work for you, then save it from a landfill and re-sell it on an online marketplace. Also, make sure to leave a review for the product, so that someone else can benefit from it!
2. Order pickups
While doing an order pickup from a grocery store or a restaurant, insist on using your own reusable bags. You can also use cotton mesh bags while shopping for fresh produce. These bags can go straight into the fridge and they are bio-degradable!
3. Reusable masks
Reusable masks are the new fashion statement. What’s not to love about them!
You can find customizable, vibrant designs on Etsy or you can even make your own! They are washable, breathable and reduce the waste generated from disposable masks.
4. Ordering take-outs
Take-outs may seem harmless but they considerably add to the plastic pollution! As we increasingly order from food delivery apps, restaurants are finding it harder to limit their plastic consumption.
Minimize the plastic in your order by refusing plastic cutlery, straws and napkins. You can reuse the plastic to-go containers for storage.
Here is an even better alternative! You can make your own takeout dishes by following Dhruv’s Better Than Takeout recipe series! 🤩
I have rediscovered my love for cooking because of his quick and easy recipes. They satisfy my cravings while being healthy and budget-friendly!
5. Shop in bulk
Whenever possible, shop in bulk to reduce the wasteful packaging.
This applies to everything from rice, oats, snack bars to soaps and sanitizers. This way you could also reduce your grocery runs.
6. Shop local
In these tough times, small businesses need our help the most. For your next pizza night, try your local pizzeria instead of ordering from Dominos or Pizza Hut!
Shop at your local farmers’ market for a change. They will have fresher produce at a lower environmental cost, and it will taste better than imported produce! It will be good chance to connect with your local businesses and see what they have to offer. 😊
7. Buying clothes
Meg is currently on a 12-month shopping cleanse! If there is anything that the pandemic taught us, it is that we have a TON of cute outfits and not enough occasions to dress up!
Online sales with free shipping are tempting but don’t give in and buy more clothes when you don’t need it.
Instead, you could have fun creating bold outfits with your existing wardrobe for your zoom parties. Honestly, it has been so long that no one remembers whether you repeated an outfit or not!
But if you decide to shop, make sure to invest in a versatile item from a slow fashion brand. This way you will be taking a step toward building a capsule wardrobe that is versatile, environment-friendly, and budget-friendly!
8. DIY skin care
Staying at home has been a blessing for my skin! 😍 It made me realize that my go-to cosmetic products were not great for my skin or for the environment!
Now, I stick to simple ingredients to make my own face and hair masks. I use a lemon, honey and yogurt face mask to even out my complexion. And I absolutely love this simple hair mask made with coconut oil and aloe vera. My hair is shiny and softer than ever!
9. DIY cleaning supplies
Most of the staple cleaning products we use, like Clorox wipes, laundry detergents and bleach, are not bio-degradable.
Make a conscious choice to buy eco-friendly cleaning products. Or you can make your own cleaning supplies with simple ingredients like lemon, baking soda, vinegar etc.! This is a cost-effective way to create your own green cleaning products that are bio-degradable.
10. Food waste
Food waste is one of the major causes of environmental pollution. It is a waste of precious resources and it produces harmful greenhouse gases when it is not composted.
Meal plan is a simple way to combat food waste in your kitchen. Before you go shopping, make a meal plan and list out all the ingredients that you need. This is a budget-friendly tip for sustainable living. It will ensure that you are not overstocking on your grocery supplies.
Also, consider composting your food waste.
11. Simple swaps
During the pandemic, the paper towels and toilet paper shortage forced me to find alternatives and now I don’t think I can go back to using them!
Replace paper towels in your kitchen with hand towels. You can even customize them for the season, I buy seasonal, themed hand towels for spring, Christmas and Thanksgiving! Instead of regular toilet paper, consider buying bamboo toilet paper.
Use handkerchiefs instead of napkins for the flu season or the next emotional TV show! 😄
12. Less meat
Try Meatless Mondays and go vegetarian at home at least once or twice a week. You can experiment with vegetarian protein alternatives like tofu, lentils, chickpeas, beans etc.
All of the recipes in our blog have vegetarian substitutions and they taste just as delicious!
13. Upcycle your waste
Before throwing away any item, think of ways you can reuse it and be creative!
I use flyers from my mailbox to wipe down glass windows. You get streak-free mirrors and windows!
I repurposed an Amazon box into a waste bin for my study and turned a large cardboard into my vision board! You could use old clothes as cleaning rags or even to practice embroidery!
Parting words
Sustainable living does not have be expensive. Most of these eco-friendly tips above are FREE of cost. Take a step further and learn how you can SAVE money while going green!
Remember that sustainable living is not about going big or going home! Every little change matters. I truly believe that living sustainably has helped me reconnect with my creative self! ❤️
Which sustainable living ideas will you try? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!