5 Ways to Live More Sustainably

Thrift your clothes

Have you heard of the phrase reduce, reuse and recycle? This phrase is as important today as when it was first communicated. Every clothing item we purchase has an environmental footprint, from the materials
used to the manufacturing and packaging, which generally ends up in landfills. Thrifting your clothes will not only allow you to individualise your style, but it reduces the environmental footprint through evasion of pollution emitted during the production of a new product.

Go plastic free

I have a whole blog post on the dangers of plastic and I will link it here if you are interested in finding out more. Plastic never goes away, and around 40% of it ends up in the world’s oceans, killing sea turtles,
seals and other marine mammals. You can very simply cut down your plastic consumption through using reusable bottles and straws and taking reusable bags when you go for your grocery shop.

Be water wise

Try skipping the bottled water! These businesses try and make out that bottled water is better than the water that comes out of your tap at home, yet this is not the case. Tests have proved that tap water excels in quality and taste and the promotion and purchasing of tap water enables an increase in the consumption of plastic. Purchase yourself a reusable bottle and drink the water that comes out of your tap. Not only are you going to save money, but you are saving the oceans and animals! As well as purchasing water, it is important to conserve water and you can do this through having shorter showers, turning of the tap when you are brushing your teeth, and choosing low-water/low-flow appliances.

Drive less

Switching up your driving habits can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. Try to walk more, ride a bike or use public transportation whenever possible. See if you can share a lift with your work colleagues and combine your errands to make fewer trips throughout the day. Cars emit a ton of harmful gasses into the air and contribute widely to pollution. If you are in need of a car, try to purchase an electric car or one
with a low emission engine. The smallest change and make the biggest difference when combined.

Green your home

This can be expensive and I admit, not everyone will want to spend money to green their homes. There are small and inexpensive things you can do however, including switching your light bulbs to energy saving ones or using a programmable thermostat for more efficient heating and cooling around the home. If you want to further green your home, invest in solar panels and energy saving windows, not only saving you money in the long-run, but helping to minimise your carbon footprint.