13 Sustainable Living Examples To Help You Get Started
Sustainable living is important for taking care of the environment. Tips and ideas are a great place to start when learning how to live sustainable. Still, it can be hard to get started going green without some eco-friendly examples. We’re here to help! Check out these sustainable living examples:
Eliminate Your Plastic Use
Plastic contains hazardous chemicals and takes billions of years to decompose. Plastic contributes to the earth’s pollution and is associated with death of marine wildlife. Here are some examples of how you can eliminate plastic and live sustainable:
1. Bars are better than bottles
Don’t buy a shampoo or conditioner bottle, which cannot be recycled despite misleading labels. Instead, buy shampoo and conditioner bars. Like bars of soap, these get the job done without the unnecessary packaging.
2. Use reusable bags at the grocery store
Every time you get your groceries, you may have to use plastic bags. Bringing your own, permanent bags will cut down on your plastic waste.
3. Refill your reusable water bottle
Plastic water bottles are a one-use item. You drink the water, they hit the landfill, only to never decompose. You can still have the convenience of a water bottle by using a reusable water bottle. Plus, these often have advantages like temperature control! On top of that, you will save money on disposable bottles. This applies to coffee cups too. You can bring your own reusable mug to the coffee shop to avoid wasting a disposable cup.
4. Stop buying one-use items
If the product says “disposable”, avoid it. There are eco-friendly options for just about anything. If a plastic product is intended to be thrown away, buy the permanent version instead. If a product has plastic packaging, see if there is an alternative. Changing your habits as a consumer can influence large brands to create more responsible products.
Make Your Home Energy Efficient
Home is a great place to start your sustainable lifestyle. Here are some examples of how to make your home more environmentally friendly:
5. Energy-efficient appliances
Much of your home is ran by your appliances. How you heat, cool and clean your home can all be better for the environment. There are energy-efficient heating, air conditioning, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer options!
6. Recycle
If you don’t have one already, add a recycling bin to your home. Make a habit of recycling everything you can. Click here to see how you can start recycling.
7. Upcycle
An even better way to use waste is to upcycle! Upcycling is turning waste into a new practical or artistic creation worth more than the original product. Upcycling is a great way to eliminate waste.
8. Compost
You can buy an indoor compost that fits right on your counter or under your sink. Outdoor composts are larger and create usable compost for your lawn or garden. Instead of throwing any food in your trash, throw it in your compost instead. Rather than wasting food, you can use it for a practical purpose! Plus, it will help practically eliminate the odor of your trash.
9. Smaller changes
You can make smaller adjustments too. Using LED light bulbs and turning off the lights are just two ways to make your home more sustainable.
Here are 23 more ways to go green at home.
Driving Green
How we decide to travel is one of our biggest impacts on the environment. Years ago we didn't have many options. Now there are great alternatives to carbo emitting vehicles! Driving green is a great step to reducing your personal carbon footprint. Here are some examples of how you can drive green and live sustainable:
10. Change how you drive
Driving your gas car every day may be your only option right now. If that’s the case, changing how you drive can still reduce your environmental impact. Following tips for driving green is a good place to start driving green.
11. Use car alternatives
Biking, walking, public transportation and car pooling are just some of many examples of car alternatives you can use for eco-friendly transportation. For example, you may decide to bike to work from now on. When you need groceries, walking somewhere near by may be the best option.
12. Buy an electric car or hybrid
Electric cars emit less than half the CO2 as gasoline cars every year. Which means over the lifetime of a car, a gas car will emit exponentially more than an electric car. Plus, you can save so much money on gas while you’re saving the planet.
13. Donate your old car
After you’ve upgraded to an electric car or downsized to one car, donate your car to Wheels For Wishes. Wheels For Wishes is a car donation charity benefiting Make-A-Wish kids. Your car donation helps grant wishes for kids facing critical illness. We come to you with free towing. We recycle your old vehicle! You get a great tax deductible receipt. Donate today by calling 1-855-278-9474 or by filling out our easy online donation form.
