Let’s start with a small exercise! 

Recall your daily routine and take note of the composition of your diet, energy usage at your home, your shopping expenses and mode of travel along with frequency. 

Now, let’s just consider the food we eat. The entire food system comprises production, packaging, transportation, consumption and waste disposal at the end. This entire process alone accounts for 21-37% of greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans.

All of our daily activities have an impact on the environment and it’s high time we start paying attention to it. 

Sustainable living can make the world a better place to live. It can combat climate change, reduce poverty, and helps the next generation survive and thrive. 

According to a 2020 GlobeScan study: People worldwide want to adopt healthy and sustainable behaviors but don’t know where to start.

Well, it’s simpler than you think. Start by making small changes!

Switching off lights and fans when not in use! Turn on the dishwasher only when it's full! Make sure to save water where you can! 

Now, if you want to advance your journey and make a bigger impact, then we have some more sustainable living tips listed down below.

Tips for Sustainable Living

1. Develop a Habit to Use Reusable Items

It is estimated that the ocean consists of five trillion pieces of plastic. More than 49 million pounds of plastic is dumped in the ocean every 24 hours. This continuing pattern could put the planet on an unchanged history course, making it nearly impossible to turn back from. 

Using reusable items is one of many sustainable living practices to prevent that from happening. When you reuse things, you use them multiple times, thus reducing the waste and avoiding landfills. 

Please understand that reusing is not simply about keeping the same containers. It’s also about reducing your cleaning and waste materials so that reusable items consistently reduce your carbon footprint.

Some super easy ways to practice reusability and keep trash out of landfills are:

• Avoid single-use plastic bottles, and instead, buy reusable ones.
• Use old toothbrushes to scrub hard-to-reach corners during house cleaning.
• Store household items in empty coffee tins.
• Use empty tea bags as natural eye de-puffers.
• Use reusable and washable cloth diapers.
• Replace plasticware and glassware with silverware.

The list is exhaustive!  

2. Conserve Energy and Water

Did you know the electricity that powers your favorite appliances is a major source of CO2 and SO2?  These harmful gases can badly damage our atmosphere's ozone layer, causing global warming and climate change.  

Though it’s impossible to cut down your energy consumption altogether, reduce its unnecessary consumption.

• Turn off lights, devices, and appliances when not in use.
• Raise the thermostat in the winter and lower it in the summer.
• Turn on the washing machine and dishwashers only when full.
• Unplug major devices when not in use.

Another one of the most important sustainable living practices is to conserve water. 

Do you wonder, “If about 71 percent of the earth's surface is water, then why should we conserve water?” Because of all that water, only 3 percent is consumable freshwater. Rest is ice and glacier. 

You could save water in your day-to-day life by:

• Soaking dishes in warm water before cleaning
• Reducing your shower time
• Using energy-efficient, water-saving appliances
• Fixing plumbing leaks
• Using drip irrigation in your lawn
• Tackling hard water using water softeners

3. Grow your Own Food

The food we eat has traveled thousands of miles before reaching us. The carbon emission from refrigeration and transportation is a significant contributor the climate change.

Growing your own food is an effective way to embrace green living and reduce carbon impact on the environment.  It’s not just that! Compare the taste and flavor of store-bought veggies and fresh home-grown produce. You’ll learn the difference quickly. 

Did you know that commercialized crops involve the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers? This fills our planet and food with harmful chemicals, which can cause cancer and other diseases when ingested. 

By growing your own fruits and veggies, you can avoid using harmful, chemically-rich fertilizers. Thus, you save yourself, your environment, and waterways. 

4. Embrace the Technology 

Do you think, like many people out there, that technology is bad for the environment?  If so, you may be wrong! Technology is imperative for living a sustainable life. 

Here’s how:

• With the advent of the Internet, the world is going paperless gradually. This shift reduces paper use, thus saving trees. It also reduces fuel consumption by planes, trains, and automobiles required to deliver papers worldwide.
• Digital downloads have replaced CDs and DVDs almost completely. These conventional storage devices lead to a large quantity of dumped garbages. Digital downloads of podcasts, movies, music, etc., have cut down the numbers dramatically. This has helped electronic waste and its impact on the environment.
• The influx of messaging apps has reduced the need for printed or handwritten letters. This saves trees from being cut down incessantly.

So, harness the power of digital technology to make your life easier and put little effort into the earth. Put technology to good use!

5. Sustainable Investing

Are you planning to invest your money? Invest in sustainability! 

Sustainable investing means investing in companies that work to combat climate change and global warming.  At the same time, these companies also promote corporate responsibilities.

If you are really interested in both – safety of the environment and money-making – sustainable investment is for you. 

We suggest research properly before buying shares. Choose companies that match your beliefs to make your act of investing in them rewarding. 

6. Try to Use Public Transport 

Using public transit results in less carbon emission compared to using single-occupancy vehicles for transporting the same number of people. This also helps reduce the number of tailpipe emissions and noise pollution on roads. 

Further, choosing public transit helps cities to reduce smog, maintain air quality standards, and decrease the risk of health hazards. Space-saving public transportation enables denser land use, freeing this up for other purposes, such as parks, urban forests, etc. 

So, develop a habit of public transit options for green living.

7. Wear sustainable clothing

Sustainable fashion refers to an environmentally friendly approach to designing, manufacturing, distributing, and using clothes. 

Sustainability examples in the fashion world include Levi's, PACT, thredUP, and H&M Conscious, to name a few. These brands are committed to tackling devastating environmental damage and severe human rights abuses caused by the industry. 

When it comes to your role, you can:

• Look for clothing and accessories made using low-impact natural and organic materials.
• Opt for the stuff made from deadstock or recycled materials.
• Choose brands that use eco-friendly dyes.
• Look for brands that minimize byproduct waste in their manufacturing process and packaging process.
• Choose locally-made and manufacturing facilities using renewable energy.

Wrapping Up

No doubt, sustainable living can be a bit challenging. But, practice makes a man perfect! So, keep practicing! Start small, and you will eventually be living a happy and healthy ‘greener’ life. 

Always remember, the world depends on you to help move forward the sustainable revolution. And, every single step counts!

Happy sustainability!