There’s a lot you can do to live a more sustainable lifestyle. From switching to a renewable energy provider, over buying green products, to eating less meat.
Every day, we make choices in our lives that affect the environment. Not to forget the climate and other non-human species. From what we eat to how many children we decide to have: There’s a lot we can do to be “green” and reduce our environmental footprint to leave a healthy planet for future generations. Today, it is more important than ever before to live more sustainably!
In this article you’ll get to know the 10 most effective ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle in 2023!
What is sustainable living?
Sustainable living involves reducing the amount of Earth’s resources that you use in order to help protect it. In fact, it is the aim of sustainable living to achieve sustainability and encourage a positive human environment interaction.
There are many ways you can do this, including limiting the amount of energy you use, using eco-friendly products and changing your diet – but more about that later! Always keep in mind: Not everything you perceive to be “green” is actually “green”! And this is because of greenwashing!
In a nutshell, to live a sustainable lifestyle you should try to have as little of an impact on the Earth as possible, while also trying to replace the products you use with sustainable alternatives.
How to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
If you want to live a more sustainable lifestyle but don’t know how, try following some of these tips:
1. Educate yourself
Sustainability stands and falls with education! There’s nothing worse to not know what you are doing when trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle! When aiming to live more sustainably, consider your own needs and wishes, not those of everyone else or the ones shown on advertisements and promotions. By knowing about your own needs, you can identify those areas where it makes sense for you to change your lifestyle. It is next to impossible to become sustainable in everything you do, so choose wisely.
Reading sustainability books and articles like these, can help you decide on what to focus and what not, in order to have the biggest positive impact on your environment!
Read here why sustainability education has become so important!
2. Save energy & use renewables
Energy production makes up for a large part of global carbon emissions. In fact it is one of the 3 key sustainability challenges. Therefore, by using less energy, you can help to reduce emissions.
There are a number of ways you can save energy at home, including switching off standby appliances, turning your heating down and hanging clothes to dry instead of using a drier. Of course, there are many more ways to reduce energy, you just have to find those that have the bigest impact on your life.
3. Eat less meat
Meat consumption accounts for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Since the year 2000, global meat consumption has increased by about 60%.
As humans do not depend on meat as a food source, the obvious solution is to simply eat less meat and diary. The good news is that there are many sustainable vegan and vegetarian alternatives to meat, such as gelatin made from seaweed. And above all, they are also more healthy!
4. Avoid single use products/plastics
Single-use products, particularly plastic ones, tend to end up in landfill and the ocean, causing harm to wildlife and the environment. Prevent this by choosing to use reusable and eco-friendly alternatives instead. Simply choose to become “circular”, just like the circular economy.
It requires a little bit of determination, but you’ll get used to it quicker than you think. It can be as easy as switching to reusable water bottles or using a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one. It’s really not hard at all!
5. Wear sustainable clothing
The fashion industry is one of the main polluting industries in the world. Most of our clothes are produced in countries with low environmental standards. As a result garment factories are releasing toxic chemicals into the local environment.
To lessen the impact this industry has on our planet, you could buy more of your clothes from charity shops and sustainable clothing brands. But most importantly:
The less clothes you buy, the better for the planet!
6. Drive less
Did you know that transportation accounts for 30% of global carbon emissions? Quite shocking right?
Altough they are parking most of the time (using lots of space that could be used differently), cars do not only cause traffic jams and air pollution in cities, but are also a major contributor to climate change.
Walk or ride a bike to your destination instead of driving if it’s close enough – it’s better for the environment and your health. Using public transportation is another good way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
7. Fly less
Airplanes are the fastest growing sources of emissions that contribute to climate change. Altough many airlines and manufacturers are trying to green their operations, they are having a hard time switching from oil-based fuels to sustainable ones.
By flying less, you can drastically reduce your personal carbon footprint. There’s often so much to explore in your own country that you don’t even have to fly around the globe to enjoy your holidays. However, in case you want to continue flying, consider compensating for the emissions that you caused.
8. Save water & food
Globally, 30%-40% of all food is wasted! And with it all the work (incl. carbon emissions) that has been put into its production across the value chain. For example: Just imagine a truck full of vegetables, of which 40% are falling off during transportation. Pretty ridiculous! That’s why you should save food!
You can save water in and around your home by making a number of small changes. Try installing a water butt and making use of grey water to avoid wasting drinking water. Consequently, this is especially important in regions that are experiencing water shortages and helps in developing more nature-based solutions for climate change.
Additionally, vertical farming at home is a great way to reduce your water footprint while at the same time growing your own food.
9. Use green cleaning products
Many cleaning products contain chemicals and micro-plastics that are harmful to the environment, but also to your health.
By committing to using eco-friendly cleaning products, you can help to prevent these chemicals and micro-plastics from having a negative impact on the Earth and your body.
10. Reduce, reuse & recycle
What would happen if we wouldn’t recycle our products? Well… They would most likely end up in landfills where they would not have any material value anymore. Plastic components would fall apart and end up in our oceans, and ultimately in our bodies. Always rember the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and the circular economy!
Make sure you’re recycling by putting your rubbish in the correct bins and disposing of old electronic appliances correctly to minimize e-waste, for example by buying refurbished electronics. In addition, try to reuse products and items as many times as possible before binning them to reduce waste.
11. Buy less physical products
Many products that we buy aren’t actually used. That way we are wasting all the energy and resources that were put into making it.
The easiest way to reduce your environmental impact is to simply buy less. Think twice before buying something. And if you really want to have a certain product, consider sharing it with others. For example, instead of buying a car, you could simply use car-sharing services.
12. Invest sustainably
Money is powerful, and it can help change the world if used wisely. In the last 5 years, the world’s largest banks have invested 3.8$ trillion into fossil fuels. Just imagine how our world would look like today if this money would have been invested into green energies.
When choosing a bank to put your money or your savings, you are also choosing where your money will be invested. Today, there are many green banks you can choose to safely put your savings while contributing to a healthier planet.
By investing into green companies, you can actively drive and shape green innovation!
13. Choose to have a smaller family
Sounds weird? Well… It kind of is, but just imagine a world without humans. Would air pollution and climate change still be an issue there? Probably not, right? There will be over 10 billion people living on the Earth soon. It is just a matter of time until the effects of over-population will start to kick in.
By choosing to have a smaller family, you are passively avoiding the entire lifetime emissions of several people.
14. Make your voice heard & vote
Voting is a privilege! Although it should be a right for everyone to vote in a democractic way, not everyone can do so. If you live in a democracy, you should always make your voice heard.
Your opinion matters and has an impact! Speak up and use your right to vote for a sustainable future. Of course, you can even increase your democratic impact by protesting, engaging in environmental discussions or helping to develop nature-based solutions for climate change.
15. Pay attention to labels
Ever wondered if the product that you bought is sustainable? Labels and certifications can help you in finding it out.
The general rule of thumb is to choose certified products if you have the choice. In addition, you should check the credibility of lables online, as many brands are trying to “green” themselves with such labels. This practice is called greenwashing.
Why is it important to live sustainably?
At the moment, we are producing resources, using energy and creating waste at a rate which isn’t sustainable. We are currently extracting more natural resources than can be re-produced by Earth.
This will ultimately lead to environmental issues, including resources scarcity, pollution, and climate change.
But why is it important for you? Well… It’s not only plants and animals that are suffering under pollution and climate change. In the end, we as human beings will be suffering the most, as we depend on nature as much as no other animal. Just imagine what would happen if over 80% of our planet would be impossible to live on due to pollution. Would humanity really be able to cope with that? Probably not…
By making some small changes to your lifestyle, you can reduce your carbon footprint and help to tackle these issues.
Got curious? Check out these sustainable living books that will support you in your efforts to live more sustainably!
