7 Ways To Live A More Sustainable Life

It can often feel like we can’t do much about all the big problems in the world, but there are lots of little changes we can make to our own lives to help alleviate this. Living a more sustainable life with a constant view of our impact on the world is a great approach for doing our little bit towards making things better.

Here are some ideas on where and how you can start.

1. Cut back on animal products

This doesn’t mean you need to become a vegan (unless you want to) but cutting back on animal products can help make you live a more sustainable life.  That’s because it takes a lot of resources to produce those animal products – one gallon of milk uses 2000 gallons of water due to the amount of feed that the cow needs. 

The added benefit of eating a more balanced diet is that you may find yourself generally healthier. It’s all about making small changes, so you could opt for a vegetarian meal every so often, or try meatless Mondays. There are so many ways of cutting back on animal products.

2. Filter your tap water and drink it

Cut down on you plastic usage where possible, including bottled water. This isn’t possible to do in every country, but if you live somewhere that you can filter the tap water and drink it, then do this.  This saves money on buying bottled water and also cuts back on the waste – landfill sites are a huge problem so every item you don’t send to them is good.

3. Unplug unused appliances

Something we often don’t realise is that many appliances use a dribble of electricity when they are plugged in, even if they aren’t doing anything.  Unplugging them when not in use means you not only save a little money on your electricity bill but help cut back on the demand for fossil fuel created power resources.

4. Use public transport or consider Car sharing

If you can use public transport instead of driving to get to work, the shops or anywhere else, you should try to do it.  This cuts back on car use, all the pollution caused and fossil fuel use associated with it. If you need to drive to work, consider a car-sharing pool in your area. This can not only be a great way to cut down on travel costs but may be fun as well. 

5. Turn off the water while brushing teeth

Water waste is a huge problem and one of the top causes of wasted water is when we brush our teeth.  So when you’re brushing your teeth, make sure you remember to turn off the tap when you don’t need it. 

6. Switch to LED light bulbs

Conventional light bulbs waste around 95% of the power that they use.  New LED light bulbs are more expensive to buy and also far more energy efficient.  They also last much longer – some as much as 25 years depending on how much you use them.

7. Try to buy second hand

Buying second hand is always a more sustainable option – whether it’s clothing or homeware. Essentially, you are saving something from going to landfill but it can often be more cost effective for you too.  Do the same when you are clearing things out too – offer them to people on swap sites or Facebook groups rather than send them to the landfill.

These are just 8 ways you can live a more sustainable life and cut back on the resources that you use.  If everyone put one or two of these into action, the difference on the planet would be huge. 

Which one do you reckon you could you start with?

Read More: 4 Pieces Of Equipment Every Vegan Needs In Their Kitchen