Ways To Be More Sustainable

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Although it might seem redundant, it’s still important to keep this phrase in mind when we’re out shopping. Think about ways you can possibly reuse that product. Check to see if it’s possible to recycle it and make sure it has as little plastic packaging as possible. Think twice before buying. If there’s a better alternative, get that instead.  

2. Stop buying bottled water and drink from the tap

Many people still buy bottled water from the store for various reasons. However, producing the plastic bottles has a damaging effect on the environment. According to one study, it takes 3 liters of water to create 1 liter of bottled water. Not only that, bottling water produces 2.5 million tons of CO2 in America. But, most of these plastic bottles end up in the landfill or the ocean. All this can be prevented if, instead of buying bottled water, people used tap water instead. Not only would it save you money, it’s also just as safe as bottled water. Buy a reusable water bottle to replace the plastic ones. And if you don’t like the taste of tap, install a filter or buy a bottle with a filter inside it.

3. Donate or resell unwanted items

Instead of throwing away your old things, choose to donate them instead. Places like Goodwill and the Salvation Army will accept those donations and resell them to the less fortunate. You could also choose to resell your items instead. Sites like eBay, Craigslist, and RedBubble allow you to sell your used items online to other people. By doing these things, you’ll be preventing items from going into the landfill, letting other people get more use of your items. 

4. Buy used items

Similar to the 3rd tip, consider buying gently used items. Places like thrift stores or sites like the ones listed in the 3rd tip often sell items for much lower prices then what you would find if you had bought them new. There is a common misconception used items are dirty and already come broken. However, this isn’t true. All thrift stores take precautions to make sure that all items they sell are usable and then they thoroughly wash it before putting it on the shelf. But on sites like eBay and Craigslist, it’s harder to tell. You should read the reviews and are careful, you’ll be surprised at what you can end up buying. Not only will you be saving money this way, you’ll also be extending the item’s life, meaning less ends up in the landfill

5. Switch to an electronic bill

Most people still receive their bills in the mail. It might not seems like a big deal but if less people had paper bills, there would be a lower demand for paper, saving some trees. A simple solution for this is to have an electronic bill be sent to you via e-mail. Some people may argue that it’s easier to forget your bill this way however, if you move the company’s e-mail address to your VIP/Important/Primary box, you’ll never miss them. 

6. Reduce household energy usage

Reducing your energy usage helps reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to power your house. A helpful bonus is that you’ll also save money. Some ways to reduce energy usage include: 

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs 
• Instead of using a dryer, try hanging your clothes to dry 
• Instead of turning on your A/C, try opening your window first to try to cool down
• Turn off and unplug all electronics when not in use
• Install a thermostat that lowers the temperature when you’re gone from the house to save energy

7. Stop using disposable items

Lots of one-time use items such as razors, forks, cups, and food containers, are made of plastic. These things usually end up in the landfill and are often made with toxins that are hazardous chemicals. The easy solution to this problem is to invest in the high quality versions of these items. Not only will you save money but you’ll also be doing the environment a favor. 

8.  Use a reusable tote bag

Lots of stores still use plastic bags for bagging. As a result, most of these bags usually end up in the ocean. This is very harmful since most marine animals mistake plastic bags as jellyfish. They end up eating these bags and chocking to death because the bags block their airways. We can prevent this by bringing our own reusable tote bags. They’ll last longer and are more durable. If you can’t get a tote bag, instead ask for a paper bag, Those are easier to recycle and are better for the environment. 

9. Buy local foods

Buying food locally from a farmer’s market and eating from restaurants that source their ingredients locally will help greatly reduce fossil fuel emissions. By sourcing foods from across the world, planes and trucks used to transport these goods release lots of CO2 into the atmosphere. Eating and sourcing locally minimizes the CO2 that’s released into the air..

10. Use rechargeable batteries

May seem like an expensive investment at first but overtime you’ll end up saving more money from not having to constantly buy new batteries. You’ll help reduce the amount of batteries that end up in the landfills, which stops the harmful chemicals from leaking into the environment.