Six Easy Steps to Incorporate for a More Sustainable Lifestyle
Making an impact doesn’t mean a complete lifestyle overhaul. Here are six easy steps you can incorporate into your daily routine for a more sustainable lifestyle:
Quick Kitchen Swaps
If you’re still using plastic straws, what are you doing? That’s one of the easiest first steps you can take to make your kitchen more sustainable: switch to metal straws. Other kitchen updates for a more sustainable lifestyle include: cloths instead of paper towels, hand washing your dishes, and making coffee at home (just make sure it’s sustainably sourced!).
Watch Your Meat Consumption
Reducing your meat consumption is a great step to take to help the environment. Red meat, in particular, is especially bad as its production requires more feed, water, and land than other meats. Going vegan is a great option; however, that’s often easier said than done. Other options include vegetarian or pescatarian diets. But, if that doesn’t work, going meatless for a day or two a week makes a big difference and can easily be incorporated into your lifestyle!
Meal Planning
Planning out your meals in advance is a great way to prevent food waste. Take stock of what you have already and list out exactly what items you need for your meals. Another perk: it’ll make it easy to figure out when to buy items in bulk. Buying certain products in bulk not only reduces packaging, but is often more cost-efficient.
Grocery Store Baggage
Avoid plastic wrapped products when you can. This can be difficult given the current health crisis; however, if you can avoid gathering things like produce in plastic bags, you should. Speaking of bags, make sure to bring your reusable bags on your next grocery run.
Stylish, but Sustainable Fashion Choices
If you haven’t checked out our fashion articles for this issue, you should definitely read them after this. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world. By making smart choices with your wardrobe, you can make a serious positive impact. Don’t worry, you can still be stylish and help the planet. Try vintage shopping to extend a piece’s lifecycle. Or, if you’re buying something new, aim for a high quality, timeless piece that you know you’ll get a lot of wear out of. Remember, it’s important to do your research on brands to ensure you’re supporting sustainable and ethical businesses.
Mindful Bathroom Purchases
Ditch your disposable makeup wipes for reusable cotton rounds. You’re able to just throw them in the wash afterwards and it reduces waste. Speaking of waste, try swapping your normal shampoo for a shampoo bar to avoid unnecessary plastic packaging.