Sustainable Lifestyle Tips For Beginners
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Going green. Such a simple concept, yet so difficult to master. And why so? The answer is that humanity has grown complacent in a fixed mindset that small changes on their behalf won’t repair a big problem caused by billions of other people. It’s a feeling of defeat.
But, believing that one person can’t spark a big movement toward positive change is the reason that our fragile environment has become a breeding ground for global-scale crises such as pollution, collapse in ecosystems, species endangerment and global warming.
And for our environment to heal and undergo rehabilitation, fundamental change needs to take place—and that starts with a shift in consciousness.
You don’t need to be a specific gender to live a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle. Although, it does seem as if green living is depicted as more of a women’s niche.
Online advertisements, television commercials, and even social media posts—all seem to target the female population as if that specific gender is the only one that cares about the environment. Well, men are interested in a sustainable lifestyle too.
What Is Sustainable Living?
Sustainable living simply means that you’re prioritizing natural and renewable resources over actions and single use items that create waste.
Choosing recycled and ethically manufactured clothing over fast-fashion is one example of sustainable living. Growing an outdoor vegetable garden or an indoor herb garden is yet another example. Even being an eco-conscious traveler falls into the realm of sustainability.
To put it simply, a sustainable lifestyle involves being a good steward of the Earth, buying less, and choosing reusable and renewable products over disposables; and opting for nontoxic and biodegradable products that are healthy for both you and the environment.
With that said, below are 5 tips for sustainable living that any beginner—male and female—can both ease into.
- Avoid Plastic And Invest In Reusable Products
Disposable plastic is everywhere. It’s in the form of a toothbrush that’s perched on your bathroom sink, the case of bottled water in your pantry, and in the form of a straw that’s given to you at your favorite drive-thru restaurant.
With that said, one of the best ways that you can be more sustainable everyday is to swap and avoid disposable plastic products. Some easy beginner changes that you can make consist of:
- Swapping your plastic toothbrush for a compostable bamboo toothbrush.
- Swapping your plastic shampoo bottle for a shampoo bar.
- Investing in a reusable straw and travel cutlery.
- Investing in a reusable water bottle.
- Using reusable grocery and produce bags at the store.
2. Shop For Sustainable Shoes And Clothing
You’d be surprised how many people are ditching fast fashion and opting for sustainably and ethically made clothing brands.
Sustainable fashion consists of organic and recycled fabrics that are ethically and sustainably manufactured in facilities that treat factory workers in the most humane way possible and are void of child labor.
The benefit of buying sustainable clothing over fast fashion is that you’re buying quality fabric—an item that’s going to last. Sustainable clothing is also great for the planet—the manufacturing process uses less chemicals and less water.
From organic and recycled t-shirts to sustainably made shoes, swim trunks, and wooden fashion accessories like sunglasses, watches, and bow ties, ethical fashion is the new trend that’s only going to become more popular in the coming years.
3. Ditch The Plastic Laundry Detergent
Traditional laundry detergent is packed full of synthetic chemicals that can irritate skin, are bad for the environment, and they’re packaged in bulky plastic containers.
With that said, one of the best ways that you can be more sustainable in the laundry room is to ditch the traditional laundry detergent and switch to eco-friendly and non-toxic laundry strips or pods.
There are several benefits to this swap: eco strips and eco pods are zero waste, they’re perfect for travel, college and small apartments, and they’re hypoallergenic and non-toxic because they’re made from plant-based ingredients.
4. Start Composting In Your Kitchen
One of the best ways to lower your carbon footprint in the kitchen is to start composting—which can be accomplished even in the smallest of kitchens.
Food scraps like vegetables, egg shells, hair and paper can all be placed into a countertop compost bin, transforming said items into nutrient rich compost that’s excellent to use on potted plants, herbs and vegetable gardens.
Kitchen compost bins are typically about the same size as croc pots (or coffee pots), and come with liners and charcoal filters that prevent odor and fruit fly infestation. It’s definitely a great way to be more sustainable and zero-waste in the kitchen.
5. Switch To Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
A great way to make your home more eco-friendly and non-toxic is to ditch traditional cleaning products and swap them for non-toxic, plant based brands with recyclable containers.
Traditional cleaning sprays contain harmful chemicals that linger in the air and can be toxic to both humans and pets. Plant based solutions, on the other hand, are gentle yet powerful, and you don’t need to worry about inhaling anything dangerous.
Another alternative to traditional cleaning products is to create your own cleaning solutions using everyday pantry ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils and certain fruits like lemons and oranges.
Lastly, Create A Shift In Your Mindset
A mindset is a filtered view of the world that’s delicately influenced through a set of experiences. Everyone you’ve encountered, everything you’ve been taught, and everything you’ve seen, has had a part in shaping your mindset.
And although you’ve been “locked” into your current mindset for quite some time, it is possible to modify it. Many people are resistant to change because they fear it, so instead of making of a change, simply look at it as making a modification in thinking.
Simply realizing that you are a part of something greater is the first step in shifting your mindset. Acknowledging that you are a steward of the earth will help you embrace the concept of sustainability and motivate you to make wiser decisions—paving the way to a more sustainable future for you, your family and the environment.
Additional Resources
If you’re curious about your carbon footprint and would like to know how to manage your lifestyle better, there’s a cool carbon footprint calculator on The Cool Climate Network, which is a research consortium at the University of California, Berkeley. They research and develop cutting-edge carbon footprint management tools for households, small businesses, schools and communities in the U.S. and Internationally. The estimate is totally free!
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Eco Mom Diaries 
Great, thoughtful read. It’s so important to acknowledge we each have to make the conscious decision to do our part for the planet. While we stay in our homes during this crisis, the planet seems to be healing and thriving. I hope we can find a way to be a part of that new healing.
I agree with you. It’ll be great to spend time in outdoor social settings again, but it’ll be even better if people start making a conscious effort to be more environmentally friendly. I recently read an article that the Himalayas are once again visible because of decreased air pollution. I hope this trend inspires the rest of the world.
Swapping plastic toothbrushes for bamboo toothbrushes is a great practical example of small changes we can make. Do you know if they have to be composted to break down?
Yes, you can compost them, but it will take a long time for them to break down because Bamboo is rot resistant! It has natural anti-microbial properties which is great for items like toothbrushes. They will break down eventually, just not immediately like other items that you compost. Thank you for reading! Stay safe!
Thank you for raising awareness about this! We do only have one earth
My pleasure! It’s never too late to begin a journey toward a sustainable lifestyle. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for bringing awareness and for the great tips. It is important to continue to strive to live a greener way.
The mindset shift is the biggest and most important shift. Consciously knowing that you want to make a change in your life and ultimately the world, gets you to make better decisions.
That picture of the turtle at the end made me really sad 😦
I definitely agree that it takes a mental shift first! I think any major life change requires it, actually. We’ve been taking small steps to being more green, and still have a ways to go. But progress is happening!
Yes to all of this! I do my best to not be overly wasteful. I need to check out a bamboo toothbrush!
I am an obsessive recycler and before coronavirus our family had started making it a habit to always use reusable bags, reusable cups, and reusable straws. But you are right. It is all about changing a mindset and starting small to develop better habits. Next habit change? Composting. I just have to figure out what to do with it.
Going Green is described here. Thank you 😊
I am glad you took the time to read this! Thank you!
You are welcome 😊