Becoming green or eco-friendly doesn’t have to be a daunting task. There are so many simple ways to make your life more sustainable, and the best part is that they are frugal as well! Most of these you can implement almost immediately.
Sustainable Living Starts with Making Small Daily Changes and Habits
I would advise taking this list and switching one thing at a time, moving through it room by room and doing what you can. Not all of these can be achieved right away, and some you may never want to achieve. This, however, gives you a blueprint for taking on a more sustainable and environmentally responsible lifestyle
Sustainable Laundry Room Tips
- Switch to Wool Dryer Balls
- Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
- Make Your Own Stain Remover
- Hang Dry Your Clothes
Zero Waste Kitchen Ideas
- Switch to Re-usable Bags Instead of Ziplocks
- Switch to Re-Usable Water Bottles
- Make Your Own Granite Cleaner
- Make Your Own Glass Cleaner
- Make Your Own All-Purpose Cleaner
- Buy Foods in Bulk to cut down on single use packaging
- Recycle all containers that run through the kitchen
- Switch to Re-usable lunch boxes/bags
- Buy locally for Meat, eggs, milk and fruits/vegetable (when available)
- When buying in bulk: can, freeze or dehydrate any excess. This will not only save you money, but will help with general waste of groceries
- Switch from paper towels to wash-clothes
- Switch from paper napkins to cloth napkins
- Buy as much as you can on sale, and preserve any extras
- Cook anything you can from scratch, it’s healthier, saves money and prevents waste
- Use re-usable plates, forks, cups and napkins, try to stay away from single use paper plates and plastic forks
- Switch to stainless steel, silicone, wood and cast iron in the kitchen. Attempt to slowly get rid of all plastics and teflon products
- Start a compost bin with all your leftover veggies and fruits.
- Up-cycle old clothing as rags and washcloths for cleaning
Related: 9 Easy Ideas to Start a Zero Waste Kitchen
Eco-Friendly Bathrooms
- Make your own tub/tile cleaner
- Make your own drain de-clogger
- Take shorter showers
- Use towels more than once
- Turn the water off when you brush your teeth
- Switch the fluoride-free toothpaste
- Switch out all shampoos/conditioners and body washes with non-toxic or homemade products
- Switch out all makeup/face creams with non-toxic or homemade products
- Women: switch to menstrual cups, cloth pads and/or period panties
Create A Healthier Bedroom/Closet
- Begin buying used clothing, linens and furniture
- Buy “natural” fabrics, such as: linen, cotton, silk and wool.
- Make your own wood cleaner
- Simplify your wardrobe: get rid of stuff you don’t wear and don’t replace anything unless you actually need it
- Wear jeans, jackets, etc. more than once to cut down on washing clothes
- When getting rid of your wardrobe, donate it to keep it out of the landfill
- Slowly replace your plastic hangers with wood and metal hangers
Eco-Friendly Switches for Babies/Kids
- Switch to Cloth Diapers
- Make your own diaper cream/salve
- Make your own baby wipes
- Buy non-plastic toys
- Simplify your toy room: get rid of plastic toys and only replace/buy toys a couple times a year. Buy used toys if possible, and ideally wood, metal or other non-plastic options (i.e. silicone, wool, cotton, etc.)
Outdoor Sustainable Living Tips
- Grow your own vegetable and fruit garden
- Plant plants that are indigenous to your area, that way you aren’t over watering and they are easier to grow
- If possible, get rid of your lawn. They take up so much usable space and use up so much water
- Use non-toxic weed killers and fertilizers in your yard to keep poisons out of our rainwater
- Build a compost pile to keep useable, organic material out of the landfill
- Only water in the early morning or late afternoon to prevent evaporation. This also protects your plants from sunburn
- Utilize an automatic shut-off nozzle on your hose to prevent water waste
Building a General Eco-Friendly Mindset
When moving into a more sustainable life, the best way to be successful is to create habits and build a natural mindset. In Elementary school, we learned to recycle, reduce, reuse. I know many people who recycle, but actually, recycling is the least efficient way to save the planet, as much of the “recycled” material that ends up at the recycling plant isn’t even recyclable.
In order to really make a difference, the best thing to do is to reuse and repurpose products that have already been made. Or, adopt a minimalist mindset and reduce how much “stuff” is in your life to begin with. How many things do we buy that are packaged in tons of plastic and non-recyclable material? Most of those things we don’t even need.
Buy From Sustainable Companies
One of the things that I recommend is to buy from sustainable companies. There are now a range of companies who are making their manufacturing process as eco friendly as possible. Many times, these companies are more expensive, but their product is higher quality and last longer.
Even things like ensuring the eggs you buy come from truly free-range chickens such as from Happy Egg Co is helping move towards a better environment as the chickens aren’t cooped up, and there is no need for large machinery that pollutes the air to be involved.
Making these swaps to companies that are making an effort to more environmentally friendly can make a big impact. It doesn’t even have to be everything in your home right away, but making one swap gets you on your way!
Minimize Waste
Something else that you should think about is creating habits of producing less waste. There are a number of ways that you can do this, and the first is to ensure that you are reusing things rather than buying disposable items. For example, start using refillable bottles, handkerchiefs and rags to clean things, rather than items that you have to throw away after one use. This way, there is going to be far less waste coming out of your home.
Another thing that you can do is make sure that you are recycling whatever can be recycled. Ensure that you know what the recycling policy is in your area, and try to buy in bulk as well as buy second hand as much as possible. What you can’t get in bulk or second hand, try to buy from recyclable materials. This includes metal and glass, but try to avoid plastic where you can.
Think About Your Electricity
How do you power your home? Most people use electricity, and that’s because we have become so accustomed to it, but there isn’t an infinite amount, and it’s not a sustainable option. One of the alternatives is to use solar power instead. This is a good idea, especially if you live somewhere that the sun is shining more often than not. Solar energy is one of the best ways to get power while helping the environment and not using as much of the Earth’s resources.
Sustainable Living Guidelines:
- Only buy what you need
- Before getting rid of, or throwing anything away, consider if it can be reused or repurposed
- Only allow non-toxic and natural products into your home
- Buy high quality products (and used if possible) so that it lasts as long as possible, and maybe even can be passed on to someone else.
And last, if you have plastic in your home, use it as long as possible before throwing it away or recycling. There is no need to throw out everything immediately. The most effective way to become more sustainable is to keep things out of the landfill. Buy used, reuse, repurpose, and recycle!
Misty H says
This is a fantastic list! We are always looking for new ways to be more sustainable. We already do quite a few things listed here, but will definitely be incorporating some of the ones we don’t do yet!
Semi-Crunchy Mama says
I’m so happy this was helpful for you! I don’t even have all these things on the list completed, but I’m hoping to accomplish most of them in the next year or so. Great job switching to a more sustainable lifestyle!
Aaliya says
Being raised in an Indian family, we use almost all of these ways. But, we never knew that we were reinventing sustainability! It was not by choice but due to the lack of funds for new items. We reused most of the things at home. We used to make our own toys out of cane sticks and coconut trees.
Elizabeth says
That’s awesome! I think many cultures and even older America, are much more sustainable. However, since America is now very much a “new is better” culture, we have lost that way of living. Most things are single use, or break easily. And, many are always look for new trends to buy and use.
Phyll says
Your blog is amazing. This is how my grandmother and mother lived:everything basically home made. Interesting that we are going back to those days of sustainability: who knew it’s the better way after all. Thank you.
Elizabeth says
Thank you for your kind words! It’s true, we are starting to realize just how beneficial it was to re-use, cook from scratch, and so many other things! Grandmas rule!
Allison Vachon says
Good list. I am happy to say that I am almost there. Next year for the kitchen garden. My mother who is 90 years old now was an informed person, early-on, and taught her daughters. Three years ago, I stopped using toilet paper. I bought a portable bidet, $30, no power required, installed it, and supplied myself with personal washable cloths in the bathroom. I hated the multiple flushes, each of which included bleached, chemically-treated toilet paper going into my septic tank and leeching into the aquifer. Finally, up until recently, I used bio-degradable paper bags for yard refuse. Figured out that re-usable containers are less expensive. The landfill gets only the plant stuff now.
Gina says
Love the ideas! You might look into solar panel disposal. They contain some significant chemicals, and safe disposal has yet to be established.
Elizabeth says
Very true. Sometimes we can only do the best we can. Although solar isn’t the solution, for small scale projects it can definitely help.
Lynne Clark says
Women: Another option is reusable menstrual pads. There are also reusable bladder pads, if the regular menstrual pads do not hold enough. I use the menstrual pads as I don’t leak much now [age 75]
Lynne Clark says
Toilet paper: I have been using “Family Cloth” for several years. For those who can’t bend/twist to use TP, the Family Cloth even works with the toileting aide with the pinchers [not the poakers].