It is no secret that climate change and loss of natural resources are some of the leading environmental concerns we have today.
Huge strides have been made in recent years, with the 2015 Paris Agreement being signed by 195 UNFCCC members and scientific breakthroughs in finding sustainable alternatives to our most depleted natural resources.1
Although we have little control over issues like urban sprawling and overall public health, a 2018 study revealed that human activity played a major role in warming our planet over the past 50 years.2
That said, the ball is in our court in ensuring that global warming and resource depletion would stop advancing, if not reversed.
Research suggests that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. For someone to have a lasting lifestyle change, one requires to stick to a habit and do them right.
Changing one’s lifestyle is often seen by many as a tedious process that require huge investments in time, effort, and support.
The truth is, going green shouldn’t be this monumental event that demands an enormous amount of sacrifice. With just a few changes in your lifestyle and the desire to commit and follow through, you could start leading a more sustainable life today.
To help you kick-off this journey, here are some simple lifestyle tweaks you can introduce to your everyday life:
Home
1. Save your water consumption in the bathroom.
You can do this by shortening your shower, turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, and repairing any leaking pipes or faucet. Remember that every minute saved in the shower saves approximately 1.4 gallons of water per day.3
You can also save a ton by installing a dual flush toilet in your bathroom. This type of flush toilet uses a washdown flushing system that enables it to use less water than traditional systems, all while effectively cleaning your toilet bowl.
Another thing you can consider is a urine neutralizer, which is a great alternative to flushing your toilet and washing pet urine.
2. Turn off devices, appliances, and lights when not in use.
Develop a habit of saving energy or install smart home systems in your home. Some devices like smart thermostats help reduce your cooling and heating power consumption without sacrificing comfort.
They work by helping control a home’s heating and cooling system remotely, automatically adjusting the thermostat based on pre-set temperatures, and turning off your system when no one’s in the room.
Studies have shown that home automation devices such as connected thermostats save as much as 9-13% energy while occupancy-based lighting systems can save 27-40% of energy per year.4
3.Do your laundry only when you have full loads.
Aside from saving energy and water, this can also reduce the time you have to spend doing laundry per week.
Skipping the dryer and hanging your clothes is also a great option especially when the weather’s nice and sunny.
You can also opt for a green laundry detergents such as eco-me. Most products like this contain natural ingredients and are free of phosphates.
Phosphorus, the raw element contained in phosphates, is one of the most drained resources on earth.5
4. Purchase clothing items made of sustainable materials.
Fabrics made of natural and recycled fibers are considered some of the most eco-friendly options in the industry.
A good starting point for implementing this is by doing a little research about a brand before finalizing your purchase. Ensure that the brand uses sustainable materials and implements energy-saving processes in their operations.
Supporting brands that care about the environment is important since textiles account to 7.6% of all landfilled solid waste in the US. On top of this, evidence suggests that 65% of the total textiles produced in 2015 were sent to landfills and only 15% were recycled.6
5. Switch to cleaning, beauty, and hygiene products that are made with eco-friendly ingredients.
A lot of the goods we use at home uses chemicals that are not only harmful to the environment but also to humans.
There are organic cleaning products such as Green Works all-purpose spray, Dr. Bronner’s pure castille soap, and Better Life all-purpose cleaner that does a great job at keeping your home spotless without causing damage to your family and the environment.
It would also be beneficial to our planet if we use beauty products that are vegan and are not tested on animals. This is beneficial since animal farming has a significant effect on climate change.
Cruelty free products, on the other hand, utilizes cell-based tests and computer models in assessing the safety and effectivity of cosmetics and consumer products. Aside from preventing animal cruelty, these alternatives have shown to be more accurate than tests done with animals.7
6. Switch to renewable energy.
Traditional sources that rely on fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas are already in significant danger of being depleted in the future.
Use of renewables ensure that we utilize sources that are constantly replenished by natural means. Some of the most popular forms of alternative energy sources are solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and ocean thermal energy.
At present, solar energy remains as the most favored form of renewable energy with 9 in 10 adults supporting its expansion.8
7. Pick out products that are packaged in eco-friendly materials.
A good packaging works well by ensuring that your purchased goods remain intact and sealed. Some brands, however, makes use of polluting materials and unnecessary packaging that are harmful to the environment.
Each year, 161 million tons of plastic is generated for packaging purposes. This is equivalent to 40% of the global plastic production.9 What’s worse is that out of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic produced, 91% is not recycled.10
When purchasing goods, be watchful about the materials used to package them. A good rule of thumb is to check if the material used is biodegradable, recycled, recyclable, and minimal.
8. Use energy efficient home appliances.
Savings in energy amounts to savings in money. By switching to environmentally friendly appliances, you and your family could save hundreds of thousands per year.
One way to easily determine if a product is energy efficient is to check if they are certified by Energy Star. They are partnered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify products that meet the requirements set out by their energy efficiency product specifications.
Another way to reduce your carbon emissions at home is by replacing your home lighting with LED light bulbs. According to the EPA, residential LEDs have usually save 25%-80% less energy than the traditional CFL bulbs.11
9. When making a purchase, lookout for products that are recycled, used, or durable.
This is important because reusing is one of the core elements of a sustainable lifestyle. Known as one of the three R’s in the waste hierarchy, this practice makes certain that the maximum lifetime of an item is achieved.
Investing in products made with durable materials can help the planet by extending the average lifespan of each piece. This way, we’re not wasting natural resources and producing carbon emissions that short-lived products cause once they turn to solid waste.
10. Purchase frequently used products in bulk.
Items packaged in small containers and packets use a significant amount of packaging compared to ones that are wrapped in larger quantities.
When buying in bulk, however, be wary of purchasing more than what you need. Food waste has been attributed to poor purchase planning and over-purchasing so make sure to evaluate your needs first before shopping.
11. Clean your fridge and air-conditioning regularly.
Waiting too long to throw away refrigerated food that has gone bad will not only pose the risk for contamination but will also increase your energy consumption.
Furthermore, having your air-conditioning system checked and serviced at least once every year will ensure that it will function at its utmost efficiency. Cleaning your air filters every two weeks will also avoid any efficiency drop in your AC unit.
12. Decorate your home with indoor plants.
This doesn’t only make your interior aesthetically pleasing but also reduces the amount of air pollutants that are circulating in your home.
Large volume of carbon emissions causes grave damage to our atmosphere. In spite of the fact that human CO2 represents a small fraction of the planet’s CO2 emissions, it adds up over time since our lands and oceans cannot absorb all the carbon released everyday.12
13. Step up your ecological waste management efforts by reducing, reusing, recycling, reselling, or donating.
Reducing consumption means reducing the amount of product that could potentially turn into waste. Substituting commonly-used disposable items with reusable ones will help you lower your household’s production of solid waste.
Reusing products that retain their quality even after multiple uses can impact your ability to keep your trash at a minimum. Plastic shopping bags, egg cartons, and shoe boxes are some of the most common reusable items that many people dispose after a single use.
Selling or donating old clothes and home goods will also help you downsize while decreasing household waste. To make this process less cumbersome, there are platforms such as Poshmark and Tradesy that help find interested buyers for your used and unwanted items.
There’s also the popular eBay route where you could advertise your item to their 179 million eager buyers.
Food
1. Reduce your consumption of animal products and if possible, adopt a vegetarian diet.
Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of air pollution, water loss, biodiversity loss, and deforestation. Additionally, this practice produces massive amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane emissions—chemicals that causes the earth to retain more heat.13
Adopting a vegetarian diet is a major lifestyle change that require thorough research and preparation. However, a few tweaks in your eating habits could already help the environment without necessarily committing to a full vegetarian diet.
Things like switching out milk for non-dairy substitutes and incorporating whole grains, beans, and nuts in your diet would significantly reduce the impact of your food in the environment.
2. Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Growing your own food is beneficial in two ways. First, it reduces the carbon footprint produced when transporting food from the supplier to the consumer.
On average, it takes 1,500 miles for food to travel from the farm to households. If growing your own produce doesn’t seem feasible, purchasing goods from the farmers market instead of the grocery is also a great alternative. This cuts the distance it takes for your food to reach your home.14
The second benefit is control. Planting your own crops means that you have the choice to refrain from using harmful fertilizers and pesticides. Ensuring that what you put on your plate is organic will help enrich our soil and promote water conservation.
3. Reduce food waste by planning your meals.
Buying produce with bulk discount is appealing to consumers who want to stretch their grocery dollars. Unreasonable amounts of food supply in your home, however, has the potential to be left unused beyond its ‘use by’ date.
With 1.3 billion tons of food lost or wasted per year, it is important to be careful not to overstock on food supplies that can lead to waste.
A good answer to this is to use a meal planner to map out your meals. This could help you identify whether a bulk food discount can ultimately save you money.
Office
1. Opt for sophisticated equipments in your office.
Appliances with cheaper price tags are usually associated with substandard components, therefore reducing its long term efficiency.
Printers are probably some of the most used equipment in your office and purchasing those with advanced features can save you money and inconvenience in the long run.
When choosing printers, opt for ones with longer ink cartridge lifespan and efficient reporting of actual ink levels. Repeated ink replacements will not only cost you more money but also contribute to a large volume of waste in the landfill.
2. Utilize digital methods of reading and note-taking.
This practice will cut down your use of paper not only in the office but also in your home.
Out of the 262.4 million tons of solid waste generated in the US, 25.9% percent are paper products. This makes paper one of the leading forms of landfilled waste.15
To prevent this, one of the best ways you can do is to only print documents when it’s absolutely necessary to do so. You can also program the default setting on your printer to print on both sides.
Additionally, purchasing recycled and chlorine-free paper, using scrap paper for printing, and sending out digital event invites can also reduce your generation of paper waste.
Commute
1. Walk or ride a bike when going to your office.
If possible, choose to work for a company closer to your home. Walking or biking to work doesn’t only cut your emissions but can also help you become more fit. That’s killing two birds with one stone!
Also consider talking to your employer about the possibility of working remotely. This doesn’t sound realistic to some roles and industries. But if you can, working remotely will significantly lessen the carbon emissions produced while driving to work.
2. Utilize public transportation in your daily commute.
Public transportation modes like buses and trains have the capacity to transport a great deal of people at the same time.
The concept is simple—a bus carrying 20 people will produce far less emissions than 20 people riding their individual cars. As such, the public transportation system is considered the most sustainable form of commuting long-distances to work.
Compared to the average car, buses use 8.7% less energy per mile while commuter trains use 23.7% less energy per mile. Buses and trains are also 6 and 15 times more fuel efficient than a typical single-occupant automobile, respectively.16
3. Switch to using an electric vehicle.
If driving to work is really the only option for you, driving an electric car is the next best thing you can do to reduce your commute’s GHG emissions.
Electric vehicles are considered sustainable in that it uses renewable energy, is made up of eco-friendly parts, and produces zero direct emissions.
In Norway, electric vehicle users are incentivized by giving them exemption from registration tax, low annual road tax, special registration plates, free of charge use of ferries and toll roads, free municipal parking, exemption from 25% VAT on purchase and on leasing, reduced company car tax, and access to bus lanes.17
This level of government support is further proof of electric vehicle’s remarkable benefits on our environment.
4. Skip the elevator and take the stairs instead.
The average elevator trip per person consumes 100 Watt hours—the same amount of electricity spent in a 30-minute use of a desktop computer. This means that taking two flights of stairs everyday will lead to 72 kilowatts of power savings per year.18
Moreover, ditching the elevator can also do wonders for your health. Studies have shown that climbing more than 14 flights of stairs per day will increase leg strength, improve artery health, improve cholesterol profiles, promote fat loss, and lower blood pressure.19
What’s more, physical exertion are known to boost an individual’s mood and energy. So the next time you’re feeling down about going to work, take the stairs and you’ll reap benefits for your body and for the planet.
Summary
To recap, we’ve highlighted the different measures you could easily take to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. They are split into the following areas:
I. Home
- Save your water consumption in the bathroom.
- Turn off devices, appliances, and lights when not in use.
- Do your laundry only when you have full loads.
- Purchase clothing items made of sustainable materials.
- Switch to cleaning, beauty, and hygiene products that are made with eco-friendly ingredients.
- Switch to renewable energy.
- Pick out products that are packaged in eco-friendly materials.
- Use energy efficient home appliances.
- When making a purchase, lookout for products that are recycled, used, or durable.
- Purchase frequently used products in bulk.
- Clean your fridge and air-conditioning regularly.
- Decorate your home with indoor plants.
- Step up your ecological waste management efforts by reducing, reusing, recycling, reselling, or donating.
II. Food
- Reduce your consumption of animal products and if possible, adopt a vegetarian diet.
- Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
- Reduce food waste by planning your meals.
III. Office
- Opt for sophisticated equipments in your office.
- Utilize digital methods of reading and note-taking.
IV. Commute
- Walk or ride a bike when going to your office.
- Utilize public transportation in your daily commute.
- Switch to using an electric vehicle.
- Skip the elevator and take the stairs instead.
All of these lifestyle changes come down to adjusting our daily activities that depend on our natural resources like water, food, and electricity (oil, coal, and natural gas). Several habits like improper waste management and driving to work can also increase polluting emissions thereby accelerating the ongoing climate change.
When it comes to reducing your environmental impact, the concept of “sharing is caring” is also key. Sharing a load of laundry with your roommate, carpooling to work with a friend, and donating old or excess items, food, and inventory to those in need will lessen your carbon footprint and use of natural resources.
