8 Sustainability Tips and Tricks to Create an Eco-friendly Lifestyle

Looking to start living a more eco-friendly lifestyle but not sure where to get started? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different ways that you can reduce your environmental impact, which is why we always recommend that you take the journey step by step. This way, you can create long-term habits you’ll stick to without putting too much on your plate and avoid getting overwhelmed right out of the gate.

These sustainability tips are some of our favorite ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Anyone can pick them up; they are easy, don’t require a lot of resources, and may even save you a few dollars.

1.    Hang-dry your laundry

A clothes dryer consumes anywhere between 2,000 and 6,000 watts of electricity every hour. As an electronic appliance, it also takes a lot of resources to create and can be a source of hazardous electronic waste once disposed of.

Skip the dryer and hang-dry your clothing instead – it’s cheaper and more eco-friendly, making it one of our favorite sustainability tips.

2.    Think twice before you buy to avoid impulse shopping

Many items we buy are unnecessary impulse purchases that end up stuffed back in our closets, given away, or just thrown out. That’s why it’s important to think twice about any purchase. If you are an Amazon junkie like I am, consider adding items to your cart and letting them sit there for a while. Nine times out of ten, I usually don’t make the purchase.

Making a grocery list before going shopping is a huge way to avoid impulse buying and save money as well. How many times do we get the total at checkout and wonder what the hell we just spent all that money on, only to unpack the groceries at home to find a bunch of junk food we shouldn’t be eating in the first place?

3.    Shop second-hand whenever you can

Speaking of shopping, it’s also much more eco-friendly and affordable to shop second-hand whenever you can. With how many items get thrown away each day, there’s a large number of items in great condition that can be saved from the landfill if we all shop second-hand more often. I have a teenage daughter that loves to buy second-hand; she calls it ‘thrifting’. I don’t always agree with what she finds but at least I’m not spending hundreds of dollars on new items only to see them go out the door a few months later when they are no longer in fashion.

4.    Use the natural light in your house

How much natural light you get in your home will depend on several factors – where you live in the world, which direction your windows are facing, and how large they are… However, strategically using the natural light you get in your home can help reduce your electric bill and carbon footprint.

If you want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, let as much light in through the windows as possible. Don’t use blinds or curtains during the day; make sure your windows aren’t obstructed by any furniture, and re-arrange your furniture so that the part of the room that gets the most light is the one you spend most of your time in!

5.    Take the stairs instead of an elevator

Unless you need to use an elevator because of an injury or condition, take the stairs! This simple swap helps you take another step towards sustainable living and doubles as a quick workout to keep you in shape.

Remember – staying healthy is also an important part of an eco-friendly lifestyle!

6.    Carpool with friends, family, or colleagues

You’ve probably heard before that to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, you should drive less. In fact, this is likely the most frequently repeated of all sustainability tips. However, it doesn’t take into account that some of us live in areas with poor public transport and have no other option.

In these cases, there’s still a way to substantially decrease your carbon footprint – carpooling with others who have the same journey as you.

7.    Bring your own shopping and produce bags

When shopping, you can avoid a lot of plastic if you bring your own bags. We’re not just talking about shopping bags, but also small produce bags! The more unpackaged produce you buy, the more the store is going to stock since the demand is going up. a lot of produce is sold in eaches, so you don’t need to worry about the weight of the bag increasing the cost when buying buy the pound.

It’s also a great way to be an example of sustainable living to others – anyone who sees you in the store with your own produce bags will likely think about whether they should use them as well.

8.    Eat more plants

Meat and other animal products are amongst the biggest offenders when it comes to the carbon footprint, water use and land use of the food we eat. Try meatless Mondays, make some achievable goals regarding your meat consumption, or simply be mindful of what you’re eating one meal at a time.

According to recent data, this is even more important than eating locally and seasonally!

Start with whichever of these sustainable living tips sound most achievable to you, and you’ll quickly find yourself living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.