Sustainable Living: Simple Tips To Be Sustainable In Everyday Life

The sustainable lifestyle can actually be integrated into daily life much easier than one might think. By taking a few steps and implementing some sustainable suggestions, we can adopt a more eco-friendly life.

Here are 10 sustainability suggestions that everyone can easily implement in their daily lives.

• Eliminate Plastic from Your Life

Plastic products can take hundreds of years to decompose in nature. Because it negatively affects marine life, around 1 million marine animals die each year due to plastics. You can reduce the plastic waste you produce with just a few simple steps. For example, instead of using plastic bags when shopping, you can bring a reusable shopping bag with you. In addition, you can prefer refillable bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles. You can also reduce your plastic use by avoiding products with plastic packaging and not using disposable cutlery when ordering food.

• Reduce Your Need for New Products

Every item goes through various stages when it is produced. The water and energy used in the production process deplete our natural resources. When we shop unnecessarily, we also increase demand and supply. Ask yourself if you really need something before shopping. To do this, first organize your wardrobe and create a list of your clothes. You will be surprised to see that you have much more stuff than you thought.

• Transition to Minimalist Living

Minimalism doesn't mean living without anything. It means getting the maximum benefit from each product you purchase and use. Because you get more yield from a product, you have fewer products. A simpler life is a much better method for both the environment and inner peace. When you get rid of your burdens and simplify your life, you will also feel more free.

• Use Natural Cleaning Products

The chemicals used in cleaning products harm both the soil and water. However, we can also produce alternatives to store-bought cleaning products at home with a few simple ingredients. We can prepare cleaning products at home and achieve results that are just as good as commercial ones.

• Choose Vegan Products

Although animal husbandry has been going on for centuries, the current human population and industrialization have increased water consumption in this area. Fortunately, advancing technology has also produced different ways to meet our leather needs. You can make an eco-friendly purchase by choosing alternative vegan leathers or sustainable fabric instead of real leather when buying bags, shoes, or home goods.

• Turn Off Things You Don't Use

Do we really realize how much water we waste when we brush our teeth or rinse the dishes? Or how much energy an open light bulb steals from our future? Perhaps one of the most important sustainability tips we can apply in our daily lives is to turn off the things we're not using. With just one touch, we can prevent waste that has no impact on our lives. Also, electronic devices that we're not using continue to consume electricity as long as they are plugged in. If we don't need them, we can save energy by checking the plugs and unplugging unused appliances.

• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in Transportation

Have you read the news about how the air was cleared around the world during the pandemic? Staying at home and not using private cars reduced our carbon footprint during this period. So, why don't we apply this in our daily lives as well? We can minimize the damage we cause to the environment by walking or cycling for short distances, and using public transportation instead of private cars. Moreover, we can make use of the time spent on public transportation to read a book or listen to entertaining podcasts. Are you complaining about the crowdedness of public transportation during rush hour? How about leaving a little early? This way, you will also have time to enjoy a nice sandwich you made at home for breakfast at work.

• Be Label Conscious

Don't forget to read the labels of all the products you buy, from clothes to coffee, toys to dried beans. By glancing at the certificates and where the product is made on the labels, you can make environmentally conscious choices. You can support the producers llike Panacea Atelier by choosing local products. This choice causes less fuel consumption and therefore less harm to the environment.

• Choose Second-Hand Products

Have you thought about how many of your belongings you have used only a few times and then forgotten about? These types of items are waiting for you in second-hand stores. Maybe these unused items can prevent you from buying something new. You can take a look at second-hand stores where you can both give away your belongings and find everything you need.

• Don't Produce Waste, Transform What You Produce

At the end of our sustainability tips list is, of course, a waste-free life that we should pay attention to in every area. Producing as little waste as possible also means protecting natural resources. We're aware that this isn't always easy. Therefore, if we produce waste, we must recycle it. By donating our old items, throwing bottles in glass recycling bins, separating plastics for recycling, and using recycled products, we can protect the environment.