I have mentioned this before, but I would like to say it again; I only started conscious sustainable practices this year (2020). Most of the environmentalists out there on the internet would probably call me a total beginner. And I agree. There is always room for improvement and the truth is I have not exposed myself to the whole world of sustainability, yet. But as I take you all along on my journey, I figured it might be a good idea to write a post directed to people who are new to sustainability and want some simple ideas to lower their footprint. Plus, most of these tips will save you money as a bonus!
1: Buy in bulk. This is a simple and easy way to cut costs and packaging. However, bulk stores are obviously not available to everyone. I am suggesting that with anything you need to buy in packaging, buy it in the largest quantity possible for you. This is especially true if it is non-perishable or will last a long time. You may notice when you purchase something, the more you buy of it, the lower the unit price. This is often because there is less packaging involved. In fact, about 3% of the cost of a packaged product is spent on packaging. That means 3% of your money is going straight into the trash. As long as what you buy is not individually wrapped and will not go bad, I 100% recommend buying in bulk.
2: Use what you have. This one is totally free and something that needs to happen a whole lot more. A lot of times, when someone arrives at the idea of a zero waste lifestyle, they immediately throw everything away and go buy the most environmentally friendly looking items they can find. I personally do not have a bamboo toothbrush. And although that is what I will be buying when my current electric one breaks or loses battery life, I am using what I have right now. If you have watched any of my YouTube videos (check those out), you will see I wear a variety of clothing from, including fast fashion because that is what I already own or it was given to me second-hand. I never went out to buy new clothes because I simply never needed new clothes.
3: Walk or take public transportation. This one is obviously not going to always work and will vary from person to person and where they live. However, if you are ever debating between public transit or driving, I strongly recommend the former. It is definitely cheaper, allows you to multitask more easily, and even helps our environment. Walking, biking, and skating are also great choices as they don’t harm the environment in any way and they give you your daily dose of exercise too!
4: Buy second hand. Whether you have been to a thrift store or not, there is likely a second-hand shop somewhere near you. You can find almost anything that way! Buying second-hand does not mean lower quality. Also, websites like ebay, facebook marketplace, poshmark, and so many more are easily accessible to many people. These websites allow you to buy and sell anything second-hand.
5: Buy locally. This benefits not only your wallet but it also tastes way better. (Of course local and organic are different, but it still tastes pretty good.) For the last two months, we have been buying produce locally each week and it has been a good experience. It isn’t extremely different; I didn’t have to change my whole diet. When things are shipped from foreign countries they are more expensive because of transportation costs.
6: Buy food “on clearance.” Food doesn’t really go on clearance, however, it can be discounted when it has been sitting at the store and is getting closer to expiring. If you can toss an otherwise less aesthetically pleasing food into a recipe, or eat it within a day or two of purchase. It is already ripened for you! Making these choices prevents food waste and often saves money. Also, using food delivery services that sell produce that would otherwise be thrown away, is a great idea. This way you don’t have to even leave the house which right now is the best option for quarantine.
7: Ecosia. If you haven’t heard of this one it’s super simple. By changing your default browser to Ecosia, you can help the Earth. Ecosia gets a small amount of money for every search they get. They are known for planting trees. They take the money they get from each search and all of the money goes to planting trees. So although someone isn’t directly planting a tree every time you make a search, more trees are planted in the long run.
8: Reuse glass jars. I own many jars as many zero-wasters do. One thing that I emphasized is to reuse jars instead of buying them new. The fact that jars are already being made for things my family buys like tomato sauce, pickles, or peanut butter means it would be an absolute waste of materials to buy new jars. This is one of those things that people don’t always get when they are more attracted to aesthetics rather than the lifestyle. Reuse things, it’s important.
9: Use reusables not disposable. This idea will hopefully encourage you to pause next time you want to conveniently reach for things like plastic sandwich bags, plastic wrap, paper napkins, and paper towels). Reusables like plastic storage containers (that you likely already own), cloth napkins, handkerchiefs, and more can be used to help you save money. Although a cloth towel will cost more than single-use paper towels initially do, in the long run you save plenty of money. My family cut up an old beach towel to make reusable rags for kitchen use. We just reused a reusable! We also use glass and plastic storage containers a lot more often so there is no need for plastic bags. We already had this on hand and although it was plastic, we still use it because we already owned it. We also no longer buy reusable sandwich bags, for example, as we have so many. The point of reusables is to reuse them, not to buy more and more of them and waste your money.
10: Make DIYs. I strongly recommend trying some DIY’s (Do It Yourself) during quarantine as there is plenty of time for most of us and they can help you discover things you buy that are unnecessary. We have experimented with many vegan recipes so we don’t have to buy them in plastic packaging, however aside from food DIYs, I have tried all natural multipurpose cleaners, shampoos, and we even tried DIY toothpaste.
11: Eat less meat. Meat can get expensive. So, simply leave it out of your budget. And while you’re at it, you might as well cut out all animal products. Although some vegan marketed products can be more expensive, by sticking with simple beans, you can save a lot of money. Plus you can buy them in bulk and avoid plastic packaging. And when you combine this with DIY’s, you can make recipes that are just as good as the processed food you’d find in a store.
12: Email businesses or talk to them. This is completely free and something I like doing to share my beliefs. I recently emailed Lightlife (the company that makes the tempeh I eat), and wanted to learn more about their packaging and whether or not they were intentionally wrapping their tempeh in two layers of plastic! I also just made a Fiverr account where I provide the service of doing research and writing to companies to ask them about their footprint. Check out my Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/charlottepo?public_mode=true.
13: Turn off the lights, water, etc. This one is beyond simple, but something not enough people do. Something I do is from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm I keep all lights off as much as I can. This of course saves money on your utility bills, and it saves our nonrenewable resources. I also pay very close attention to how much water I use and reuse greywater when I can. (Graywater is water that has been used, but can still be used for things like watering a lawn or flushing a toilet.)
14: Volunteer, vote, verify. The 3 V’s are very important. These summarize the idea of participating in your community. By volunteering to do Earth-friendly services or just spread the word, you can make an impact and know you are doing your part. You can also vote and get to know your candidates. It is definitely important that who you vote for is aware of our climate crisis. Lastly, verify. By this, I am referring to buying items that you agree to make a positive impact. In addition to the election polls, you “vote with your money” and every dollar counts. By avoiding unethical companies and choosing to purchase from local places you can verify and show who you want to actually support. Buy intentionally.
15: Pick up trash outside. I love this one because you can do it anytime anywhere at any age on any day. There will always be more trash to pick up. And, similar to volunteering, you are doing a service that you can feel good about. By picking up trash outside, you can make yourself aware of what could so easily end up inside of a fish instead of the trash bin. I notice myself often trying to avoid looking at the litter on the streets. It is too sad. But, by going outside looking for trash, you can make it an intentional process. And why not bring some friends while you’re at it. You’ll pick up twice as much trash, have a fun time, and help them be more aware too.
16: Educate yourself and others. Educating yourself can come in many forms. You are educating yourself right now. By learning and understanding the importance of sustainability, you can feel motivated to make a change. There are hundreds of people on YouTube who give away their knowledge and they are right at your fingertips. This type of education is free and will help you educate others as we all can continue to learn more about Earth.
17: Carry bottles, cutlery, and tupperware if you are planning on eating anything while out and about. Due to quarantine, I have pretty much forgotten what it is like to be “out and about” at this point. However, this hack can save you from a ton of excess packaging. You never know when you might need a container or some silverware. I bring my reusable water bottle with me everywhere and it is a habit I have developed and everyone should. Many restaurants accept tupperware for takeout or leftovers (right now it may be a bit different). This tip will save you plenty of bulky waste.
18: Do your research. Similar to education, research can be done for free. I research a lot of things and it makes you curious. Before I buy anything I do a lot of research on that specific item. From who provides it, to what it is made of, these are all important facts you should know before hitting “purchase.” Check out an earlier blog post “Minimalism 101” where I share the full list of questions I recommend answering before buying something new.
19: Grow a garden. It’s a little late in the season for this one now (in the NorthEast), but there is always another year. Gardening is fun and helps you learn more about a plant's life. I think gardening is especially important because it means you can eat more local food. (In this case, “local” is your backyard.) We started a garden this spring and our tomatoes are starting to bloom. It tests your patience but is super exciting once you have successfully grown your own fruits and vegetables. Plus, they taste amazing and reduce the cost almost completely.
20: Clothing swaps. This idea is one I suggest if you tend to get bored with your clothes. A lot of people are done wearing things long before they’re worn out. People also tend to store a lot of clothing and just let it sit while they forget about it. I suggest finding some friends who want a larger variety of clothing similar to you. You can swap outfits and have a new wardrobe for a while. Then, when you're bored of those clothes, swap again or swap back. I personally have never really tried this, but it sounds like a super cool idea and helps you save plenty of money.
Now that you’ve saved all of this money, where should you spend it?... On my consultation services! Or, better yet, spend it on carbon offsets. This is a bonus. Anyone can buy carbon offsets to reduce their carbon footprint. By paying a small amount each month, you can reduce your carbon footprint. Your money goes toward companies that are working to be more environmentally friendly. I strongly suggest it. If you are interested in doing this, check out this link.
Now that my article is over, go ahead and try some of these activities that anyone can do.
Or, go head over to my YouTube channel and watch this in video form:
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