Easy & Effortless Ways to Live More Sustainably

With every passing day I become more aware that rising feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and fear, particularly in young adults, are setting in when we (Western folk) realize our consumerism is intrinsically linked to global warming & inequality.

More and more people seem to feel forced into participating in unsustainable living habits, rather than feeling like it is their willing choice.

This is yucky!

Yet while we are living in a time where it is undeniably damaging to overuse excessive amounts of plastic waste, release carbon emissions, and fund fast fashion, it's also sadly obvious how cheap, convenient, and commonplace it is to do all of these things on a daily basis. As human beings, we are force fed unethical consumerism on a silver platter as if it is the only option (or only desirable option) and convinced that any alternative is majorly burdensome, if not impossible.

Well, I am here to tell you that it’s not! There are actually millions of small ways you can start to incorporate sustainable and ethical living into your life. I am also here to remind you (whenever you need it!) that starting to change in these subtle ways will build habits over time that will soon make you forget you ever lived differently!

Say it with me: sustainable living does not need to be inconvenient.

And so, though these initiatives may not influence larger changes in environmental justice policy or the monetary responsibility that oil and gas companies should be required to act upon, these are still great ways to begin healing your own moral subconscious and might even help you combat those dark thoughts that make climate change feel like a hopeless battle. For me, the best part about these activities is not only that I feel better about myself and who I am when I do them, but it's knowing my action’s are not harming the environment around me- an environment which enables life & love. This is more than enough incentive to persevere, even microscopically :)

That's enough babbling. Without further a-do, here are 6 easy ways you can live more sustainably TODAY!

1. Waste-less Skincare!

Ditch your disposable makeup wipes! Instead, buy a pack of reusable cloth wipes (you can get them at any sustainable grocery store and most makeup stores) to clean your face! Coconut oil works great as a natural makeup remover (I can personally attest to this), or you can use any lotion-based makeup removal to use on the cloth pads. I usually don't need more than 1 pad to take off a full face of makeup.Then I pop the dirty cloth in my regular load of laundry and they're fresh to use the following week! A super self-explanatory, easy-to

use, plastic-less alternative to incorporate into your

everyday life!

2. Un-paper Towels

Think about how many paper towels you throw out on a monthly- or even weekly- basis! If you're not paying close attention, it could probably stack up to as high as your kitchen counter! Let's face it- you don't really need paper towels to get the job done. In the same vein as makeup wipes, you can easily substitute paper towels for absorbent cloths to clean your mess or wipe your counters. I've been doing this for so long that I can't even remember the last time I bought a roll of paper towel- and I never think twice about it! If you buy durable material, your un-paper towels will be fresh and reusable for years, saving you thousands of pounds in waste!

3. Dryer BALLS, not Sheets

Dryer Balls were a recent investment of mine, and now I'm obsessed. If you don't know what a dryer ball is, it's a small cotton ball that you toss in with your clothes, which helps circulation and static in your laundry machine. This can reduce drying time and helps separate the fabric so you don't have clothes twisting together in a tangled knot. And if you're concerned about your clothes not smelling fresh and warm like lavender or a cool summer's breeze - don't fret! Add a few drops of essential oil (of your scent-choice) on the dryer ball before use will make your clothes smell the same as the dryer sheet would!

4. Plastic-free Cleaning

Sustainable cleaning comes in many shapes, sizes, and brilliant ideas. I encourage you to get creative and test the limits of plastic-free cleaning. For me, this looks like buying my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, dishwater fluid, and multipurpose surface cleaner from the reusable pump stations found at reusable/ sustainable grocery stores. All you need is a glass jar of any type (i.e. a mason jar or old spray bottle)! The store will weigh your bottle before and after refill, and charge you for the difference (depending on location). I find this super easy and can no longer imagine throwing out a plastic bottle every time I need new shampoo!

5. Sustainable Grocery Shopping

This is another very wide-scope solution (I'm hoping to make a whole separate blog post on this topic eventually). For now, I will summarize. Sustainable grocery stores are usually more common in city-central areas, unfortunately. On the flip side, living in a rural area will give you more of an option to buy local and know where your food is coming from. Using sustainable methods to grocery shop can be used in either case! First, always make sure to remember your reusable grocery bags to avoid bagging with plastic (obviously). What you should also invest in is reusable bags for your produce! These handy little sacks work great for bagging and taking home your goods, and are no different then using the in-store mini plastic bags. The hardest part is remembering to bring them.

Another great habit is to start meal prepping and packing lunches (if you go out often or work in an office), as opposed to always buying and dispensing lunch and dinner! Using Tupperware to store and bring food with you will reduce the waste you produce exponentially (and is way healthier 😉).

6. Marry your bike!

This one is the easiest in theory, but might be one of the hardest in practice. I acknowledge that riding your bike to all or most places is a privileged option that is not accessible to all people - especially if you don't live in or near a city. However, even becoming more aware of limiting car trips to necessary travel (i.e. cutting out "joy rides") or encouraging yourself to find a carpooling partner, is within the theme of "marrying your bike" and deserves some praise. To those who cycling is accessible to: I challenge you to start this habit in honour those who don't have the option! Even starting with one commute a week (or bi weekly) on your bike will open you up to the physical- not just environmental- advantages of this awesome transportation tool.

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I hope you found value in some of these tips and tricks and that acknowledging these options helped remind you of how easy and accessible alternatives to unsustainable ways of living CAN be when you just look around!

Please let me know if you try any of these out and if you have any feedback for the future of this blog.

Have a great day!

Cheerio