How to Being Sustainable Living?

You can see the effects of global warming and climate change happening around you. It has become too big to not notice anymore. It has and will continue to change our lives, more so for the worst. It is time to change yourself and start living a different lifestyle and the answer to that is living sustainably. And if you are thinking “How to begin sustainable living” then you are in the right place!

Sustainable living may seem like a big thing. It might scare you from trying it because you might think of it as a big commitment. Well, I’m here to make all your worries go away. Let’s start discussing how to begin sustainable living.

Key Takeaways

• Living sustainably means decreasing the environmental damage we cause in our lives. To live sustainably is to reduce our carbon footprint.
• To prepare for a more sustainable living, you have to start by planning, researching, and reviewing your life.
• To begin sustainably living, you start at your home, shopping, communities, and school.
• The truth about the cost of living sustainability.
• Start with small commitments and you will see the difference soon.

What does it mean to live sustainably?

Living sustainably means decreasing the environmental damage we cause in our lives. We burn a lot of fossil fuel to get through our everyday lives. From the use of warming our houses to transport, almost everything we do requires the burning of fossil fuel. But this burning produces carbon emissions that heat up our planet. And this is really bad! The amount of carbon emission that we are responsible for is known as our carbon footprint.

To live sustainably is to reduce our carbon footprint. We are responsible for damaging our environment. And we have to start living more sustainably to preserve it. Not only is it good for the environment, but it can also help you financially, and improve your health and surrounding. To do that, we need to prepare for a more sustainable living.

How to prepare for a more sustainable living?

It is a big commitment to start a more sustainable living. To do that, here are some tips to prepare you for a more sustainable living.

Research sustainable options:

 A big commitment requires some planning to be done. And there is no better planning than to research more sustainable options near your area. Finding eco-friendly substitutes is a good start to sustainable living.

Reviewing your life:

We all hate change, and to review your life to make that change sounds even worse! But trust me, after reviewing your life, you will begin to understand how wasteful you are and how much carbon footprint you are producing.

Time to cut things out of your life:

 Goodbyes are always hard, but you are doing this for a good cause. Make a list of all the things you need and don’t need and make suitable changes to life.

Start with small commitments:

Before you jump, you need to walk. That’s why start off small. Make small adjustments in your life and you will find the scary task of change is not an issue anymore.

With these things in mind, let’s look at how you will begin your sustainable living.

How to Begin Sustainable Living?

To begin sustainable living, let’s look at the areas of our lives we need to change and start from there.

Sustainability at home

The first steps are always the hardest, but it is time to disconnect from our machinery. Maybe not all, some for sure. Washing machines and dryers consume a lot of energy to work and use a lot of water. Washing clothes by hand or using a clothesline to dry our clothes is way more sustainable.

Same with central cooling and heating the house. It uses up a lot of energy at home so maybe it is time to think of more sustainable alternatives. Opening the window and curtains during summer and using a portable heater during the winter is a more cost-effective and sustainable way of living. Bonus points are that it reduces your carbon footprint by a huge amount!

I think it is also time to get rid of ordering food. Start cooking more. Not only will your food be fresher and healthier, but it will also reduce carbon emissions by a lot.

Sustainable shopping

From your home, it’s time to be more sustainable when you are shopping. Let’s begin small by using eco-friendly bags instead of plastic ones. And the great thing is, when you go grocery shopping you can reuse the bag instead of throwing it away! Less waste overall.

Maybe another way of beginning to live sustainably through shopping is by buying organic food. I know what you are thinking, organic food is a bit more expensive. But, it is much better for the environment. Organic farmers use less water and produce less waste, a good way to reduce the overall carbon footprint.

Sustainability in communities

Remember this, sustainability is not only you but also the society around you. More public places nearby for physical activities and public transport are good ways alternatives. Instead of driving far away for entertainment, you can use the bus. Buses significantly reduce the amounts of cars on the road and thus reduce a lot of carbon footprint.

It is also wise to educate your neighborhood about sustainable living. If they begin their sustainable lifestyle, then the whole community will benefit from it.

Sustainability at schools

The key to sustainable living is to begin as early as possible. And if your children are learning sustainable habits at school then it is even better! Promote the use of less paper and education on recycling more. The schools can also benefit from using paper cups instead of plastic ones. This significantly reduces plastic waste which is harmful to the environment.

Self-sustainable living idea

Now that we have established some ways to begin sustainable living, it is time for you to read some cool ideas to make your life self-sustainable.

Gardening

Nothing beats growing your own food. Making a vegetable or a fruit garden will help not only you but also the environment as well! The food you make will make you self-sustainable, and the food waste you have can be reused as compost. And this compost is used in your garden as plant fertilizer. Isn’t that a cool way to be self-sustainable?

Solar panels

You can greatly reduce your carbon footprint by installing solar panels. Again, it is expensive and requires a lot of space to install. But think about the clean energy that you are able to produce at your home! It is both self-sustainable and you can power your home without worrying about your carbon footprint.

Fixing your own clothes

Do you have clothes that are torn and need fixing? Don’t go and buy a new one. You will be shocked at how much water is wasted in making your clothes. Instead, why not fix it yourself? There are great DIY tutorials online and you get to pick up a new hobby along the way.

Reusing everyday objects

Today’s waste is tomorrow’s treasure. Instead of throwing them away when it gets broken, maybe you can use them for some other purpose. Shoe boxes and old plastic bottles can become great containers. Old bottles can be used as flower vases. The possibility of change is limited only by your imagination.

The cost of sustainable living

You might be worried about sustainable living costing a lot of money. And there is some truth in that. When you begin, it might cost you a bit of money to set up your garden, install solar panels, or buy organic food. But in the long run, you will see your cost of living reduce massively. Yes, it is difficult to start your commitment to sustainable living. But honestly, it is worth it!

FAQs

Final Thoughts

I hope I have answered some of the questions you had about sustainable living and how to begin sustainable living. There are a lot of ways you can start living more sustainably but it is always better to start small. It is a big commitment and jumping before walking is not the way to go. Take your time and see how small changes make a big impact on your life. Together, let’s begin to live more sustainably.

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