Living a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t have to be mean massive changes to how you live. We wanted to share ten easy ways you can live a more sustainable lifestyle (aside from being a member of Bwyd Da Mon!). Even if you’re only able to take one of these small changes and make it part of your day that’s a massive achievement. And as you get used to these things and they become part of your routine, you can start to introduce more and more little changes.
1. Recycle everything you can
We know most people are already recycling, but are there things that end up in the bin as you don’t know if you can recycle them or not? It would be a great time to start putting a little bit of extra time into finding out if you can recycle certain plastics or washing out empty containers to make sure they’re able to be recycled.
2. Get yourself a reusable water bottle
Having your own reusable water bottle is a great way to reduce waste by meaning you don’t have to reach for the plastic bottle every time you need water on the go. You can even get some really pretty ones- we love these Chillys ones
3. Start using reusable straws
Plastic has been found in an estimated of 90% of all seabirds and in all turtle species. Recycling and disposing of rubbish properly can help reduce what goes to landfill and where rubbish ends up, but even better than that is stopping using plastic straws. If you love to have your drinks through a straw how about swapping for a metal, reusable one? You can get them in most supermarkets or how about these ones from the National Trust that come with their own cleaning brush?
4. Swap kitchen roll for reusable cloths
Even though kitchen roll might be easy and quick to use, swapping kitchen roll for reusable cloths is a great way to reduce how much you’re throwing away. You can put your cloths through the washing machine when they get dirty and keep reusing.
5. Remember your reusable bag
When going shopping make sure you remember your reusable bag. Reducing the amount of plastic bags you use is a great change you can make for the environment and also means you don’t need to take up space at home storing used plastic bags!
6. Shop local
Where possible shopping locally can reduce your food air miles and also mean you eat more seasonal produce. Eating seasonal produce helps to reduce your carbon footprint by buying foods that are grown or produced locally. Not only is seasonal produce great for the environment but is also full of nutrients. Seasonal produce is harvested at its peak so retains all its nutritional value.
7. Grow your own
Last week we shared ways to reuse your scraps to grow new plants. This is a great way of living more sustainably as you produce new things to eat from scraps you would have otherwise thrown away. You can also grow vegetables, fruits and herbs for yourself using seeds. Even if you don’t have lots of outdoor space, or any garden at all, you can grow plenty of herbs inside on a windowsill.
8. Swap clingfilm for beeswax wraps
To help reduce the amount of single use plastics you use at home you can use beeswax wraps to protect your food. Even better you can get these from a brilliant local business on Anglesey- take a look here!
9. Take a look in vintage and charity shops
Ever heard the phrase ‘one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure’? Take time to look in charity shops and vintage shops to help reduce the environmental impact of your wardrobe. By buying second hand clothing, or even donating your old clothes, you’re able to get more life out of one piece of clothing. What’s even better, is that alongside being more sustainable, you might find some new pieces to wear that you love!
10. Walk any journeys you can
If you’re heading out and only popping round the corner, don’t pick up the car keys and instead walk to where you’re going. Not only are you reducing your emissions but also increasing the amount of exercise you’re doing during the day. By reducing the amount of times you use the car for smaller trips you can make a big difference to your carbon footprint overall.
There are so many more ways you can live a more sustainable lifestyle but we think these ideas are a great place to start. We’d love to hear if there’s anything you’re doing to be a little bit kinder to the environment?
Bwyd Da Mon x