Living a sustainable lifestyle will help you to reduce your carbon footprint and live a healthier lifestyle. Starting out with a sustainable lifestyle can be confusing until you figure out all that you should be doing. Fortunately, once you do some of the things below, you can greatly help the environment and yourself.
1. Grow a Garden
One of the best things that you can do for a sustainable lifestyle is to grow a garden. Growing a garden will allow you to have your food right out your door. You can control what kind of seeds you use, and you can avoid harmful pesticides and fertilizers that harm the environment. Now, you might say that you live somewhere where you cannot have a garden. This is not true. You can garden anywhere. You do not have to have an acre of land to garden. You can garden in a condo, apartment, or even a tiny home. If you live in one of these small areas, all you will need to do is to a container garden. A container garden allows you to still grow all the herbs and veggies that you want without having to worry about having a large space.
2. Get Rid of Plastics
Using plastics, especially single-use plastics, greatly harm our environment. These items are not biodegradable and just sit in our landfills or end up in our oceans. Consider doing things like getting reusable water bottles and bags. Try to switch out all of your single-use plastics for items that can be used over again. Try to eliminate other plastics out of your life too.
3. Get in Touch with Nature
One of the biggest ways that you can start to work on sustainability is to get back in touch with nature. By getting in touch with nature, you can appreciate the beauty. This will make you want to work on your sustainability. Do things like going camping to help you get back in touch with nature. Going to New York campsites can allow you to have fun while seeing how the world is without having to use plastics and other things that may hurt the environment. Some people have been very inspired to live out in nature. They have realized that they can live without some of the things in their life to help protect both themselves and the environment.
4. Cut Out Chemicals
One of the biggest pollutants in our world are chemicals. Chemicals can be found in everything you use. From soap to household cleaners, these can all harm the environment. Consider switching out chemical cleaners for organic. For example, instead of using a chemically-laden cleanser to clean your kitchen, switch to vinegar. It cleans just as well as any other cleaner without the harsh chemicals. You should also consider switching out your laundry detergent for an organic one. Avoid using dryer sheets as they are full of chemicals. Switch to using a dryer ball instead. Consider switching out your soap and body wash for ones that you have made yourself or purchased from someone that makes them. Most commercial soaps contain detergent, which is laden with chemicals. Switching them out can help to save the environment.
5. Lower Energy Use
Cutting down on your energy use can help as well. You will want to be sure that all of your appliances are energy efficient. For example, if you have an old furnace, you may want to consider getting it updated as newer ones are more energy-efficient. You can also do things like not using your microwave frequently to help decrease your energy bill. If it is within your means, consider upgrading your power system to solar. Solar energy can allow you to save money and avoid using a lot of energy. If you cannot switch to solar, do things like lowering your thermostat during the winter and raising it during the summer. Also, you may want to consider decreasing your water usage to help protect the environment. This is especially true if you use a well pump or you are on city water.
By doing the things above, you can reduce your carbon footprint. Doing these five things will also help you to be healthier. Consider adopting all of these things in your life to increase your sustainability.
