It’s so easy to sit there and claim that you can’t afford sustainable living. After all, new energy-efficient windows, solar panels and electric vehicles aren’t exactly everyday priced items. But we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again. Small ripples create big waves and the small ripples are what we’re here to create – it’s what is sustainable and affordable. So here are some alternative ways to live sustainably that perhaps you haven’t considered yet. You don’t need to always be buying something to help the environment.
1. Use less energy
There are plenty of reasons to be using less energy lately. The cost of living crisis has certainly left many of us thinking twice before leaving a TV on standby overnight. But less for us is more for the planet. Think of all the resources your energy pulls upon in order to light your home. Every single kilowatt used in the process of getting it from the source to your home is also having an effect on the environment. So using less energy can have a dramatic impact on helping the environment.
It’s a broad statement – use less energy. But here’s how you can do it. Keep all your sockets turned off, even the ones for your oven and extractor fans – they’re not needed all the time. Lighting isn’t needed unless you’re in the room. We’ve left our oven pizzas to cook in the dark while we sit in the other room! Especially when you leave for work in the morning or head to bed at night; the only things that should be left on are your fridge and freezer.
2. Use less water
Notice how we say use less water not just waste less water. For years now the message about wasting water has been hammered home, much like recycling. We know that wasting water is bad for the environment but using less of it, now that’s a relatively new concept. So why is it good for the environment?
Water supplies aren’t a constant flow and of course, delivering it to your home uses energy but what really makes a difference is using less hot water. Did you know that 12% of your energy bill can be attributed to heating hot water? Using less water in the shower for example can be a great way to live more sustainably on two fronts. Less water and less energy.
3. Make transport sustainable
We know when we mentioned sustainable living earlier we said we weren’t talking about electric vehicles. Don’t worry, we haven’t changed our minds! But we do think far too often we opt for convenience and put it ahead of sustainable living. If we need something quickly from the local shop, how often are you opting to jump in the car quickly rather than walk there?
There are plenty of ways to make transport more sustainable too. Car sharing has become increasingly popular as fuel prices soar. But also, as the evenings get lighter and brighter, we see more people choose to cycle to work or on the weekends rather than opting for the car. Is this something you could adopt?
4. Stop buying things
Everything has a carbon footprint attached to it. It means that everything we do or buy has an impact on our environment. It sounds incredibly simple, and it is, but buying fewer items will help you with sustainable living. Before you pick up a random gift at the store, grab a few extra treats you don’t need or buy more shoes because they look nice. Think twice. These unnecessary purchases are what increase your carbon footprint. By reducing all of these extra expenses and keeping your purchases to the essentials you’ll create a whole new way of sustainable living without even realising it. Plus, you’ll save lots of money too!
5. Eliminate food waste
Food waste is potentially your biggest hurdle to overcome when it comes to sustainable living. You see, getting the food to your home is similar to getting most products to your home. But food waste then creates a bigger and more impactful carbon footprint when it’s thrown away. This means you potentially double down on your carbon footprint by not eating the food you purchase in the first place… wasting money as well.
It’s difficult to say the best method to reduce food waste because honestly, so many of us will barely recognise that we do it. But writing down your weekly meal ingredients, buying only those ingredients, cooking and eating them all, and freezing anything left over. Sustainable living with food waste can also be considered as being super organised with your food shop.
If you’re looking for new ideas to live sustainably, these five are the perfect places to begin. We know doing them all at once probably isn’t going to be a realistic way to change your lifestyle. So, as always start slow and small, pick one of these new sustainable living ideas and perfect it before selecting another one.
