You should probably stop avoiding thinking about sustainability and start actually doing something about it.

Around 2017, I started being really conscious of how much was waste as human beings because it was finally brought to my attention.

Did you know that around 1.3 billion ton of food is wasted, worldwide, each year? Or that 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s? Have you been to the beach lately?? Because 73% of the litter is plastic. Only 30% (of the 75%) of recyclable materials are actually recycled.
**The above stats were found here and are from 2019**

I knew that I was but just one mere mortal but I knew that I wanted to take steps to better my carbon footprint. I am not perfect and I’d never ever label myself as a “Zero Waster”. I would absolutely love to get to that point someday in my life, but I’m not there yet. My New Years Resolution in 2018 (back when I still believed in those) was to be more sustainable. My mistake was probably doing everything all at once and it was overwhelming and hard (not to mention expensive). So don’t make my mistake.

Instead, maybe spend the next 6 – 12 months slowly easing yourself into it. Do 2 things a month or just 1 thing a month! Either way, you’re on your way to trying to make the world a better place. Below, I’m sharing 12 things that I’ve personally done – some do cost money up front, some do not, and some you’re already spending money on so you really can just shift over to a different thing to buy. You do what works for you, your family, and what works with your budget. I’m also sharing options from Amazon, which is something I’m trying not to use so often BUT it is super easy to share and maybe you’ll click the link… and find the item somewhere else!

1. Stop buying plastic bottles of liquid you drink – especially plastic water bottles! Go buy yourself a good water bottle (I personally love my Hydroflask that I bought in 2017 and still use regularly – but you can certainly find much cheaper ones). You can also get “flavored” water packets (we use the Gatorade ones) – which are usually plastic, but a lot less so than all the plastic bottles.
2. Get yourself some cloth napkins. We stopped using paper napkins and paper towels as napkins back in 2019 and purchased a set of 12 cloth napkins. We still use those napkins today.
3. Get some reusable storage containers and kitchen items. This can be pricy and I won’t lie and say I don’t use gallon sized plastic freezer bags (disclaimer: I do wash them out and re-use them until there are holes – which is another tip – don’t throw out what you have or are given, just use it as much as possible). This can also include those glass jars you buy food in! Keep those and continually use them. This also helps when buy things in bulk – I buy rice in 5lb bags and keep it in outside pantry. Inside, I have a glass jar full of rice that I just fill up. Along with this, you can buy beeswax or other reusable options instead of cling wrap. You can also get liners to put down in pans instead of using parchment paper.
4. Get yourself some wool balls for your dryer. You’ll speed up your drying time (which brings down your electricity bill) and you can add your own essential oils if you’d like.
5. Instead of buying tea bags, buy yourself some loose leaf tea and a strainer. I use so many different strainers because I’m a tea freak. But this one is probably one of the easiest I’ve used.
6. Save every single veggie scrap, chicken carcass, and the shells from shrimp so you can make stock from it. These are kitchen scraps you’re likely to throw away anyway. I save up the veggies and shrimp shells until I have a full freezer bag. Simply throw your scraps in a large soup pot, cover with water, and let it cook for a while. Then you can freeze it. (I know you can do this with beef broth and even turkey carcasses, but I haven’t tried either of those.)
7. If you have a job that offers snacks/food at work, instead of using plastic/paper plates and bowls, bring something you already own from home. Simply wash that everyday instead. I even bring a towel to dry my stuff each day.
8. Save old kitchen and bath towels to be clean up rags! I know these things can’t last forever but you can give it a second life by saving them. I cut up larger towels into smaller ones so they can be more easily used. We even save old t-shirts that aren’t good enough to donate to use as rags as well.
9. Start buying things second hand when possible. Books, kitchen supplies, clothing, home/office decor. There can be a treasure trove in your local thrift stores. I know there are plenty of people who do want their stuff to match (absolutely not me) and that is possible – it’s just hard work.
10. Get yourself re-usable cotton pads. I use these mostly for toner because I use coconut oil for my makeup remover (just smear it on my face, wash it, and dry with a towel). I bought a pack of 20 in 2018 and I still have that exact pack. Along those lines, look into re-usable period items. They have both underwear and Diva cups.
11. When you’re buying food, it can be cheaper to buy things in bulk. You can find recipes for the whole week that will use up that food, make more of the one recipe and then freeze some of it, OR have a go to “clean the fridge out” recipe for the end of the week! Either way, be more conscious of the food you’re throwing out.
12. Use your library. I personally am trying to get so much better with buying books and renting movies — both of which cost money. You can do that, FOR FREE, at the library. There’s also so much you can do at the library, FOR FREE, that I never really think about (our library has a whole bike repair station in front of it). You’re giving back to your community, not spending any money, and helping the world be a little more sustainable.

You will figure out what works for you and you’ll make compromises. Is it annoying to tell my fellow co-workers every single (in office) day at lunch that I bring my own container because I don’t want to use the paper ones? Yes. Incredibly. Is it so much easier to buy make-up wipes because at least I don’t have to wash those? Yes. It’s way easier. Am I totally over doing dishes literally all the time? No, actually cause I listen to my book/podcast at that time so it’s whatever. You’ll find what you’re willing to do and not do. I still have paper towels and I use them (although, we’ve absolutely cut down our paper towel budget by at least 80% since we don’t use them very often). I just bought Vitamin water (which comes in a plastic container) on my roadtrip because I always forget that LA water tastes like rotten eggs. No one is perfect and shit happens. Give yourself grace.

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What are some of your favorite sustainability hacks/resources/ideas? Share them in the comments below!