Incorporating sustainable practices and building a more sustainable lifestyle can be easy and fun. Over the years I have incorporated more sustainable practices into our lives. We are by no means perfect, and there are so many more things we could be doing. Yet I have found, little things can make big impacts in your family and beyond. Progress over perfection and small individual actions lead to big changes over time. I also found that one change often leads to more and more changes over time. The older I get; the more sustainability seems to be. There are so many ways in which we can make a difference for which we only have to change a few simple things. If I learned something over the past few years, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. And progress is more important than perfection.
I am sharing 15 small and easy sustainable swaps. All of them are really easy to incorporate into your daily life and will save you money in the long run. Some of these are directly swapping one item for another, others are more practices that I have found to make a big difference.
15 Easy Sustainable Practices To Try This Year
1. Bring Reusable Bags to the Grocery Store
This is such an easy swap and couldn’t wait till we were able to bring our own again. I got some cute and functional bags that are not only practical but bring me joy as well. Now, I have them hanging by the garage door so when I leave all I have to do is grab them. I also have a foldable bag in my purse and in my car most of the time. It has really come in handy, and not only for groceries but other things too. Extend this practice to other stores like target too. Little items go in there, bigger items like toilet paper go straight into the car.
I also love giving these as gifts. It’s a great way to share sustainable practices as I think sometimes the biggest hurdle that keeps us from bringing our own bags is not having the right tools and habits.
To take it a step further, bring your own vegetable bags too. I just place loose vegetables in a reusable bag and then put them in veggie bags at check out after weighing them. I love my veggie bags as they keep my veggies or fruit much longer and eliminate the use of plastic bags from the grocery store.
2. Use a Reusable Water Bottle
Knowing that 8 million tons of plastic bottles end up in the ocean every year, this is such an easy and impactful swap to make. With so many options, there is bound to be one for everyone out there to love. Think about your need and preferences. If you’re always on the go, get one that fits easily in your bag. If you’re mostly home or in the car get one with a handle for easy carrying and drinking. My personal favorites are insulated bottles as they’ll keep my water nice and cold especially in the summer or I can add hot water if desired for various things. Only keep water or similar liquids in your water bottle as some (coffee or tea) tastes can linger and ruin the water drinking experience.
A little travel hack – refill your bottle with hot water at a coffee shop inside the airport so you can use it for instant oatmeal on the plane. I usually add nuts, seeds, and fruit to mine. A great easy breakfast on the go. Love this with kids too. To not give up my water bottle, I simply bring an extra small, insulated bottle that I fell with hot water.
3. Bring Your Own Mug to the Coffee Shop
Bring your reusable coffee mug to the coffee shop or make coffee at home – the most cost effective and sustainable way is to make your coffee right at home. But there is something about going to a coffee shop and getting a fancy coffee. I don’t know why, but it tastes so much better. Whenever possible, bring your own coffee mug. A drive through, especially a busy one, is more difficult. Best bet is to order inside.
4. Store Food in Reusable Containers
Investing in reusable food storage containers is not only better for the planet, but it will also save you money. I recommend investing in quality glass storage containers that are dishwasher, oven, and microwave save. Another neat feature is venting valves, but those without work just as well in my opinion. Glass is especially good for leftovers that you’ll reheat, put warm food into, and for acidic foods. Additionally, storing leftovers with tomato sauce, curry, or turmeric in glass containers won’t stain your containers and leave that ugly tint behind. Not only do glass containers often last longer than plastic ones, they can also be much more easily recycled at the end of life. Most importantly, glass is much better for your health and there is no leaching of plastic into your food.
A little advice on the side – my husband loves plastic for some unexplainable reason that he can’t explain himself. So, I try to anticipate what containers we’ll need for leftovers and lay those out or do that part of the kitchen cleanup.
5. Use Swedish Dishtowels or Other Reusable Dish Rags
Something new I am trying this year. I have always loved Swedish dish towels for wiping down the counters, but they are great to do the dishes as well. I also use a brush that kind of lives in my dishwasher. This was not a sustainable swap for me at first, it was more to get away from bacteria harboring sponges that I couldn’t wash. I highly recommend trying Swedish dish towels or dish rags. An easy way to eliminate waste and be more sustainable while also eliminating potential harmful bacteria. I have to admit, it took some getting used to and was not an instant love at first sight swap like some others.
6. Get Reusable Straws
Invest in 18/1 stainless steel straws that you can time and time again. Make sure your straw fits your cup and drink of choice. Medical grade silicone is another good option especially if you don’t like stiff metal or have little kids. Both often come with little brushes to clean them with too. If not invest in some as that is key to keeping them clean. I also put ours in the dishwasher and they’ve held up so well. Some even come in convenient packaging to take with you.
A few tips:
If you love smoothies, wide straws are perfect. Rinse them right away and don’t let it dry on! Makes cleaning your straws a breeze, if I’m on the road, I at least rinse them right away then wash them later.
For parties, we have a set with many different colors, so everyone just needs to remember the color of the straw.
To fit little kids bottles, I simply cut the silicone one to fit their cup.
7. Invest in Wool Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls are another easy sustainable swap that makes a big difference. It is a small investment, that will save you money almost immediately. Singel use dryer sheets produce large amounts of waste that takes a very long time to beak down. Wool dryer balls are also better for your dryer as they don’t give off waxes that block your sieve which can damage the dryer. Additionally, Dryer sheets often contain a lot of toxic chemicals and substances that transfer to our clothes. Considering the amount of time we spend in our clothes, and how close they’re to our body we want to avoid those if possible. As with so many other swaps, it’s not only good for the environment but our health as well.
8. Invest in Non-toxic Sustainable Cleaning Products
Buying new bottles for each different cleaning need really adds up in plastic bottles that need to be recycled or worse end up in landfills. As I was looking to simplify my cleaning routine, I came across a system that only required me to have one concentrate and several bottles that I could refill. I was skeptical at first, but it really works. I actually think it works better than conventional cleaners (sharing more thoughts here). To add some scent and natural antibacterial properties, I add several drops of Doterra’s On Guard essential oil. After using it for a while, a quick cost analysis has shown me that I am now actually saving money compared to how I was shopping before.
10. Simplify your consumption
The idea of only bringing into your home what sparks joy or are necessities is not a new concept. Yet we are stuck in an overconsumption pattern and often buy more than we need. Taking time to really figure out what sparks joy not only saves money but resources as well. I have a wish-list for different areas in our lives. I have one for my clothes, for household decor, and even kids’ toys. This simple practice has lowered my overall consumption and curbed many impulse buys at Target. Which is very good for my wallet and my soul.
I write down all needs that I identify, as well as items I see when out and about or online shopping. Unless it is an immediate need, e.g. the toaster broke and without toast we won’t survive our mornings, I take time and sit on it. If that item is still on my mind after a certain amount of time, I’ll add it to my purchase budget. It really is a very simple habit that has spilled over into so many areas of my life.
11. Have a solid Meal Planning Routine
Weekly dinner planning and shopping accordingly really limits food waste, saves money and reduced the daily “what do we have to eat” stress. I recently fell off the meal planning wagon again and it took me a while to figure out hwy. I love the process and have a good system but not the right meals. So that’s what I’m currently tackling and the few new meals I have implemented with a meal planning process has made those days so much easier! And we definitely eat out/ order food much less often. When I meal plan, I also noticed my weekly grocery bills are less. We only go shopping with a list, but if that list doesn’t accurately represent what meals you’re making it is easy to waste money and resources.
If you are not sure how to start, I recommend reading this book. It has so many great tips and lays out tangible ways to make the process easier and work for you and your lifestyle. This is one of the sustainable practices with the most positive impact on our daily rhythm as a family.
12. Ditch your Swiffer
Ditch your Swiffer and other single use cleaning tools and invest in quality multi-use tools. Every time you put a new sheet on your Swiffer, you create waste. Instead of continuously buying Swiffer pads invest in a HEPA vacuum, and a mop where you can easily wash the mop pad. I simply bought reusable pads that fit on our Swiffer which I have been using for a couple years now. We also use wet microfiber clothes for dusting and cleaning bathroom surfaces. I also have designated kitchen rags we use. If you want to learn more about our cleaning routine, I am sharing my favorite products and practices in this post.
13. Run Dishwasher only when Full
Dishwashers unlike washing machines always need the same amount of water regardless of how full they are. Yes, you can change some of the settings, but most often we utilize both lower and upper racks and many off the other settings are only additional functions. Considering that we use the same amount of water, it makes sense to try to run it only when it is full. We can easily go 2-3 days until our dishwasher is full which means we are saving at least 1 days’ worth of water and energy. Another small change that has a big compound effect over time.
14. Engage in Sustainable Laundry Practices
Wash your clothes only if they need it and on the lowest temperature setting necessary to get the clothes clean. Generally, most clothes only need to be washed on cold. Not only is this better for the environment but it will help your clothes last longer, leading to less clothes waste and is good for your wallet at the same time. The same goes for drying your clothes. Using a drying rack helps your clothes last longer while also saving energy. Read this post on more helpful tips on how to properly wash your laundry.
15. Add live greenery to your home
There are several studies that live plants not only better the air quality, but also enhance our mood. Not to forget what a great practice it is to get kids involved in the care of indoor and outdoor plants and vegetables. The production of fake plants incorporates a lot of toxic chemicals that often end up in our environment. Even worse, as they break down over time, we breath in microparticles that our fake plants shed. I love seeing our plants grow and change. The occasional bloom at different times of the year is an added bonus that sparks so much joy. This is one of my favorite sustainable practices I incorporated. However, I understand real plants aren’t for everyone. If you are choosing fake plants, opt for more sustainable options.
I am not including cut flowers when talking about plants. While I love having beautiful bouquets, they come at a high environmental cost. Unless you get them from your own garden or a local sustainable farm which is a very different story indeed. For flowers it is worth to do some research and find a great local place to buy seasonal flowers from.