Five Small Things You Can Do To Start Living More Sustainably

When you think of sustainable living, you may think of all of your trash for one year fitting in a jar or never using a single piece of plastic again. Both of these are typically unrealistic. However, there are a few small ways you can begin your sustainability journey in a less overwhelming way than diving headfirst and making huge commitments.

  1. Bring Reusable Bags

You have probably heard this one a lot before. Many stores already lean into this, like Aldi, which committed to ending their use of plastic grocery bags. This swap may be one of the simplest things you can do. If you have all those tote bags in your closet that you have no idea what to do with, take them shopping.


Bring them shopping and use them instead of plastic grocery bags. One easy way to never forget them at home is to leave them in your car. Leaving them in your vehicle will allow you to start making the change from plastic bags to reusable bags.

  1. Swap, Don’t Shop

Get your items second-hand.


There are many communities online based around trading their items with each other. Swapping allows people to get the things they need, like a new dress or a microwave but cuts out the consumerism.


You can also organize a clothes swap between friends if you wear similar sizes. You may have something perfect for your friend, and they may have something perfect for you.


Instead of both of you going out and buying those items, you are using things that you already own and giving them a longer life. Buy second-hand whenever you can, but never feel bad if you cannot.

  1. Walk or Bike More

Walking or biking instead of taking your car is not accessible for everyone. It may be impossible to take your bike instead of your car if you are disabled or live in rural areas.


Those who can ditch their car for a bit should consider it. Cars both create pollution and use a non-renewable resource as fuel. Making gasoline contributes to global warming. 


Using public transportation instead of driving can also help you live more sustainably. The more cars we can get off the streets, the better.


It will decrease traffic and push cities to become more pedestrian friendly. Many United States cities lack well-maintained sidewalks or safe crossings for their pedestrians, which limits them to only using a car for their safety.


If enough people do this, it could push for a larger change, which is one of the most important goals.

  1. Eat Less Meat and Dairy

Eating less meat and dairy will contribute to a more sustainable life because dairy and meat production is responsible for much pollution. Cutting out meat and dairy is not attainable for many people.


If you do not eat meat every day, you can challenge yourself to go another day more without meat or dairy than you typically do. You can challenge yourself to one day without meat if you do eat meat every day.


Even the little things count, especially during your journey to more sustainable living.

  1. Use Natural Light

During the day, you can cut back on your electricity use by opening your curtains and letting in the natural light from the sun instead of turning on your lights. If you do this every day until the sun sets, you will spend considerably less time idly using energy to light your house.


You may even see a decrease in your utility bills. Doing this for a few hours each day can make an impact on both the environment and yourself. Sunshine is good for you, after all.

The Bottom Line

Whether you do one or all, these five steps can help you make your way into sustainable living in simple ways that do not require immediate, dramatic lifestyle changes.


Sustainable living also needs to be sustainable for yourself. Never feel bad about slowly picking up habits and sustainable swaps. Everyone works at their own pace. Even just a small change can help a lot.

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