Sustainability Doesn’t Have To Be Overwhelming: 10 Simple, Easy Sustainable Swaps to Make Today
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the doomsday warnings about climate change and simply want to stick your head in the sand.
I studied environmental science for 4 years in college, and it was wildly depressing a lot of the time.
I know how it feels to be overwhelmed by how terrible everything seems and how powerless you feel. To understand that climate justice is social justice, because climate change disproportionately affects BIPOC individuals and disproportionately harms people who are disadvantaged. To know that corporations are responsible for about 90% of the emissions on this planet. To feel like you’re just a tiny drop--no, a molecule actually--in a very big bucket, and what you do doesn’t matter.
Well it does. What you do matters.
You cannot and will not do everything perfectly, but that’s not the goal here.
So what does all of this mean?
It means start small, and do the best we can in our personal lives, while also educating ourselves and taking action on a more macro, global scale.
If you do nothing else:
Buy Less — Use what you already own, reuse containers and resources, and purchase with intention and thought.
Educate Yourself — There are a million and one resources out there for you to self-educate! Start with a simple google search related to what area of sustainability you want to learn more about: “sustainable travel tips,” “sustainable diet tips,” etc.
Vote. — With your dollar, with your attention, with your time, and with your rights. We know that policy makes an enormous impact on climate change from an individual to corporate to governmental level. Research your candidates’ stances on environmental issues, write your representatives, and get involved with lobbying efforts (speaking as someone who worked in lobbying for 3 years).
Above all, don’t strive for perfection — it’s impossible. Strive to show up, do your best, and keep trying.
How to Make More Sustainable Choices in Your Personal Life
Sometimes it can feel like we’re not welcome in the sustainability club if we’re not 100% living off-the-grid with a composting toilet and our own veggie gardens. But sustainability privilege is a real thing, and there is also room for everyone and all lifestyles at the sustainability table—the key is figuring out how to make it work with YOUR realities.
For example: I’ve grown up with a ton of privilege, and while travel is the thing that makes me happiest in life, it’s also highly polluting (the way most people do it). So, because I have the means to do so, I carbon-offset all of my trips and take other steps outlined below, but that doesn’t give me free-rein to keep emitting tonnes of carbon. I’m also making changes in my personal life and am working toward a slower, more sustainable style of travel.
And yes, some sustainable swaps are less convenient than their environmentally-harmful counterparts (i.e. making your own snacks vs. buying a bag of popcorn). But it’s also never been easier (or chic-er) to practice sustainability thanks to some well-designed products to make your life easier. I’ve linked a bunch of my favorites below (some of them may be affiliate links) so yes, get a reusable straw to #savetheturtles, but also dig a little deeper!
Don’t let shame, guilt, or overwhelm keep you from engaging in new sustainable practices. There’s something for everyone here! So I want you to pick at least ONE of the following suggestions that is new to you, and join me in implementing it:
Food
Get Reusable Produce Bags for the Grocery Store
We all know it’s best to bring our own reusable grocery bags, but have you thought about produce? I’ve always felt like it’s ridiculous that we put our produce in plastic bags to protect them from the shopping cart and the checkout conveyor belt. Do you know how many places and people touched that apple before you?? 😂 Buy a set of mesh reusable produce bags (bonus if they’re non-plastic muslin produce bags) and wash your fruit like you normally would at home. TBH, when I forget my bags, I just put it right in the cart because I know it’s not pristine when I pick it up anyway.
2. Get a cute composter and cut down on food waste.
Take a hard look at how much food you throw out, including: leftovers, food scraps on your plate, offcuts from food prep, etc. Now think about how it can decompose quickly and return nutrients to the soil, yet we tie it up in little plastic bags that basically don’t decompose and throw it into landfill for thousands of years. thousandddds.
Makes you die a little inside doesn’t it.
Enter: composting!
No garden? No problem! A lot of cities now have municipal composting programs—just do a quick google search. Knowing what happens in landfills (which, btw, off-gas their own greenhouse gases like methane), PLUS learning that the nutrient quality of our topsoil is degrading because we aren’t returning food scraps to the ground (and commercial farming practices but that’s another story), it’s enough to convince anyone to compost.
So get your hands on a chic composter like this one, which we use at home, and start returning those nutrients to the soil.
3. Cook More, and Save Packaging-Heavy Takeout as a Treat
We all get cravings for takeout or have those nights where we just don’t have the energy to cook — and that’s cool! But buying fast food or takeout means more packaging, which means more waste. Instead, try a new recipe or buy yourself a beautiful cookbook you’re excited about. Sheet pan and one-pot meals are also an easy go-to when you’re feeling lazy.
4. Buy in Bulk
Not only is the bulk section more environmentally-friendly, it’s also kinder on your wallet. You can use old pasta jars, mason jars, metal containers, or other non-plastic containers to pick up staples like nuts, beans, grains, or condiments like olive oil and maple syrup. Bonus: search for a local no-waste or low-waste store in your area! If you prefer to shop online, check out this post on zero waste online stores by Sustainable Jungle.
5. Get a reusable straw, mug, and cutlery.
Start with the things we most often order out: food, coffee, and other drinks.
👜 Here are my picks for chic design and affordability:
Final Straw collapsible keychain straw (comes with a collapsible cleaning brush)
This chic gold reusable cutlery set (includes a straw and cleaner)
My personal favorite: the collapsible Stojo mug, which has traveled with me to 10+ countries
A cute, reusable ceramic mug with silicone sleeve
Even something as simple as handing over your tumbler to be refilled with coffee, or refusing the plastic straw or plastic spoon (because you brought your own) can go a long way to combatting things like this:
Sustainable Lifestyle Swaps
6. Make Ethical Clothing Choices
The fashion industry is the second most pollutive industry. So whether it’s thrifting, buying secondhand on Depop or Poshmark, or buying from eco-conscious clothing brands with sustainability initiatives (beware of greenwashing), the clothes we buy can have a huge impact.
Buying in person is the best option, since online shipping is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. However, it’s not always easy to find ethical brands or the things you need. I also find that sometimes it’s tough to discover ethical brands that aren’t super hippy dippy (no shade, but that’s not my style). So some of my favorite ethical clothing brands include:
The Detox Market: my go-to one-stop-shop for all things clean beauty.
The Reformation: plenty of cute, feminine pieces but pricey.
Everlane: great for conscious staples, with awesome corporate transparency.
Thinx Period Underwear - period underwear does not feel or smell gross, and it’ll change your life and divert a lifetime of period waste from landfill. ‘nuff said.
Skatie for swimwear
Dreamers and Drifters: a slow fashion boutique based in Australia with cute dresses.
Numi for eco-conscious basics.
Frank and Oak: great neutrals from a certified B Corp.
Will and Bear: Australia hat company (are we seeing a pattern here?) — ten trees planted for each hat sold.
Etsy! Buying from small makers means your dollar has a greater impact, and all the better if you support a small, BIPOC- or woman-led sustainable biz!
7. Opt for a More Sustainable Period
The average menstruator has 400-500 periods in their lifetime. That’s a LOT of plastic waste and cotton (a highly-sprayed, water-intensive crop) that goes into landfill.
Instead, I’ve invested in a menstrual cup and a set of period underwear which are not only more earth-friendly, they also make my period SO much easier. I barely even think about it. Just put in the 12-hour cup, slip on some underwear, and head out for my day.
I’ve used and recommended Thinx period underwear for years: get your first set here.
8. Conserve Water.
Water is going to be the scarcest resource of our lifetime if we don’t change our ways, with experts projecting water wars in the near future. And for every 100 gallons of water we clean at municipal facilities, about 1 gallon becomes practically unusable wastewater. Do your part by:
Taking shorter showers (or turning off the water while you lather up)
Being mindful of how long you run the tap when washing your face/brushing teeth
Better yet, see if you can install a low-flow shower head, or a low-water toilet (next level? composting toilets — which don’t actually stink if you do it right!)
Planting low-water plants in your garden and reconsidering whether you really need to water your lawn (especially if you live in a water-scarce area like the Southwest United States)
Investing in a water catchment system/rain barrel like this one (that has 2,500+ ratings at 4.5 stars) for gardening, showering, or purifying to drink.
If you don’t share a bathroom with family/roommates and it doesn’t bother you, consider practicing “if it’s yellow let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”
9. Ditch Plastic As Much As Possible.
Plastics are convenient, but they are also:
Trashing beaches and killing marine life all over the world
A highly polluting industry that uses carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals that are toxic to humans (sure, we have BPA-free, but what did they then replace BPA with?)
Made from oil & gas - an industry that disproportionately harms BIPOC individuals and the climate (and climate change disproportionately harms BIPOC individuals globally, too). Climate justice is racial justice is social justice.
I get it, I still have plastic in my life because that’s unfortunately how our world is still set up. So when I can’t avoid it everywhere, I try to:
Ask restaurants if they use plastic or compostable takeout containers, and tell them I don’t need any sauces or plastic forks, etc.
Reduce and reuse as much as possible — for example, the plastic bag you took home from the grocery store? Use it to line your bathroom trash can.
Bring reusable drink + foodware with you wherever you go. Keep some in your car.
Swap plastic containers for glass containers at home (bonus: better for your hormones, with fewer endocrine-disrupting chemicals)
Say no to single use plastic. Do you really need the iced coffee, or could you wait until you got home to make your own? Or better yet, could you run to your car to get your reusable tumbler?
10. Offset Your Carbon Emissions
Step 1: Emit less carbon.
Step 2: Offset the carbon you do emit.
A lot of sustainably-minded people are split on this. On the one hand, offsetting our emissions can make us feel like it’s fine to keep polluting and sometimes you can’t always vet the projects you’re investing in. On the other, I think we can do it mindfully by investing in quality carbon-offsetting projects while working towards reducing our overall emissions.
I personally have a recurring monthly offset with 8 Billion Trees and Wren because they focus on transparency and show you where your money is having an impact.
You can also just calculate your carbon footprint here, if you’re interested.
Most of all: just start somewhere.
These may not be life-changing or earth-shattering swaps, but that’s kind of the point. Start small and see how easy it actually is to start being more sustainable when we become more mindful.
So pick one today, get a buddy involved, and start caring a little more for mama earth 🌍 😊 ❤️
