To keep our planet clean, reducing the waste that we use and produce every day is a step that must be taken. To maintain a sustainable lifestyle, there are numerous ways to change your everyday habits, some that will even save you money. We must start caring about our planet and think green. Here are 5 tips on how to live a simple sustainable lifestyle:
1. Reusable Straws
Whether it is compostable paper or metal straw, this is a great way to eliminate the plastic from entering the landfills and into the ocean. Many sea turtles get straws stuck up their noses and cannot remove it on their own. It is important to prevent this from happening. Also, reusable straws are very easy to carry in backpacks, purses, or duffle bags as they are light and take up little room. Buying the set with the brush is an easy clean and to be reused repeatedly at home or on the go.
2. Reusable Bags
Carrying reusable bags to grocery stores, department stores, or to a mall is a way to reduce the abundance of plastic bags that are handed when purchasing items at a store. Keeping different sized bags with you when you are shopping and in your car, will be the best way to not forget no matter how big the shopping trip is.
3. Water Bottle
It is time to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles now. The water bottle hype, especially HydroFlasks, can be used to keep your water cold all day. If you are constantly on the go and like to have water handy always, a reusable water bottle reduces the plastic and the burden of carrying multiple around whenever traveling. Coffee shops and restaurants are becoming friendlier when wanting to use their water for filling up, and the workers will be more than happy to fill you up.
4. Beeswax paper
Rather than using plastic saran wrap or plastic ziplock bags to cover leftovers or take food on the go, you can use reusable beeswax paper that can be washed after each use. These one time use items start to fill up landfills and take thousands of years to break down. Instead, you can use something that is organic, made from natural resources and once it is no longer working, it could be broken down into compost.
5. Recycling Clothes
Shopping at stores, such as Goodwill, reduces what will go into landfills by being in a new home. Hand me downs from friends and family are another way to keep it out. Clothing items are constantly being made for fast fashion that the number of clothing items being thrown away and adding to pollution is at an alarming rate. So, by shopping at hand me down type stores will reduce the amount in the landfills.