This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Winona chapter.
Over the last decade or so, our Earth’s climate has taken a turn for the worse. Some places are starting on fire, and the oceans are being polluted. Soon enough, we won’t have a comfortable place to live if we do not start changing our habits now! Living a sustainable lifestyle sounds intimidating, but trust me when I say that small steps can lead to a big difference.
Here are 5 ways to be more environmentally friendly and work towards living a sustainable lifestyle:
- Prioritize reusable metal straws over plastic straws. This is one of the easiest switches to make in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle. With some packs as cheap as $5, metal straws are an inexpensive switch. Think about how many times you go through the drive-thru at a fast-food chain. Substituting a plastic straw with a metal straw can reduce your plastic intake immensely. One single straw might not seem like too much of an impact, however, if you accumulate all the straws you use up in a year, it can eventually add up.
- Glass over plastic storage containers. Personally, I love leftovers. However, if you are a neat freak like I am, plastic food containers can become stained very easily. Sometimes the hot food can also melt the plastic. On top of that, putting those containers in the dishwasher can also ruin the shape of them. I recently made the switch from plastic food storage containers to glass ones. They are higher quality and will last you years.
- Upcycled clothing over new clothing. Upcycling clothing means to take older/used clothing and transform it into something new. This is an opportunity to show your creative side. Maybe cutting the sleeves a certain way or sewing a different color fabric onto your clothes can make it look brand new. The average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing a year. Just because something is out of style or not in season doesn’t mean you should toss it away; show your creative side and switch up your clothing! Don’t let your clothing go into the landfill.
- Reusable bags over plastic bags. The majority of the time when you go grocery shopping, you don’t really think about how many plastic bags you are using. Investing in reusable bags can reduce your plastic consumption drastically. Imagine how many plastic bags from Walmart you go through in a month. What about a year? Reusable bags are inexpensive and leaving them in your car is an easy way to remember to bring them inside when you go shopping.
- Reusable dryer balls over laundry sheets. Like the other options listed, dryer balls are very inexpensive, and they are a good first step into living a more sustainable lifestyle. Not only are they easier to manage, but it saves you money over the course of time. Why wouldn’t you want to help the earth while also helping your wallet? It is a win-win for everyone.
Living a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to be perfect right away, but making these small changes can help you become more environmentally friendly. Reduce your plastic consumption and reuse what you have. It is a great feeling to be kind to the earth!