With increased awareness of environmental issues, more people have made it a priority to live a more sustainable lifestyle. While most begin by recycling more often and wasting less, they don’t know what else they can do to make a difference. Fortunately, there’s a long list of ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle for a healthier future.

How Can You Get Started?

Sustainable living is more approachable than ever before. In addition to books and online guides, most people in your community can also help you out with advice. However, if you want to take small steps right now, the tips below can help. These are easy to implement into your everyday life without impacting your comfort.

1. Eat Local Food

Eating locally reduces the distance that food has to travel, which is excellent for the environment. What’s even better is the fact that most local farmers treat animals humanely and use fewer pesticides in growing vegetables, which means the food will ultimately be healthier for you and your family.

If you want to plant your own garden, try these easy-to-grow foods first:

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Carrots

2. Dry Your Clothes Outside

If you have a backyard, then try hanging up a clothesline to dry your clothes during the warmer months of the year. The biggest benefit is that you’ll save a considerable amount of money when compared to using your traditional dryer. However, you’ll also be lowering your household’s carbon footprint, which is greatly beneficial to the environment.

3. Drive Less

Carpooling is an effective way of reducing air pollution, especially if you’re driving with several people. You can also try walking to more places or riding your bike instead of driving, when possible. Any time that you avoid driving you’ll be doing something beneficial for the environment while also reducing the wear and tear on your vehicle.

4. Resell or Donate Your Belongings

Instead of throwing your unwanted items in the garbage on the next trash day, try selling them or giving them away. Someone else may very well want what you do not. This doesn’t take much time and can save quite a few things from going into landfills.

5. Take Shorter Showers

Time your showers so that they only last a few minutes. This saves water and reduces the amount of time your water heater has to heat up the water.

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6. Recycle

Recycling each day will become second nature once you get used to tossing your items in the proper bin. From the boxes that your deliveries come in, to the bottles and cans you drink from, the more you recycle, the better it is for the environment.

7. Re-Use Bags

If you have plastic bags around the house, try re-using them for various needs around the house. It’s also useful to invest in reusable shopping bags, which are sturdier than traditional plastic bags so they can hold more food during each shopping trip.

8. Sign up for Paperless Bills

If you haven’t already, sign up for paperless billing with any bills you get on a regular basis.

9. Reduce Energy Use

In your home, you can reduce energy use by drawing your blinds when it’s hot, putting on extra layers when it’s cold, and turning lights off when you leave rooms. LED light bulbs are also well worth investing in.

10. Stop Using Plastic Cutlery

Avoid taking plastic cutlery when dining out or eating on-the-go. Plastic snack bags should also be traded in for versions that can be washed and used again.

11. Stop Buying New Clothes

Try shopping at second-hand clothing stores rather than buying new. You can also ask to trade clothes with friends or family to avoid waste.

12. Stop Buying Bottled Water

Instead, invest in reusable water bottles or cups that you can wash.

Why Is Sustainable Living Important?

Living a sustainable lifestyle helps improve the quality of the environment by reducing pollution and the number of toxins in the air. This type of lifestyle can also reduce waste and save water so future generations have a healthier planet to live on. Even just a few changes in your own home can make a huge difference in the impact you have on the environment overall.