How to Start Living Sustainably in 6 Easy Steps!

Living more sustainably doesn’t have to be difficult. With these six tips, anyone can begin living sustainably.

Despite the largest contributor to climate change being coal and oil companies, and these organisations having similarly ruinous effects on their surrounding ecosystems, this doesn’t mean we can ignore personal responsibility, and as we get scarily close and closer to the point of no return with our environment, we should all be trying to do our part to live more sustainably and in an eco-friendly way.

That task may sound quite daunting, but don’t worry! No one is expecting you to flip a switch and suddenly become a sustainable, environment-saving machine. There are plenty of smaller ways you can start to live a more eco-conscious life. 

Going Vegetarian or Vegan

One of the more obvious options, but given the meat industry’s overwhelming impact on climate change - equivalent to every car, plane, and truck’s greenhouse emissions combined - veganism, or at least vegetarianism, is something anyone with an eye for sustainability who is able to do so should consider.

If you’re looking for an entryway into this new diet, over 125,000 people in the UK took part in Veganuary in 2021, an annual scheme to get people eating vegan, even if for just a month.

Changes to diet and cooking can be hard to work around, but beginning by eating vegetarian or vegan one day a week is a brilliant start, and you can build from there, or slowly replace non-vegan aspects of your diet one by one - like making your coffee with soy or oat milk.

Source Your Food Locally

Whether you decide to go vegetarian, vegan, or neither, that doesn’t mean as much if your food isn’t locally sourced. Local food has less “food miles” - the distance the food has had to travel from farm to plate - and also means the people who grew the food see more money, which means the farmers you’re helping will be less incentivised to sell their land to developers. A locally sourced diet has also been shown to be healthier and better for you!

Recycle

If you haven’t gotten on this already, getting a recycling bin - and a food waste bin - are great ways to decrease the amount of harmful waste you produce, and the more is recycled, not only is less wasted, but it also reduces the need to harvest new raw materials from the earth.

Switching to Renewable Energy

Changing to renewable energy is becoming easier and easier in the UK, with most of the biggest power companies offering tariffs with 100% renewable electricity, and several smaller companies offering greener gas. There’s little reason not to switch to getting your power from the much less damaging and sustainably-sourced renewable energy providers.

Ongoing research has even shown that switching to renewable energy could save you money on your bills! So you’re saving the planet and your wallet!

Shop Second Hand

Second hand clothing isn’t just cheaper, but it also lessens the impact that fast fashion has on the environment! And if you sell your old clothes instead of simply throwing them away, it also means they aren’t ending up in some overflowing landfill!

Buying books second hand is also advisable because of the carbon footprint attached to printing. Nothing had to be printed if you’re down the nearest charity shop picking out a new volume (ebooks are also a nifty alternative to buying a new paperback).

Shop from sustainable businesses

Many organisations - often smaller businesses - are catering to eco-friendly clients, or changing their processes to align with the ethics of their owners. Hidden Botanics is such a company, with all of our dried and artificial flowers and floral arrangements being 100% sustainably made. By supporting independent businesses like ours, which is wholly committed to sustainability, you are making purchasing choices that will not only benefit you - because all our products are bright, beautiful, and have wonderful scents! - but also the world.

Whether you’re able to do one of these, or all six: CONGRATULATIONS, you’re moving into a more sustainable world!

Alex x