Everything that we do has an impact on the world around us, from the way we shop to how long we spend in the shower.
While it would be difficult to achieve a scenario where the things we did had no negative consequences for the environment at all, by making some small adjustments to our daily routines, we can help to keep these negative effects to a minimum.
Over the past few years, the legendary broadcaster, writer, and naturalist Sir David Attenborough has spoken out about the devastating impact our human footprint is having on the planet.
His BBC documentary highlights that more than one million species are at risk of extinction and explores the consequences of this biodiversity crisis, including threatening food and water security.
What’s more, scientists from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have delivered a ‘final warning’ on the climate crisis. They’ve said that if we don’t act now, it will be too late – as the window to stop irreversible damage is closing.
Although it’s clear that large-scale actions from world leaders are needed, there are also plenty of small contributions we can each make that, collectively, will have a big impact.
From saving water to supporting local wildlife, here are 13 simple ways to adopt a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.
1. Grow your own food
Growing your own food is an enjoyable and rewarding way to be kinder to the planet. The fruit and vegetables we buy from supermarkets usually travel long distances to reach our shelves (using a lot of fuel in the process) and are often packaged in plastics and other unsustainable materials.
In addition, supermarket fruit and veg is often treated with pesticides during the farming process, which can be harmful.
The United Nations estimates that the world will need to produce about 70% more food by 2050 to feed growing populations. This means that the demand – and therefore the environmental impact – of mass-produced food is only set to increase.
One way to reduce this demand is to start growing our own fruit and veg at home or in an allotment. This also has the potential to save us money and time on supermarket trips too.
Some people are put off the idea of growing food at home because they’re worried that they won’t have enough space. But the good news is that there are plenty of foods that you can grow in containers on windowsills, patios, or balconies – spring onions, tomatoes, and kale to name just a few!
If you’re curious about what other fruits and veggies you can grow yourself, and would like a few tips, why not have a read of our articles; 8 superfoods that you can grow from home or 10 things you can grow in a window box at home?
2. Drive less
Although motor vehicles are a quick and convenient way of getting around, they tend to burn a lot of fossil fuels, contributing to global warming. In fact, it’s estimated that transport accounts for around a quarter of carbon emissions globally.
The UK has said that it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, but with the average UK car producing 180g of CO2 per kilometre, there’s still lots of work to be done in the meantime.
One of the most effective ways to reduce the negative impact that your daily travel could be having on the environment is to walk or cycle wherever possible. This is also a great way to stay active and look after your health.
To get started, have a read of our beginner’s guide to cycling and our list of 12 rewarding activities to do while walking.
3. Support local wildlife
If you love wildlife and want to help it thrive, there are plenty of simple ways you can support local creatures.
For example, hedgehog numbers are in decline. Experts have said that this drop is largely a result of hedgerows and field margins being lost during intensive farming. As a result, hedgehogs are relying on habitats in urban and suburban gardens to survive.
So, if you’re keen to help these small creatures, why not consider building them a home in your garden? These handy instructions from The Wildlife Trusts will show you how to get started.
Other ways you can help local wildlife include installing bird baths and feeders in your garden, avoiding cutting hedges and trees during the bird nesting season (February to August), and planting butterfly and bee-friendly plants.
For more tips, check out our article; 11 ways to make your garden more wildlife-friendly.
4. Recycle and reuse
Any rubbish that’s not recycled or reused is usually taken to landfill sites where it’s piled up and left to rot. Not only are landfill sites ugly, but they‘re also huge sources of pollution. As waste slowly breaks down it produces toxins and greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere.
Rubbish in landfill sites can often find its way into our oceans too. It’s estimated that 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste finds its way into the ocean every year. This has catastrophic consequences for marine life who can become tangled in it, swallow it, or be suffocated by it.
To find out more about why landfill sites are so bad for the environment, have a read of this page from Sustainability for All.
One of the best ways we can avoid pumping more rubbish into landfill sites is to make sure that we’re recycling. You can find out how to recycle waste in your local area on the GOV.UK website.
It can also help to try and repurpose items to take the pressure off recycling centres. For example, jars and pots can be used to store odds and ends and old clothes can be reused, donated, or sold.
Check out this list of everyday items that you can reuse time and again for some additional eco-friendly ideas. Or, if you fancy getting creative, why not take a look at our article; 16 creative upcycling ideas that could save you money and help the planet?
To avoid repurchasing certain items, like plastic water bottles, straws, and batteries, you could also consider purchasing reusable versions. For example, buying rechargeable batteries, metal straws, or a KeepCup to hold your takeaway tea or coffee when you’re on the move.
5. Be mindful of your meat and dairy consumption
According to research, meat and dairy production accounts for 83% of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.
And with so many green spaces being converted into farmland (and so much plant life needed to feed livestock), lots of wildlife is also losing their habitat and finding it difficult to survive as a result.
For this reason, experts say that one of the most helpful ways that we can help to reduce our environmental impact is to buy meat and dairy alternatives where possible, to reduce the demand.
This doesn’t have to mean cutting out meat and dairy altogether, but it could mean making an effort to have a couple of meat and dairy-free days a week. You could also consider choosing meat and dairy products that have been produced in a way that’s less harmful to the environment.
If you’d like inspiration, have a read of our articles; 14 healthy and easy vegetarian recipes and What are the pros and cons of different types of milk?
6. Conserve energy at home
By reducing the amount of gas and electricity that you use at home, you can help to lower carbon emissions. In 2019, the energy supply sector was responsible for 34% of total emissions globally.
There are several quick and easy ways that you can conserve energy at home, help to protect the environment, and save money on bills.
For example, you can…
- Turn electrical items off completely, rather than leaving them on standby
- Hang clothes out to dry, rather than tumble drying them
- Turn the heating down
- Switch lights off when leaving the room
- Only boil as much water as you need in your kettle, as it will boil quicker and use less energy
- Consider switching to a renewable energy supplier or buying solar panels
- Only run your washing machine or dishwasher when it’s full
For more tips on how you can conserve energy at home, you might find it helpful to read our article; Energy saving tips: how to reduce your bills.
7. Save water
Many people only think of gas and electricity when it comes to saving energy, but saving water helps too.
The energy required to process and deliver clean water to our taps creates a considerable amount of pollution, so it helps if we can conserve as much water, and therefore, energy, as possible.
Some helpful ways to save water include…
- Turning the tap off when brushing your teeth. By turning off the tap when you brush your teeth just once, you could save 12 litres of water, so imagine how much water you could save in a month or a year!
- Reducing your shower time. It’s estimated that Britain ‘showers away’ over 2 billion litres of water per day. According to Energy Saving Trust, if every UK home cut their shower time by just one minute, it would save a huge £215,000 million on our collective energy bills every year.
- Fixing leaky taps. A leaky tap could be wasting around 5,500 litres of water a year, and sometimes the fix can be really quite simple!
If you’re worried about the cost of getting a plumber in, it’s worth having a look at some YouTube videos to see if you can fix the problem yourself. Many times, it might be that a washer just needs replacing.
If you’d like some more advice on how to save water (plus energy and money), it’s worth having a read of our article: How to reduce your water bills.
8. Choose Fairtrade products
By buying more Fairtrade products, you can help farmers in developing countries get paid a fairer price for their work. When farmers are paid more for what they produce, they become more economically stable and, in turn, food supplies becomes more reliable.
Part of the Fairtrade agreement is that farmers must take steps to improve soil and water quality, avoid using harmful chemicals, protect biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Farmers receive training on environmentally friendly farming practices too. So, by buying Fairtrade products, we’re helping to give farmers a better quality of life, and an incentive to farm better and sell more.
To find out more about how Fairtrade farmers protect the environment, you can check out this blog post on the Fairtrade website. Or to find out more about why Fairtrade means sustainable trade, have a read of this Fairtrade page.
9. Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Many of the popular, mainstream cleaning products contain chemicals such as preservatives, detergents, and foaming agents – which can all be harmful to the environment.
If you want to opt for eco-friendly cleaning products, it’s best to choose those that have no synthetic ingredients. You can also make your own cleaners at home using natural ingredients. Check out our article; 7 effective natural cleaning products which cost pennies to make.
10. Sell or donate items
From time to time we all find ourselves with items that we no longer want or need.
By selling or donating items (rather than throwing them away) and buying second-hand items, we can help to reduce the amount of energy and raw materials involved in manufacturing and disposing of them.
If you’re wondering where you can buy and sell second-hand items, eBay and Vinted are great places to start. You might also want to check out our article, How to make money from your clutter, for ideas.
11. Go paperless
Across the world, over four billion trees are cut down every year to make paper (which equates to 1% of the Amazon rainforest per year). And, according to RecyclingBins.co.uk, here in the UK, we use a whopping 9.9 million tonnes of paper each year.
While 80% of this gets recycled, it’s estimated that an additional 17 trees and 50% of water can be saved for every tonne of paper that’s recycled. So there’s still more that can be done – and every little helps.
Though the act of recycling an old envelope or shopping list might seem small, it can be a worthwhile and valuable contribution towards saving our trees. Better yet, it can help you to consider whether there are ways you can reduce your paper usage altogether.
For example, if you find that you have bills or letters cluttering up your desk, drawers, or kitchen sides, it’s worth looking into whether you could receive these by email instead. Many companies now have a paperless option, so you can cut down on the amount of paper that’s getting delivered to your door.
It’s also worth considering whether you could take notes on an electronic device like your phone, tablet, or laptop, rather than continuing to use and buy paper.
12. Donate unwanted food
If you have food in your kitchen that you know you won’t eat but don’t want to throw away, why not donate it?
A great way to do this is by downloading the free Olio app, which allows you to share unwanted food items with people in your local area.
All you need to do is post an image and description of what you want to give away, and people will be able to contact you through the app to arrange to collect it. You can also use Olio to give away non-food items like clothes and books.
You could also consider donating food with a longer shelf-life to your local foodbank so that others in need can benefit. You can find your nearest foodbank on the Trussell Trust website.
For more ideas, check out our article; Four apps to reduce food waste and save money.
13. Shop with sustainable fashion brands
If you’re planning on buying any new clothes rather than second-hand ones, it’s always a good idea to be aware of the manufacturing processes that a particular brand uses.
While ‘fast fashion’ is often cheaper, this is because the processes that are used to make the clothes are faster and cheaper too, and often result in large amounts of waste.
At present, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. On top of that, there are many fast fashion brands that take advantage of workers; paying them low wages and encouraging them to work in poor (and sometimes unsafe) working conditions.
The best way to make sure that you aren’t contributing to environmental harm caused by the fast fashion industry is to try and shop with brands that use sustainable and ethical practices. For more information about sustainable fashion, it’s worth having a read of our article on the subject.
And to get an idea about which sustainable fashion brands you could shop with, check out this article on 11 fair trade and ethical fashion brands that ship to the UK from The Good Trade.
Final thoughts…
While attempting to tackle issues around climate change might seem like an insurmountable task, the good news is that by making small changes, we can make a big difference.
David Attenborough summed it up nicely in his BBC documentary, Extinction. He said…
“I do truly believe that, together, we can create a better future. I might not be here to see it, but if we make the right decisions at this critical moment, we can safeguard our planet’s ecosystems, its extraordinary biodiversity, and all its inhabitants. What happens next is up to every one of us.”
For further reading, head over to the home and garden section of our website. You might also like to read our article; 17 ways to help the environment and save money.
Do you have any additional tips on sustainable living? Are you planning to make use of any of the tips above? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.