With climate change and global warming a hot topic on everyone’s lips, many people are wondering what steps they can take to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Tackling the effects of pollution, deforestation, and climate change (to name a few!) is no mean feat, especially as an individual. However, there are many small changes that we can all make to our daily routine to help contribute to saving the planet.
In this article, discover what sustainable living is and how you can live more sustainably with simple changes to your routine, from choosing organic produce to walking more.
What is Sustainable Living?
Sustainable living is all about the choices we make in our daily routine to help reduce our impact on the planet and the environment. This means using more renewable resources and making positive changes to help protect the Earth for future generations.
Whether you live in a big city or already embrace a minimalist lifestyle in the bush, there are plenty of habits that you can implement as an individual to reduce your environmental impact. Take a look at our top six sustainable living tips below.
6 Ways to Live More Sustainably
Discover what small changes you can make in your daily routine to live a more sustainable lifestyle:
1. Drive Less
Reducing your use of a car and choosing to walk or cycle instead is a great way to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Not only will you cut down on emissions that are harmful to the environment, but you’ll also benefit from being outdoors and exercising too.
Sustainable urban living relates to the actions you can take within a city or urban setting to reduce your environmental impact. You could consider sharing lifts to work with colleagues, taking public transport, or walking instead of driving.
You could also consider making the switch to an electric vehicle.
2. Save Energy
There are many simple ways you can save energy while at home, such as wearing extra layers of clothing instead of turning the heating on when it’s cooler and air-drying clothes instead of tumble drying.
Switch your light bulbs to energy efficient LED lights and remember to turn off any lights if the room is not in use.
3. Consume Less Meat
It’s no secret that farming releases significant volumes of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for the effects of climate change.
To live more sustainably, consider switching to a plant-based diet or reduce your consumption of meat to just a few days per week. Eat more whole foods in your diet, such as grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
If you’re unsure where to start, get inspired with our top easy vegan meal ideas for beginners:
4. Reuse and Recycle
Many of us have already got into the habit of using reusable shopping bags and water bottles, reducing our use of single-use plastics. It’s important to continue these habits, as well as considering other items that can be reused in order to live more sustainably.
Some cafés are starting to encourage you to bring your own reusable cup to get discounted drinks, and there has been a rise in stores offering refills of produce if you bring your own containers with you, from pasta and rice to laundry detergent.
5. Shop Local or Grow Your Own
For your weekly grocery shop, consider buying local produce that is in season to reduce your impact on the environment – or better yet, grow your own. This way, you’ll have complete control over the food you’re eating and know exactly what goes into your body. You can find plenty of tips on organic gardening and how to grow your own food online.
To help reduce food waste, pulp your leftover fruits and veggies into a delicious pasta sauce or smoothie.
6. Choose Organic
You may have already heard that organic food can be better for you and the environment. Grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, growth regulators and GMOs, organic food is often more nutritious, while organic farming practices can help to protect the environment by reducing water and land pollution.
When food shopping, make the conscious choice to buy organic fruits and vegetables to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Organic, whole food ingredients are at the heart of our products at Garden of Life. We support organic farmers and ensure that only the best ingredients go into our range of organic protein powders and vitamin supplements.
Our dedicated 100% vegan range, Organics, has been crafted from real, whole food ingredients that can be traced back to the seed. Browse a selection of our organic vitamin sprays to add into your routine below:
