How to Begin Living Sustainably: A Guide

No, you don’t have to start living off-grid, use a bidet, and only eat the food you grow to live “zero-waste.” If that were the case, I certainly would be in trouble! Living low waste can seem daunting at first because of how the media and influencers portray it, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Being sustainable could mean something as simple as starting to turn the lights off when you leave the room to save electricity, or making sure the faucet’s off when you brush your teeth to save water. It’s taking steps towards becoming more eco-minded, and doing things that could benefit the earth. Becoming more earth-centric, if you will. And this blog is merely to help point you in the right direction if this lifestyle is something you’d like to start pursuing.

I am the first to know that some of the suggestions I’m going to mention might not be something you as the reader can do at this moment - whether physically, mentally, or financially - and that is completely okay! I know everyone is on their own journey, and I hope the following can help you on yours.

Step 1: the bathroom

A good place to start making small changes is the bathroom. You can switch to a bamboo toothbrush and refillable toothpaste to avoid plastic! At Refillism you can bring a jar from home or purchase one in the store to fill with toothpaste powder or tablets.

You could also switch to a refillable shampoo and body wash, conditioner, and hand soap. If you would rather cut out all packaging, another choice is shampoo and conditioner soap bars.

Something as little as swapping a plastic loofah for a jute glove or other biodegradable option would make a difference!

Step 2: the kitchen

In the kitchen, you could reduce the amount of paper goods and single use plastics that you buy. This could mean investing in silicone straws instead of plastic straw packs, using silicone bags and wheat bento boxes instead of plastic baggies, reusable dishes instead of paper sets, and cloth towels instead of paper napkins.

When it comes to washing up, you can switch to a refillable dish detergent or use a solid dish soap. These can couple with biodegradable sponges or bamboo brushes. If you have a dishwasher, invest in a refillable dishwasher powder.

If you can, reduce your consumption of red meats. This is because the agricultural practices surrounding cattle and sheep are closely linked to large carbon dioxide emissions, which are in turn linked to climate change. Overall, animal husbandry accounts for 14.5% of green house gas emissions worldwide, with cattle and sheep being the greatest perpetrators.

Food waste is a huge issue, especially in the United States! We throw out about 40% of the food produced in our country. Reduce the amount of food you waste by meal planning and composting, if this is within your means.

Step 3: the closet

Shopping for clothing at secondhand stores is always best, as it saves the pieces from the landfill and helps boycott fast fashion companies. As of right now, the fast fashion industry produces about 92 million tons of textile waste worldwide every year (read more in my article about the fast fashion industry). You can help by using your current wardrobe to its fullest, mending clothes when they are threadbare or torn, and swapping unwanted clothes with friends. 

Once your clothing is past the ability to wear, you could upcycle it. Create dog toys out of old t-shirts, make reusable gift wrap out of old dresses, and even stuff bean bags with old clothes (credit: @bbotclothing). There are endless options!

When it comes to washing clothes, look into using a refillable or eco-friendly laundry detergent to replace the large plastic bottles sold in many stores.

Step 4: the outdoors 

At the root of all things sustainable, there’s a worldview behind it. Being eco-friendly at its core is about appreciating nature, so a sustainable lifestyle inherently includes getting outdoors. Try to incorporate different hobbies into your weekly routine like gardening, hiking, birding, or simply sit outside with a good book. Taking the time to learn the types trees in your park or researching the things negatively impacting the environment in your region will help you connect with nature and drive your motivation to live eco-consciously. 

Step 5: community involvement

There will always be people in your community working on conservation efforts. Keep an eye out for litter clean ups, tree planting sessions, and general outdoor activities! Yoga studios will sometimes meet outside, and there's bound to be multiple walking groups you can join. Anything that gets you outdoors and surrounds you with like-minded people to help you on your mission to help the earth.

For example, the York County Conservation District has an annual seedling sale and the York County Department of Parks and Recreation has nature summer programs for kids as well as foraging clubs.

In conclusion

The mission of Refillism is to encourage the average person to take small steps to reuse, reduce, rethink, and refill. While refilling is mentioned off and on throughout this article, there are many other products that are available for filling in our storefront like lotions, facial toners, deodorants, and more. Definitely check them out, as repurposing old bottles for refilling allows customers to reuse old containers that would have otherwise been thrown out, rather than buying a new container with every purchase. 

One last message: do not go around your home throwing everything that is plastic away! Use it first. That is the most sustainable thing you can do. Then, once whatever it is has lived it’s purpose, dispose of it properly. I know from experience the urge to purge my house of plastic, and know now that using my tube of toothpaste is perfectly okay. As is buying a tube of toothpaste! Everyone is on different paths. Do what you can, and if you have any questions or updates on your sustainable journey, drop them in the comments below!

References:

G, Bačėninaitė, K, Džermeikaitė, and R, Antanaitis. Global Warming and Dairy Cattle: How to Control and Reduce Methane Emission. MDPI: Vol. 12, Article 19. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9559257/

Food Loss and Waste. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-loss-and-waste

S, Rauturier. Everything You Need to Know About Waste in the Fashion Industry. Good on You. https://goodonyou.eco/waste-luxury-fashion/

H, Leach. The Fast Fashion Industry. Refillism. https://refillism.com/blogs/blog/the-fast-fashion-industry-your-clothes-were-most-likely-made-in-sweatshops?_pos=1&_psq=your+cloth&_ss=e&_v=1.0