By Kaeley Sterkel
Living sustainably may seem like a daunting responsibility to take on but all you really need to start off is to change a few small things that are geared towards living sustainably. After you have conquered this you can continue to introduce more eco friendly options into your household.
Bedroom
Eco friendly sheets: When shopping for sheets look for products the cellulosic fibers and wood-based products and made from Eco optimized tree pulp.
Sustainable clothing brands: Fast fashion is a huge component to almost every form of waste. When shopping, look for companies that use recycled products like fabric or companies like Patagonia who support environmental nonprofits and 87% of their fabrics are made with preferred materials and 100% of their cotton is grown organically.
Bathroom
Bamboo toilet paper: Instead of purchasing normal toilet paper try transitioning to bamboo toilet paper. Bamboo is a sustainable source because it is able to grow at an extremely fast rate to keep up with human consumption, it also grows in great quantities.
Microplastic water filter: Adding a water filter to washing machine and faucets will ensure that your household is not adding microplastics to the environment or taking in any unwanted microplastics. These microplastics always find their way into our oceans and have caused a significant increase to ocean pollution.
Living room
Smart power strips: Most energy in homes is wasted on electronic items being plugged in when not used. With a smart power strip, it saves energy by being able to detect when your device is in active use and will cut the power when it’s in standby.
Kitchen
Sustainable food choices: If you go to your local grocery store you will find that almost every product will have plastic involved in its packaging. There are also many fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers that the production, process, and transportation depend on. Instead look to find sustainable food systems that operate near you. They make their food more sustainable by limiting pesticide use and treating their animals humanely and responsibly.
Cleaning supplies: Using natural cleaning products keep toxins out of our water supply and oceans. You will also be contributing to better indoor air quality. By converting to natural cleaning products, you are taking away the toxic chemicals that are left on your countertops and floors.
Yards
Compost: When investing in compost, you are preventing waste going to landfills where they add to the carbon greenhouse gas in our atmosphere. You can put food scraps such as eggshells, unused veggies, and coffee grounds along with any grass clippings into the bin and can create your own nutrient-rich soil for a garden or yard.
Small garden: investing in a small garden is not only a great hobby but takes shopping locally to another level. Even having a simple herb garden goes a long way when eating more sustainably.
Sustainable plants: Adding vegetation outside and inside your home is always beneficial. It can keep your home cooler and they also serve as a windbreak and contribute to cleaner air. Make sure when deciding with plants to invest in they are locally grown and are suitable for the climate of where you live. You also want to consider using methods such as drip irrigation, this uses gravity to bring the water to the plant’s roots.
Change will not happen overnight, taking on all these outlets may seem overwhelming.
We challenge you to add at least one sustainable option from every room into your house!
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