Sustainability Tips for Beginners

This is a list of simple actions steps beginners to sustainable living and low-waste living can take to start your journey. I still consider myself a beginner and am still learning how to fully incorporate all these things into my life. Remember this is a slow race and not a sprint so if you can only do one of these things right not be proud of yourself. This is a living list meaning I will constantly be adding things that I think are beginner-friendly!

1. Buy in bulk

Buying in bulk reduces the need for more plastic. Bulk bins are a great way to start buying things in bulk. If your grocery store does not have bulk bins though buying a bigger quantity will also reduce waste. For example, instead of picking up a 1lb bag of rice, go for a 5 or even 10 lb. bag. Buying in bulk also saves money in the long run.

2. Make Homemade Snacks

Making things homemade snacks not only cuts back on countless plastic packaging but also challenges your culinary skills. Making snacks allows you to know exactly what’s in your food as well and you get to tailor it to your needs.

3. Start incorporating Meatless Days into your week

You’ve heard of meatless Mondays; well, I challenge you to go further. What about Meatless Monday, Wednesday, or Friday or No meat during the week? Cutting back on meat is good for your health and the planet.

4. Reduce Food Waste

Growing up my parents used to tell me “Don’t put too much on your plate, you can always go back for more!” As a kid I didn’t really understand what they met, I just wanted to eat all the mac and cheese, but now it is something that I use at every meal. Taking smaller amounts of food ensures that the food gets eaten and is not thrown away. This is one of the simplest ways to reduce food waste on your plate. More ways include learning how to store food properly and meal plan.

5. Conscious Consumerism

If only one thing is taken away from this list it should be this. Conscious consumerism is when one really thinks about a purchase before buying. Take a pair of jeans, for example, some questions I might ask myself are:

1. Does the price reflect the amount of work that went into them? Or are they expensive because of the brand?
2. What is the material? Cotton? Organic Cotton? Blend? ( I try to shoot for all cotton)
3. Am I considering them because they are trendy or do I see myself wearing them 5+ years from now?
4. Do I even need a new pair of jeans right now?

6. Invest in Quality Clothing Pieces

One way to ensure clothes last a long time is to invest in good quality pieces that fit your budget. If spending $200 on a nice quality trench coat from a sustainable brand is something you can afford then go for it! But for people who may not be able to spend $200 on a single piece of clothing, I would suggest opting for slightly higher quality clothes than Shein and treating them well so that they last a long time. I get my white T-shirts from Target for $2o because that’s what I can afford right now. I always try to get the 100% cotton one, check the transparency of it, and don’t put it in the dryer, so it lasts longer.

7. Ditch the Plastic Bags

Plastic sandwich bags usually get used once and then thrown away. There are so many good alternatives to these kinds of bags – the first one being Tupperware or glass containers. If that doesn’t work there are many silicone bags from Stasher, Amazon, and even Target.

8. Reduce Single-Use plastic

Reduce single-use plastic by bringing your reusable water bottle, coffee mug, and grocery bags. These three items are the easiest way to start reducing your plastic waste.

9. Look at secondhand first

When I buy clothes, excluding undergarments and basics, I always try to find them second-hand first. Usually, I have a very vague idea of what I want so I usually find something I like. When I wanted something trendier, for example, my long denim skirt, I waited and looked at thrift stores and thrift sites like ThredUp to make sure it was something that I wanted to get and not something I wanted to get to be part of the group. Needless to say, I got a long denim skirt from Mango. The reason I got it new was because I fell in love with it. It’s also important to note that if the new skirt is something you will wear more than the thrifted skirt because of the fit, style, etc. than you are better off getting it new and wearing it a lot and for a long time.

10. Join a buy-nothing group

Facebook has a plethora of buy nothing groups, search Buy Nothing Group (Your city, county, township) and you can at least find one. Buy-nothing groups are great because 1) you don’t have to spend money 2) they are a great way to get rid of things besides throwing them out and 3) they allow you to participate in the circular economy.

11. Replace when Needed

Instead of having 4+ water bottles (I’m looking at you Stanley Cups) shoot for having 1 or 2 and then replacing them when they no longer work. Reusable cups are a bad example because they should last for years. The best example is probably clothes, you only need one pair of running sneakers, wear them until you can’t and then get new ones.

12. Have one or two things of each kind of makeup

For people who wear makeup or use skincare, find two or three products that work and stick to them. Unless makeup is a hobby of yours, you don’t need the next new makeup palette when there are 10 half-used ones in the closet. Same with skincare, I am guilty of buying the trending skincare item without researching if it is good for my skin type.

13. Use it until you can’t

Going off number 10, use an item or product until there is no more left or it is unusable.

14. Consider Experiences over things

I had the hardest time finding a Christmas gift for my brother, so instead of looking for an object that he might or might not use I got him tickets to a comedy show. Getting people experiences instead of gifts will allow them to create new memories with the people they love.

15. Use the Library

When I need a book, I rarely opt to buy one new off of Amazon. In the past, I used ThriftBooks or a local bookstore. Currently, I am looking for the books I want at the library first. My search usually goes as follows:

1. Search the local library online catalog for either eBooks or books in the library.
2. If the library does not have the book see if there is an interlibrary loan program I can request the book with. Libraries are sometimes part of a network where they will “share” books amongst themselves if one library doesn’t have them.
3. If the book is not in the library system search thrift books and Kindle ( there are certain books I want a physical copy of, while other books I am willing to get on the Kindle app)
4. Search local bookshop
5. If all else fails get it on Target, Walmart, or Amazon

16. Support Local Businesses

Local Businesses are the heart and soul of your city. Often times, whatever they are selling whether it be pottery or cupcakes is handmade. Supporting local is not only sustainable but keeps the money in the town as well!